UPDATE: Another free summer concert in the park, this time featuring my resurrected fusion band, Aurora.

Just a quick update about these three (FREE!) upcoming gigs.  It’s been a busy summer and it’ll be cool to relax and see some good friends.

• Reservoir of Jazz ~ Sunday, August 22, 2010 ~ 5:00 – 7:00 pm
  Aurora, presented by MCG Jazz
  Highland Park
  Free

• Pittsburgh Jazz Legacy CD Release Party ~ Thursday, July 29, 2010 ~ 8:00 – 9:30pm
  Stick around after for the Roger Humphries Jazz Jam Session
  CJ’s Restaurant and Lounge
  2901-2911 Penn Avenue
  Pittsburgh, PA 15201
  412-642-2377
  Reservations suggested

• Citiparks Bach, Beethoven and Brunch ~ Sunday, July 18 ~ 10:30 am – noon
  Pittsburgh Guitars presented by MCG Jazz
  Mellon Park
  Fifth and Shady Avenues, Point Breeze/Squirrel Hill
  Free

• Monroeville Jazz Festival ~ Saturday, July 17, 2010 ~ 3:00 – 9:00pm
  Boyce Park Wave Pool North Parking Area
  Free with a non-perishable food donation for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank
  Line-up:  (all local musicians)
  Center of Life Youth Jazz Band
  Etta Cox – Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald
  Mike Tomaro – Tribute to Benny Goodman  (I’m playing  in this band)
  Eric Mintel Quartet with Donna Bailey – Tribute to Dave Brubeck

In 1979, I started a band while as an undergraduate at Ithaca College called AURORA. The band had trumpet, saxophone, trombone, guitar, bass, piano and drums. It was such and exciting period for jazz as the mixing with rock, Latin and R&B gave jazz musicians the opportunity to play in places that were new for jazz musicians. The band played instrumental jazz with a Tower of Power or Chicago type approach which appealed to the college crowd. We would play in dance clubs and perform the Average White Band tune – “Pick Up the Pieces” for 20 minutes with long solos and a hip groove. Then we would play something from Jeff Lorber, Chick Corea, The Brecker Brothers, The Crusaders and maybe Freddie Hubbard’s “Super Blue” to let the kids cool off. The cats in the band were transcribing tunes off the records at a breakneck pace and we were having a ball playing this music while learning new harmonies and grooves at the same time.

Now, 30 years later, I put together an updated version of the band here in Pittsburgh with my brother Jay (who was in the original band) and Mike Tomaro the fantastic arranger and reed player here in town. All three of us cut our teeth on this music and we have had a tremendous time going down memory lane in the process of picking out the tunes. The other three musicians James Johnson III, Alton Merrel and Jeremy MacDonald were not even born when we were playing this music in 1979! While we have only had one gig so far, the experience of recreating this music and playing it with a new generation of musicians has been very gratifying – hopefully more to come. Would love to hear anyone’s thoughts on great tunes from the 1975-85 era. Our next scheduled gig is August 22nd as part of the Reservoir of Jazz Series at Highland Park at 5PM.