Pitt Jazz Seminar Concert 2025

One thing I didn't clarify in my preview post about the Pitt Jazz Seminar Concert was the one person who was not part of the performance that night - Chad Taylor, the head of Jazz Studies at Pitt and the person who put the event together. Considering the event was titled Percussion Discussion, with that instrument featured prominently, and that one of Taylor's former teachers (Joe Chambers) was a featured guest that evening, it was a bit of a surprise. (Though the internet indicates that he was just returning from a European tour with James Brandon Lewis a few days earlier.) Taylor was on hand to help emcee the event, but that was it. One can't help but admire someone who prefers to put the spotlight on other people during an event like this. 

Sasha Berliner

The first half of the show feature two separate sets. Vibraphonist Sasha Berliner started the night with a solo performance on her instrument, where she created and played along with some loops. She covered some wide ground, beginning with György Ligeti's "Musica Ricercata #7" and a version of "My Funny Valentine" that was long and dreamy and nothing like the chestnut that has been done umpteen times. When she set up some low bass loops and started playing with four mallets, it was a exciting surprise to hear the voicings that came up on top of the foundation. It was even cooler when it turned out to be Thelonious Monk's "Light Blue," which is a challenge to pull off in any context, especially as a solo. In lesser hands, it can feel lugubrious but Berliner gave it some spark.

One personal frustration throughout the evening stemmed from the on-the-fly stage direction. Over 55 years, there has always been a little of that (announcers mispronouncing artists' names or admitting "I've never heard of this guy") and there was a little of that going on. The evening's official host, Mike Canton (host of The Soul Show on WZUM-The Jazz Channel) provided a warm welcome and introduced the acts, but he could've provided more details on how the order of the show would proceed. He had introduced Berliner quickly, when she seemed to need a moment to set up shop. He also talked up the tap dancing that would be part of the Joel Ross Trio's set, but never introduced dancer Melissa Almaguer by name. 

Tap has been highlighted in previous seminar concerts as well as concerts staged by the Kente Arts Alliance. The late Jack DeJohnette also performed in an evening with Savion Glover in 2016 at the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild. So it's not unusual to see it here in town. Yet the Ross trio's flowing sound didn't seem like the best pairing with Almaguer. The group and the dancer are clearly inventive artists, but it took a while for both parties to sound like interaction was happening. This could have been due in part to a mix that didn't carry the dancer's work up to our seats.  

Left to right: Aaron J. Johnson, Reggie Watkins, trombones
Yoko Suzuki, Ben Opie, Kenny Powell: saxophones (seated). Erik Lawrence, alto, flute.
Bobby Sanabria, drums. Howie Alexander, piano. Lee Smith, bass.
Warren Smith, tympani. Joe Chambers, vibes.

The second half of the show saluted the percussion ensemble M'Boom with a band that featured the last living members of that group, rounded out by Bobby Sanabria on drums and a crew of local musicians filling out the horn section. The ensemble came out of the gate blazing, starting with Bobby Hutcherson's "Pomponio." Joe Chambers and horn section leader Erik Lawrence (on alto) both took fiery solos that hinted at the excitment that was coming. 

They continued saluting the late vibraphonist Hutcherson by following with his "Ballade Die Ravel," which Chambers arranged. Sanabria had already started to kick some serious ass in the previous tune. During this one, he dextrously played congas and cymbals, in addition to traps and became one of the rhythm section's driving forces.

Pittsburgh pianist Howie Alexander was a last minute addition to the band, filling in for Aaron Graves, who was listed in the program. Chambers seemed to fascinated with our hometown whiz, giving him multiple solo space, on which he delivered. It was as much of surprise to Alexander as to everyone else, but his solo on Duke Ellington's "Midnight Sun" put his authority on full display. Vocalist Mavis SWAN Poole joined the group for a few songs, including the Max Roach/Abbey Lincoln piece "Mendacity," another song that has not lost is relevance in current times.

Mavis SWAN Poole

Chambers, Warren Smith (who spent most of the set behind four tympani) and Sanabria all began patting their chests towards the end of the set, setting a pulse that most of the band picked up on. After they made their way to center stage, they eventually headed back to their respective spots and things shifted into a big roar from the wealth of percussion instruments. Smith never got much in the way of space to stretch out but he made his presence known. And at 92, we're lucky that he made the trip. He and Chambers were bestowed with Lifetime Achievement Awards during the performance too.

Although the performance lasted over two hours (including intermission) it felt like it wrapped up a little too suddenly. The marimba towards the front of the stage was never used. (For a moment, we were hoping that Ross and Berliner might come out onstage to join in for a closing tune.) Nevertheless, a good time was had by all. 

The evening program even offered some "Save the Date" info for next year's seminar and concert - The Jazz Organ Summit, November 1-8, 2026. You've been reminded.

Did You Catch the New Album by Benefits?

Benefits

Burnout

(Adversarial Patterns) benefitspgh.bandcamp.com/album/burnout

One thing that might not have gotten proper attention at the Monongahela Pop Festival* was the release of Burnout, by the local group that answers to the name of Benefits. It's been released on vinyl in a very limited edition on the band's imprint Adversarial Patterns and can also be heard on the Bandcamp link above.

The band sent me a download of the album several months ago, which I burned to CD and played often in the car. When the Harry Von Zells played with them back in 2019, the quintet played a sharp set of arranged, brainy pop songs. Burnout takes things in a completely different direction. It includes layers of vocals coming at all angles, in an almost rock opera sense, while style maintaining the catchy framework.

But you ain't heard nothing until you listen to the record with the lyric sheet in hand. Burnout is probably the only album where the lyric sheet has FOOTNOTES. A total of 30 notes for eight songs, some of them resembling mini-essays that add context to what is being sung. Most of the songs were written during and immediately following the pandemic. The mood is very dystopian but there are also moments of levity, like a reference to Pittsburgh's late Northway Mall, or "You Know the Place," in which vocalist Mike Baltzer adopts the role of a lounge singer/host, signing off cryptically. After reading through them while listening, it was clear that the band's cover choice at the Monongahela Pop Festival (the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter") was not simply a take on a classic song - it was chosen for the lyrical matter.

At the same time, the music on Burnout remains extremely catchy. Opener "How Am I Doing Now" has a chorus that's hard to shake. Chelsey Engel's high harmonies and counter vocals add to the power of the sound. The overall feeling of the album recalls the early work of Dead Kennedys in the way Benefits seems to blend such dark subject matter and cool tunes, with plenty of side notes to make sure you don't miss the point.

Of course it should be pointed out that Benefits sounds nothing like the mutant surf rock/hardcore sound of the DKs. The message is the common thread. So maybe Baltzer's lyrics are more of a distant relative to Bertolt Brecht or Kurt Weill. The eight songs barely last a half hour but they're dense enough to make a complete listening. 

Benefits plays this Friday at Poetry Lounge, 313 North Ave., Millvale. The evening's bill also includes Stars of Disaster and Dumplings. Stars of Disaster released the album Love Won't Save You a few years ago, which needs to be heard by more people, especially fans of the dB's or Big Star. Dumplings don't have any records out (yet) but I hear they're in the works. Check them all out. 

*Most folks who know me personally know about the Monongahela Pop Festival. But for those who don't, it was a two-night event at Government Center that included four bands each night. Benefits played on Saturday, October 4 with the Harry Von Zells (my band), Bat Radar and a reunited lineup of the Frampton Brothers. The night before, Greg Hoy & the Boys (Hoy being a Pittsburgh ex-pat, like many of the Framptons) headlined a show that also included the Garment District, the Denalis and Pink Gin Marimbas (I play drums in the latter band). Both nights were big successes, with Night 2 selling out. 

The festival is one of the reasons why this blog went silent for a couple months too. But it also helped regenerate me, as the Dromfest '25.

Preview of the 55th Annual Pitt Jazz Seminar & Concert

2025 marks the 55th year that the University of Pittsburgh has hosted a weeklong series of seminars on jazz music, its players and the industry, culminating in a concert of internationally recognized jazz musicians gathering onstage. The template for the concert has shifted since the late Dr. Nathan Davis started it during his years at Pitt (1969-2013), bringing in a number of heavyweight friends (which included Art Blakey, Donald Byrd and Johnny Griffin at one time or another) for a program that harkened back to the large ensemble Jazz at the Philharmonic template of getting everyone onstage to play together. The work of his successors on at least one occasional drew ire from attendees who expected the events to remain the same. (See here for reports on years past.) But Chad Taylor, the Director of Jazz Studies, has put together a unique program this season, which has been called "Percussion Discussion" that can bring in everyone. 

The Pitt Jazz Ensemble kicked off
 Jazz Week this past Monday with a lunchtime
set in the William Pitt Union.

The same year that Davis launched what would become the annual Seminar/Concert event, Max Roach joined forces with several other jazz percussionists in New York to create the band M'Boom. Two of the surviving members of the group, Joe Chambers and Warren Smith, will be in Pittsburgh to talk about their work and to perform.

Joe Chambers (above) has an astouding discography as both a leader and sideman. He appeared on numerous albums in the late '60s, supporting players such as vibist Bobby Hutcherson, pianists Andrew Hill and Chick Corea and trumpeter Freddie Hubbard. He recorded with Miles Davis during the In Silent Way sessions, which weren't released until the complete sessions appeared in 2001. His work on the 26-minute "Ghetto Walk" had an understated swing to it that sustained the lengthy track and predicted Davis' future work.

In addition to playing drums, Chambers is also skilled on vibraphone and piano. His 2016 album Landscapes put all of his talents together: he played drums and overdubbed vibes as the lead instrument, as well as extra percussion and solo piano, each on one track respectively.

M'Boom impressively made their instrument sound melodic and delicate. One of my favorite moments came on their 1992 Live at S.O.B.'s  album where Chambers' vibes accompanied the late Roy Brooks, who played "Body and Soul" on the saw. (This might be a good topic to bring up during the discussion "Cross Rhythms: the Life and Musicality of Joe Chambers" which Taylor will host on Thursday, November 6 in Room 205 at Bellefield Hall, 3 p.m. 

If Joe Chambers' c.v. seems impression, 92-year old Warren Smith (above) is a national treasure, with forays into all styles of music. The drummer worked as a leader and a session player, showing up in places as unlikely as the first Pearls Before Swine album on ESP-Disk', at a time when he was also playing with Sam Rivers, Nina Simone and Janis Joplin. On the aforementioned M'Boom album, Smith played the melody to Thelonious Monk's "Blue Monk" on tympani, with a skill that made it more than a novelty.

Along with M'Boom, Smith also created the Composers Workshop Ensemble. Old News Borrowed Blues, a 2009 CD on the independent Engine label, featured Smith with 14 other musicians, playing original works with the fire and passion akin to the Sun Ra Arkestra. He also was a member of the late tenor saxophonist David S. Ware's final quartet. Friday, November 7, Pitt's Aaron J. Johnson will host a seminar "Warren Smith: A Life in Music" at 3 p.m. in the same room as above in Bellefield Hall.

Saturday's seminars kick off with a presentation with a vibraphonist who has quickly risen up as one of jazz's most significant performers on the instrument. Sasha Berliner (above) is only 27 years old and has already released three albums as a leader, including this year's Fantȏme. She has also worked as a supporting member in bassist Ben William's group Between Church and State. 

Berliner brings a significant voice to the seminar and concert, with an astute grasp on the music's history while still creating work that is modern with her own voice. Earlier this year, she told JazzTimes, “I think there are some people who are in fear of the origins and traditions of jazz going obsolete. And I think that it’s not a zero-sum game. It’s not like because modern jazz exists, that stuff goes away.” Her "Speaking With Mallets" talk happens on Saturday, November 8 in Bellefield Hall Auditorium at 2 p.m. 

No talk about the evolution of jazz rhythm would be complete without a discussion of the Afro-Cuban hybrids that lay at the base of the music. Bobby Sanabria (above), a South Bronx native who has played and written extensively on the topic, will host Afro-Cuban Workshop on Saturday at 3 p.m. in Bellefied Auditorium. Sanabria has played with virtually all the heavy hitters in that musical genre (Tito Puente, Dizzy Gillespie, Mongo Santamaria) as well as working with Joe Chambers and equally unique artists like Henry Threadgill. 

Everything comes together on Saturday, November 8 at 8 p.m. for the Pitt Jazz Concert, which salutes the music of M'Boom with a cast of national musicians (and tap dancers) and local players filling out the band's horn section. A detailed list of all the musicians and ticket info can be found here. There are also a few talks that I didn't mention, and a screening of a documentary about Art Blakey, so check that link. 

The Opie Meets the Weasel

It was over three decades ago that Weasel Walter came roaring into town with the Flying Luttenbachers, sharing the stage with the Water Shed 5tet (who might have just been "Water Shed" at that time) at the Bloomfield Bridge Tavern. Done up in black and white face paint, Mr. Walter was an astounding drummer, leading a lineup of the band (which included trombonist Jeb Bishop, who was on bass guitar that night) through a set that combined smart jazz and hardcore. It wasn't Naked City-style hardcore either (i.e. 45-second blasts of complex passages and pure chaos). They were tunes played a hyper speed that veered into freedom and snapped back just as easily.

Last Wednesday, Walter returned to town, this time playing with one-time Water Shed saxophonist Ben Opie, both together onstage at the same time. This meeting of the minds revealed how ompatible and complementary they could be when working together. 

Weasel utlizied a mutant kit of drums that seemed to have a floor tom in the place of a typical kick drum, with roto toms, snare, a variety of cymbals (some chipped, some not) and other devices. He was in motion constantly, rolling over the kit, moving percussives off and on the drums heads and cymbal stands, or slowing down and reducing his work to loud pounds as the moment required.

Opie brought along his tenor, alto and soprano saxophones, along with the bass clarinet. Each one produced a different mood. Tenor came first, blasting out of the gate, proclaiming this is what energy music sounds like. His soprano featured some strained, gruff emanations, the result of vocalizing through the horn while blowing, making the most un-sopranolike tones. Bass clarinet cued in some more reflective moments in the roughly 45-minute set, while the alto portion was full of enthusiasm, and this writer's favorite part of it.

The evening began with a solo performance by Joey Molinaro, who calls himself a heavy metal violinst. Metal wasn't what came to my mind that night, but his free-flowing set was imaginative, utilizng long, bowed tones and melodies with a minimum of scraping or sawing (actually none of that, if memory serves). He accompanied himself by stomping tempos on a wooden crate set in front of him, which added to the dymanics of it. Molinaro is also an author who had has written a few books, which he had that night as well. 

CD Short Take: Hayoung Lyou- The Myth of Katabasis

There are a few albums that have been sitting on or around my desk that I've been meaning to write about here. Some are close to 12 months old. But I still feel like writing a few words about them in hopes that it might motivate someone to check them out. This is one of them.

Hayoung Lyou

The Myth of Katabasis

(Endectomorph) hayounglyou.bandcamp.com/album/the-myth-of-katabasis

The New York-based label Endectomorph was the brainchild of saxophonist Kevin Sun, who began releasing music on the imprint 10 years ago. The Myth of Katabasis is the second album by Korean-born/New York-based pianist Hayoung Lyou, whose music feel equally familiar and engaging while delivering it with a style that feels rather original and intriguing. 

The album's title comes from classical mythology, referring to a trip to the underworld. In some ways, it is a concept album, using the mythological term as a metophor for the challenges we face each day, But the album's running order doesn't exactly stick to the theme in a linear way. The nine original compositions include three numbered solo improvisations titled "Descent," which appear in reverse chronological order and are spread out through the album. "Ascension," the finale of the suite, appears following part two.  At the same time, each individual track stands on its own without the need to source the thematic inspiration.

For most of the album, Lyou is joined by bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Steven Crammer. They play very active roles in the shape of the music, which often seems to blur the lines between written and improvised passages. Morgan often moves with the pianist, such as when he utilzes the upper register of his instrument to echo what she plays in her uppermost range of hers at the start of "Negotiation." On the other hand, Crammer often takes liberties with the placement of his snare hits, preferring to add tension rather than settle easily into a form. It helps the deepen the scope of a piece like "Windup" which feels like a small suite in itself. A few minutes into it, a quasi-ragtime interlude breaks into the moody piece, and Lyou redirects things towards a passage with the melodic qualities of a lost ballad.

"Introducing the Hero" and the three "Descent" pieces feature Lyou playing solo. "Descent I" closes the album and lasts longer than the other two combined, with single note lines in the left hand transferring the right hand and accelerating and developing into a richly detailed meditation that never flags in the drama or focus.

With any luck, Hayoung Lyou might have recorded a new album since this one was originally released. And hopefully she'll use a brighter color of ink for text if it appears on a dark background on the CD cover.

On the Town, Checking out the Kyle Sowashes, Juanita & Juan and their friends

Last week, the rock and the roll - or permutations thereof - were happening on back-to-back nights, and I made it out to both.

The Kyle Sowashes hail from Columbus, Ohio, fronted by the band's namesake (that's him in the two photos below). In some ways they're keeping an Ohio tradition alive by cranking out anthemic power chord music with a lyrical sensibility that is both reflective and humorous at the same time. It reminds me the things I like about bygone bands like Great Plains, who managed to filter a post-punk literate sensibility with a straightforward rock delivery. 

I can also see why Kyle Sowash and Karl Hendricks appreciated each other - their lyrical matter is drawn from a similar observance of people and things around them. Yet while Hendricks often took a literary angle with his songwriting, Sowash is content to turn what feels like regular conversations into song lyrics. Hence he comes with titles like "I'm Sorry, But We've Done Everything We Can At this Point" and "It Really Doesn't Matter What You Think," both of which kick off the latest Kyle Sowashes' album Start Making Sense, which has a cover that either tips the hat or thumbs its nose at the source material. 

The KSs shared a bill at the Spirit Lodge with locals Red Star Sky and the Zells, getting the Coveted Second Slot on the bill, which is nice for a Thursday night show. Red Star Sky has moved away a bit from the alt-country sound that could be felt in their early shows, to a bigger, dramatic sound that relies heavily on frontman Corey Layman's guitar work, which is now has a strong foil in Pittsburgh veteran guitarist Alexei Plotnicov.

If the Kyle Sowashes take a light-hearted approach to the lyrics, their focus on the music is anything but light. "I Guess I'm Still Weird About It" launched the set with stop-start pair of ringing chords and from there, the energy never ceased. The band segued the early part of the the set together, an admirable task, still leaving room for intros and wisecracks. The Zells proved a good followup to Kyle and the gang, with their own batch of catchy indie pop, bolstered by a three-guitar attack that never got heavy and a set that, as always with them, drew on songs by several members of the band. 

*

On Friday night, Juanita and Juan set up shop at the Government Center, The name comes from the third verse of Eno's "Baby's On Fire" and also from the Hispanic origins of the two performers, punk rock legends known as Alice Bag and Kid Congo Powers. Their previous work with the Bags and the Cramps, respectively, leaned more towards punk rock and psychobilly. But Juanita and Juan came off more like a lounge act, in the best way. Alice's keyboards had kind of smooth feel and her partner in crime had a drum machine setting the tempos. Their casual conversation onstage with the audience drew on the wild adventures of their youth. 

That same sense of the past crept into songs like "The Prez," Kid Congo's hilarious and charming tale of being the West Coast president of the Ramones fan club; and "DBWMGWD," Alice's reflection of being saved from the perils of adolescence by a certain British performer. (The initial abbreviate "David Bowie Was My Gateway Drug.") 

Before and after the show, both of them mingled with the audience of long time fans, posing for photos, signing books (like mine!) and generally carrying on that same spirit of enthusiasm that inspired them back in the early Hollywood days. On my way out, I tapped Kid Congo and told him that, back in high school when I was listening to the Cramps, I never would have guessed that he was such a ham. And we laughed.

Special mention should also go to openers Clickbait, who got the evening started with some taut, groovy punk rock that reminded me of bands like Gang of Four, ESG and PiL. Vocalist Sandra Yau was a strong presence onstage, banging on a cymbal to kick off "For Sale," singing through an old telephone for a few songs and crashing the hand-held cymbals on a few songs. I tried to get a good shot of her with the cymbals but she was too fast for me.

Bassist Jen Lemasters really held the sound down with some steady, groovy bass lines. Guitarist Ralph Darden (aka DJ Major Taylor) was a fill-in for their regular guitarist but his sharp, biting string work sounded like he'd been with the band since the beginning. Just to prove this is a small world, the guitarist listed online as mthe regular string slasher of the band, Kelsey Henke, not only used to live in Pittsburgh, but worked at the same place I did for a few years. Funny how these things work. 

Dromfest '25 - More Photos and a Few Words

Back over Labor Day weekend, I drove up to Catskill, New York for Dromfest '25, a three-day festival of indie rock music from past and present. A full account of the weekend appears on The Big Takeover's website, which can be found here. The whole event was revelatory for me and I encourage you to check out my dispatch for details. 

Rather than retreading that article, I thought it would be cool to post some of the many photos that I took that weekend, excluding ones that already appear on the BT site. So these are some of the folks I saw. Hopefully the photos taken in the Avalon Lounge aren't too dark for details.

It took two photos to get an accurate shot of Sunburned Hand of the Man's personnel. (The drummer in the far left is Chris Corsano, free jazz extraordinaire.)

At events like Dromfest, it's always a good idea to check out bands that you don't know, in addition to your faves that you came to see. Case in point: the band $500, seen here. They blew me away and I'm glad I didn't miss them.

Guitarist Chris Brokaw (far right) was one of the busiest people at Dromfest. He played solo on opening night, accompanied Beth Kaplan, sat in with Yo La Tengo and, in this photo above, he played with the group Lupo Cita'.

Note to self, pick up any New Radiant Storm King release you see because they, too, were awesome.  

Going a little out of order here. Thalia Zedek has a way of pulling you in with her mid-tempo music, and awesome guitar work. From Sunday afternoon.

Mark Robinson, once and forever of Unrest and Teen Beat Records, played non-stop for about 45 minutes, seguing one tune into another for a 52-song medley (that is, if he stuck to his setlist).

Before Robinson, Fly Ashtray kicked off Sunday afternoon with their wry, brainy pop tunes, in their first set outside of the New York/Brooklyn area in the 21st century.

Sue Harshe, of Scrawl, looked so happy during her band's set, a feeling that pervaded the whole room.

Back to Saturday afternoon, it was so great to see Beth Kaplan, founding member of Salem 66, performing again.

Rebecca Gates, once of the Spinanes, played a beautiful solo set on Sunday.

Note: There should be a photo here of the great Phantom Tollbooth, but I was so enamoured with them that I didn't take any photos, just some so-so videos. 

Will the guys is Cathedral Ceilings be bothered by my continual comparisons to Hüsker Dü? Hopefully not because their speed, clarity and hooks had me by the ear from the minute they started. 

This photo of Al Crisafulli also appeared on The Big Takeover site, but it's worth repeating. Al is the guy who put Dromfest together, and despite being busy the whole weekend, he still had plenty of time to mingle and chat with everyone there and to make sure everyone had a good time. Kudos to him and his crew of helpers. See you next year.