PITT ANNOUNCES LINE-UP FOR 30TH ANNUAL JAZZ SEMINAR AND CONCERT

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 18 -- In a star-studded event dedicated to the late Grover Washington, Jr., the 30th annual University of Pittsburgh Jazz Seminar and Concert will once again feature international jazz musicians performing and conducting free workshops, Nov. 1 - 4, on the Pitt campus in Oakland.

The talent includes music greats Wallace Roney, trumpet; Oscar Brashear, trumpet; Hank Crawford, alto sax, Benny Golson, tenor sax;

Curtis Fuller, trombone; Larry Coryell, guitar; John Patitucci, bass; Winard Harper, drums; Geri Allen, piano; Pitt Jazz Studies Director Nathan Davis, saxophones; and special guest, legendary trumpeter Donald Byrd. Photos and bios of the artists are available through Sharon Blake.

In keeping with tradition, the guest performers will conduct on-campus seminars, free and open to the public, and hold workshops for students at two area schools and other community locations. Brown Bag Lunches, featuring performances by musicians from the Pitt Jazz Ensemble, will be held on campus throughout October. Pitt Jazz Week culminates with a concert at Carnegie Music Hall on Saturday, November 4, at 8 p.m. Concert tickets are $17 general admission and $8.50 for students with a valid Pitt ID, and are expected to go on sale on October 1 at Pitt's William Pitt Union. State Representative William Robinson will serve as concert emcee.

Christine Washington, widow of Grover Washington, will accept posthumous honors for her late husband at Saturday's concert. The legendary saxophonist enthusiastically participated 10 times in Pitt's annual jazz event, before his untimely death in December, 1999, at age 56. Just weeks earlier, at the 1999 Pitt Jazz Concert, Washington had received the International Academy of Jazz Hall of Fame Award on the stage of Carnegie Music Hall.

Other events during Pitt Jazz Week include a lecture on "The History of Jazz," on Monday, Oct. 30; a talk on "The Business of Jazz," on Wednesday, Nov. 1; and a lecture and demonstration on Thursday, Nov. 2, by recording engineer Dae Bennett, son of Tony Bennett, at the William Robinson Recording Studio at Pitt's Bellefield Hall.

Founded by Nathan Davis, the Pitt Jazz Seminar and Concert is the longest-running event of its kind in the country. For additional information, please call (412) 624-4187.

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