Jazz all-stars coming to Pittsburgh
Don’t tell Al Dowe that jazz is dead or that people in the Pittsburgh area won’t come out to hear live jazz musicians. He knows better. As the owner of Dowe’s on Ninth in the heart of the city’s downtown cultural district, Dowe has seen his posh nightclub filled night after night with jazz lovers.
“It’s all in who you book. We do very well because of the musicians we book here. If you book the musicians who people want to see then you won’t have any problems,’ said Dowe.
A native of Monarch, located between Connellsville and Uniontown, Dowe has lived in southwestern Pennsylvania for almost his entire life. After graduating from Dunbar Township High School in the early 1950s, he joined the U.S. Navy and played trombone for the U.S. Navy band. Upon leaving the service he headed for Chicago where he played with such musicians as Louie Belson, Clarence Wheeler and Fats Cole, the brother of Nat King Cole.
In the mid-1960s he moved back to Pittsburgh and put together the Al Dowe Quartet, featuring singer Etta Cox. After years of running numerous jazz clubs in Pittsburgh, Dowe struck out on his in 1999, opening Dowe’s on Ninth. Initially, there was skepticism that a jazz club could make it in Pittsburgh. But Dowe has proved them wrong, packing in his place with a variety of top national and local jazz musicians. Dowe even plays himself, performing along with Cox every Saturday night.
Dowe attributes his club’s success to his familiarity with the Pittsburgh nightclub scene.
“I’ve been around Pittsburgh for a long time so I know what people here want,’ said Dowe. “You just have to know what musicians to book. That’s the big thing.”
As he’s done for the past couple of years, Dowe is planning a series of fall concerts for his club. “It just seems like the fall is a good time for jazz concerts,’ said Dowe. “It’s tough in the summer because people are on vacation and doing lots of different things. It always seems like we get back in stride in the fall and things start to pick up again.
“We’ve been doing this for a couple of years and it’s worked very well for us. We have another good lineup this year, and we’re certain that we’re going to have good crowds for all the shows,’ he added.
Among the performers this year are such jazz legends as Maynard Ferguson, the Yellowjackets, Monty Alexander and Freddie Cole.
“We have quite a few reservations for a number of the shows already,’ said Dowe. “Some of the musicians like Maynard Ferguson are very popular in Pittsburgh. He’s a real showman and people like to come out to see him. But others like the Yellowjackets have done very well here in the past, and we expect them to draw well again.’
Most of the concerts are on Friday with local jazz musicians playing during the middle of the week and Dowe and Cox still performing on most Saturday nights. All shows will be at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. To make a reservation or to get more information call Dowe’s at 412-281-9225.
Here’s the lineup of concerts:
Friday, Sept. 12, Monty Alexander. A piano player, he combines the influences of Oscar Peterson and Nat King Cole. He grew up in Jamaica but moved to the U.S. as a teen-ager and eventually began playing with such jazz stars as vibraphonist Milt Jackson and bassist Ray Brown.
Friday, Oct. 3, The Carribean Jazz Project. The band picked up a Grammy earlier this year when their CD “The Gathering’ was picked as the top Latin Jazz album for 2002.
Friday, Oct. 17, The Yellowjackets. Often compared to Weather Report, the band is one of the most original and creative jazz bands on the scene today.
Thursday and Friday, Oct. 23-24, Steve Turre. One of the top trombone players in the world, he also introduced conch shells to jazz.
Thursday, Nov. 13, Maynard Ferguson. One of the most enduring performers in the history of jazz, he has gained acclaim for his high trumpet playing and colorful showmanship. Ferguson gained commercial fame with the theme song from the movie “Rocky.’ He has since moved back into mainstream jazz and tours constantly all over the world with his group, “Big Bop Noveau Band.’
Sunday, Nov. 16, Four Freshmen. One of the top vocal groups from the 1940s and 1950s, new lineups have continued the tradition of beautiful melodies and harmonies. The band was voted the top Vocal Group of the Year in 2000 by Downbeat Magazine.
Saturday, Nov. 22, Karrin Allyson. Since making her debut in 1992 with the CD “I Didn’t Know about You,’ she has made a number of well received albums, including “Ballads: Remembering John Coltrane,’ which earned her a pair of Grammy nominations in 2001. She has performed in some of the top jazz concerts in the United States over the years, including the JazzFest at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa last year.
Friday, Nov. 28-29, Freddie Cole Christmas Show. The brother of Nat King Cole and uncle of Natalie Cole, he has a darker and slightly rougher voice than either his more famous relatives. He first recorded albums in the 1950s and has maintained a steady stream of followers since then. He has gained some new fame since signing a contract with Telarc in 2000 and recording three well-received CDs for them.
Dec. 8, The Duquesne University Jazz Band featuring Mike Tamaro. A Connellsville native, Tamaro is both a top group arranger and performer on the alto saxophone.