News

March 19, 2026

Remembering Dr. James Tare Johnson (Dr. J.)


Dr. James Tare Johnson, fondly known to all as Dr. J., was a part of the University of Pittsburgh music family for almost 50 years. He was among the first wave of graduate students that Dr...

April 10, 2025

Ahmad Jamal Piano Unveiling

On Friday, March 14th, faculty, staff, and students gathered in Bellefield Hall’s Robinson Recording Studio to celebrate the donation of a Steinway piano from the Estate of Ahmad Jamal. The event...

June 13, 2024

Pitt Jazz Studies announces the 2023-24 winners of the Martin Shor Jazz Studies Scholarships

Pitt Jazz Studies proudly celebrates the outstanding achievement of this year’s recipients of the Martin Shor Jazz Studies Award: Imogene Plitt ’28 and David Weisfield ’27. Hailing from Alexander...

April 20, 2023

Remembering Ahmad Jamal

Pitt Jazz Studies joins the international jazz community in mourning the death of Pittsburgh native, jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal. Born in 1930 and raised in East Liberty, Jamal is best known for his...

jazz ensemble
January 29, 2022

Student Jazz Ensemble swings into Jazz Seminar week

After months of practice online, the Pitt Jazz Ensemble is kicking off Jazz Seminar week with its first performance of the semester. See the article from Pitt News. ...

November 22, 2021

Jazz and Culture's Vol 4. No. 2: "Jazz' in the Present Tense" Now Available

Our second special issue, “Jazz” in the Present Tense” is now available. Thanks to the hard work of our guest editors Kwami Coleman, Kimberly Hannon Teal, Fumi Okiji, and Nate Sloan. The special...

November 10, 2021

Martin Shor Jazz Fund

The University of Pittsburgh’s Jazz Studies Program is grateful for the family of Martin Shor for the endowed fund in memory of their patriarch, Martin Shor (A&S ’42, Business ’50), a jazz...

November 5, 2021

Dante and Jazz: A Conversation with Sherman Irby

In honor of the 700th anniversary of the death of Dante Alighieri, the Department of French and Italian at the University of Pittsburgh will host composer and saxophonist Sherman Irby for a...

Erroll Garner Photo
August 24, 2021

Grad Students Create Online Erroll Garner Exhibit

We are pleased to announce a new online exhibit titled "Erroll Garner: Four Thematic Snapshots."The exhibit was created by graduate students in the seminar “Music, Media, and the Archive: Jazz...

June 16, 2021

Jazz and Culture Vol. 4 No. 1 is NOW AVAILABLE

Jazz and Culture Vol. 4 No. 1 is NOW AVAILABLE through subscription and JSTOR (online).


This issue features poetry and articles from Joy KMT, Nduduzo Makhathini, James Gordon...

April 8, 2021

Lee Caplan's Review on Billie Holiday: Essays on the Artistry and Legacy becomes published

Ph.d Jazz Studies candidate Lee Caplan's review on Billie Holiday:Essays on the Artistry and Legacy gets published in Jazz Research Journal Volume. Check out the journal...

March 25, 2021

Sending Love to AAPI Families

Sending Love to AAPI Families 


In response to the devastating events over the past week in Atlanta, the Pitt Jazz Program denounces the racist murders of members of the Asian, Asian...

March 15, 2021

Jazz and Culture's Geri Allen Special Issue Announcement

The next guest on the Music at Pitt Podcast is Michael Heller, Associate Professor of Music for the Department of Music and editor of the journal Jazz and Culture published by University of...

Erroll Garner
February 9, 2021

Erroll Garner Tuesdays

The University of Pittsburgh's Jazz Studies program, in collaboration with the University Library System at Pitt, is delighted to announce the return of Erroll Garner Tuesdays, a twelve-week...

jazz
January 4, 2021

Call for Book and Media Reviews Editor

Jazz and Culture courteously invites interested scholars to apply for the position of Book and Media Reviews Editor. We are continuing to strengthen and grow our presence in jazz scholarship and...