Naomi Girson | staff writer

The 14th annual Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival was hosted by the August Wilson African American Cultural Center (AWAACC) during the weekend of Sept. 20. R&B artists performed electrifying jazz on Liberty Avenue with various sponsorship booths and local food vendors accompanying them.

“With the celebration of the 15th anniversary of the opening of the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, we bring the festival back to the streets — and our iconic building,” said AWAACC President and CEO Janis Burley in the opening remarks of the event guide.

Modern jazz originated in New Orleans, and has existed in the mainstream music industry for about a century, but its roots come from a combination of European and African music, according to The Herbie Hancock Institution of Jazz.

“You can’t go wrong,” said Flyspace production employee Jesse Vargo “you get to experience jazz from a different perspective.”

From behind the scenes, Vargo was able to witness a variety of dance moves, improvisation from live jazz musicians and synchronized routines from larger groups.

A long-time participant in the Pittsburgh dance community, Yuein Kim attends similar festivals with Pittsburgh West Coast Swing.

“West Coast Swing was the reason I got into blues and jazz,” Kim said. Through the community dance company, the group attempts to “westy-bomb,” where they “‘bomb’ the joy of dance wherever we go.”

The set-list for the weekend was jam-packed with a robust variety, including local pianist Howie Alexander, writer of “Closing Time” Dan Wilson and Cuban musician Cimafunk. On paper, these artists span different demographics and subgenres of jazz music, but they were all able to share the stage on Saturday.

Saturday’s headliner was Robert Glasper, a Grammy award-winning artist five times over. Glasper has received accolades for his R&B work, producing and co-writing for other artists, including Anderson .Paak.

“It’s an incredible set,” said two-time attendee Daniel Salahuddin, “I love the fact that it’s free this year. … It makes it more accessible. It’s a more community-driven event, and we need more things like that in today’s world, things that bring people together.”

Tickets were around $80 per person, but in a move to accommodate newer jazz fans and attendees with a tighter budget, general admission was offered free of charge.

Long time attendee Abena Wanza and her friend Ellen Kremer said that they had a longtime knowledge of the event. It was Kremer’s first time, but Wanza had been attending for seven years.

A number of attendees were not local to Pittsburgh, many traveling across state lines for the festival. Cars full of people came from Cleveland, Cincinnati and Youngstown, Ohio.
 

Stephanie Brewer and Carolyn Williams had traveled from Cincinnati for the festival.

“The talent is top-notch, and the crowd is amazing,” Brewer said.

Brewer’s grandfather passed his love of jazz down to their family. Now she finds comfort in the instrumental.

“We had cookies, RC cola and jazz music. [We] started young.”

Jazz is one of the few musical genres that shifts focus away from vocal melodies.

Though far outnumbered by new releases in the pop and rock genre, jazz boasts a longer shelf life.

“The instrument is powerful,” Williams said.

Michaela Wright, her sister Tara Amill and their mother had all traveled from

Youngstown for the same reason.

“[Jazz] evokes something in them that makes them want to dance or relax,”

Wright said. “It makes them feel good.”

Sofia Adame came with her friend Unique Allen. She described the general area as having a lot of energy. Many artists, like Endea Owens and Shemekia Copeland, were having such a good time on stage that the sets started to run long.

“What I really like is just how music brings strangers together,” Amill said. “We are all taking it in and enjoying it in the same atmosphere.”