Fri, Sep 26th, 2025
Andrew Carnegie Music Hall
300 Beechwood Ave. Carnegie, PA 15106
Program:
Introduction
Live music by the Adam Lee-Morgan Jazz Orchestra:
East St Louis Toodle-oo (1925) Duke Ellington and Bubber Miley
Senegalese Stomp (1926) Clarence Todd and Joe Jordan
The Stampede (1926) Don Redman
My Blue Heaven (1927) Walter Donaldson
Variety Stomp (1927) Abel Green, Fletcher Henderson, and Jo Trent
Black Beauty (1928) Duke Ellington
I Can’t Give You Anything But Love, Baby (1928) Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields
On The Sunny Side of the Street (1930) Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields
Shout 'Em, Aunt Tillie (1930) Duke Ellington and Irving Mills
It Don't Mean a Thing (1932) Duke Ellington and Irving Mills
Jazznocracy (1934) Will Hudson
Bearcat Shuffle (1936) Mary Lou Williams
Walkin' and Swingin' (1936) Mary Lou Williams
A Tisket, A Tasket (1938) Ella Fitzgerald and Van Alexander
Why Don’t You Do Right (1936/1941) Joe McCoy
I've Got it Bad (and that Ain’t Good) (1941) Duke Ellington and Paul Webster
Bli-Blip (1941) Duke Ellington and Sid Kuller
Carnegie Blues (1945) Duke Ellington
I Diddle (1955) Quincy Jones
Adam Lee-Morgan - Bandleader, Reeds
Adam Lee-Morgan started down his swing path in the 2nd grade when he started playing clarinet, and his grandmother bought him his very first record, which happened to be a Benny Goodman record. He added on the saxophone two years later and never looked back. Growing up as a jazz musician, the addition of Lindy Hop to his life was a natural one. Adam started dancing in 1997 just a few months before the infamous GAP ad and was dancing five nights a week. In 2001 he moved to Beijing, China where he started the Lindy Hop scene and led a 17 piece big band, the Beijing Big Band. In 2010 he returned to the USA to do a Master’s degree in Music Education at NYU, and a few years later moved back to his home state of California, where he taught high school band and was the bandleader and music director for the LA Swing Barons, focusing on the Kansas City big band style. It is through that work that his love and appreciation for Mary Lou Williams’ composing and arranging began.
He presently is working on his Ph.D. in Jazz Studies at the University of Pittsburgh, teaches band at Chatham University and the Afro American Music Institute, and leads the house band for the Pittsburgh Swing Dance Community.
Howard Cespedes - Reeds
After a 30+ year career in the SF Bay Area, Howard Cespedes relocated to the Pittsburgh area in 2022. He has performed with Patti Austin, California Pops Orchestra, Pete Escovedo, Clare Fisher, Four Tops, Josh Groban, Roger Kellaway, Gladys Knight, Patti Lupone, Johnny Mathis, O’Jays, Pacific Mambo Orchestra, Linda Ronstadt, Santa Cruz Symphony, Bobby Short, Temptations, and many others. Big Band affiliations include Louis Bellson, Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, Full Faith & Credit, Jimmy Dorsey, Jamie Davis, and Mike Vax. As a pit musician, Howard has played on national tours of Annie, Secret Garden, and West Side Story. He has written numerous works for jazz orchestra that have been recorded, published, and performed at Jazz festivals of Montreux, Vienne, Umbria, San Jose, Monterey, and Hollywood Bowl Howard is currently teaching woodwinds at the Waldorf School of Pittsburgh
Abby Gross - Reeds
A Pennsylvania native, Abby Gross is currently a music educator and freelance woodwind player in the Pittsburgh area who also plays an integral part as the saxophonist in the soul-rock band, The Commonheart. She moved from Somerset to attend Duquesne University where in 2010 she received a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Music Education and in 2012 received her Master’s in Music performance with an emphasis on saxophone. For the past fifteen years, Abby has been an educator in the Pittsburgh area schools and for over a decade has served as adjunct faculty at Chatham University. Upon entering the music scene, she has performed with a large variety of ensembles from original projects to event bands. The Abby Gross Funktet performed at several of Pittsburgh’s local jazz establishments and she has appeared in many horn sections around the city. For the past eight years touring the country with The Commonheart, she has performed in over thirty United States as well as Canada and Mexico, appeared on numerous radio stations and news networks around the country, including CBS Saturday Sessions. The group has performed at iconic music venues and festivals such as the Kennedy Center, The Fillmore West, SXSW, Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival, and Woodstock’s 50th anniversary, and toured with other well known artists such as Los Lobos, JJ Grey and Mofro, and Sister Hazel.
Danny Fratina - Trumpet
Danny Fratina is a composer and trumpet player based in Pittsburgh. Since 2007, he has served as Music Director for the Beantown Swing Orchestra, where he transcribed over 500 authentic recreations of rare and out-of-print swing era arrangements. Danny has also been Music Director for the award-winning immersive theater production Club Drosselmeyer since 2016.
As one of the world's leading transcriptionists specializing in swing era and mid-century big band music, Danny has collaborated with organizations including Lindy Focus, the Kennedy Center, the Boston Pops, and Harvard University, and countless dance bands around the globe. His meticulous transcription work has helped preserve and revive numerous historical arrangements that might otherwise have been lost.
Danny holds a BM in Jazz Composition from Berklee College of Music and is currently completing his PhD in Composition at the University of Pittsburgh, where his research focuses on historical big band harmonic vocabulary.
Herbie Hunkele - Trumpet
Herbie Hunkele is very excited to perform the works of Mary Lou Williams for you! Herbie is a trumpet player and producer whose work spans theme park entertainment, cruise ship performances, jazz ensembles, and studio recording. Studying at the Dana School of Music, Herbie has performed with Cedar Fair/Six Flags theme parks and Princess Cruise Lines, bringing his musical expertise to diverse entertainment venues.
Currently active in the Pittsburgh/Youngstown/Cleveland region, Herbie performs with multiple ensembles including the First Class Big Band, Bassel and the Supernaturals, and Megan Paullet and the HR Department. His recording and arrangement credits include work with Chloe X Halle and Celebrity Cruise Lines, as well as his own project, Breadbox. Thank you for supporting the arts in Pittsburgh!
Adam Janssen - Trombone
Mr. Adam M. Janssen is a musician, composer, and educator native to Pittsburgh, PA. Mr. Janssen is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University where he studied Music Performance (Trombone, Violin), Music Education, and Business Administration. Mr. Janssen completed his graduate studies at Boston University, where he completed a Master of Music in Music Education degree with an in emphasis in Composition/Arranging and Urban Music Education.
He maintains an active freelance performing schedule, and has performed with the Altoona, Washington, Westmoreland, and Butler, Youngstown, and Akron Symphony Orchestras. As an avid Violinist and Violist, he performs chamber music with Radiant Strings and other event ensembles. He also performs with a number of jazz/pop/rock ensembles.
As a composer, Mr. Janssen writes and arranges extensively for orchestra as well as string, brass, and vocal chamber music. His most recent release is Long Way Down, a collection of original songs that blends the genres of classical, jazz, pop, and rock.
Mr. Janssen currently teaches Instrumental Music at Shady Side Academy and is also the Adjunct Professor of Brass Studies at Washington & Jefferson College. He aspires to encourage, educate, and inspire a future generation of music appreciation.
Alex Weibel - Guitar
Alex Weibel is an educator, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He plays guitar, mandolin, and other fretted instruments professionally in a variety of styles including jazz, blues, pop, and theatre. Since picking up the guitar at the age of 8, Alex has studied with Ian Arthurs, Ken Karsh, Eric Susoeff, Mark Koch, Thomas Kikta, Mark Strickland, and Dan Wilson. As a freelance musician, Alex maintains a busy schedule performing with Pittsburgh jazz artists such as Thomas Wendt, Paul Thompson, Eric Susoeff, Mike Tomaro, Jeff Bush, and Dwayne Dolphin. Recent performing and recording credits include Point Park’s production of “Legally Blonde” and Gavin McGee’s 2025 EP “What Was Will Be Again."
Jon Leff - Bass
Jon Leff is a classically trained, multi-instrumentalist based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As a versatile performer and session musician, Jon has contributed to dozens of studio albums and has performed with award-winning ensembles across the country.
After completing a music degree with a focus on classical and jazz bass performance, he moved to Nashville, where he worked as a session musician and played regularly in Broadway’s live music scene, including daily sets at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge.
Since returning to Pittsburgh, Jon has remained active as a performer and studio collaborator, working with a variety of acclaimed musical artists. Jon’s performance credits include music residencies at major theme parks, national tours, live television and radio broadcasts, and high-profile festival performances such as SXSW.
Alongside other local projects, Jon currently performs with Adam’s Aces as the house bassist for Pittsburgh Swing Dance Community events. Inspired by Pittsburgh jazz bassist icons Ray Brown and Paul Chambers, he is thrilled to take part in a tribute to honor another local legend, the great Mary Lou Williams.
Johnson Oluwajuwon Adenuga - Piano
Juwon Adenuga is a composer and performer who focuses on the intersections between Yoruba musical styles and other genres, such as jazz and classical music. His scholarship and artistic works on Yorùbá storytelling and sacred works reflect his interest in music hybridity.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in music composition at the University of Ibadan, Oyo, Nigeria. He is currently a Ph.D. student in the Music (Jazz Studies) program at the University of Pittsburgh.
David Adepegba - Drums
David Adepegba is a drummer, scholar, and educator whose work bridges the realms of performance, cultural research, and pedagogy. Currently pursuing a PhD in Jazz Studies at the University of Pittsburgh, his research explores African rhythmic traditions, especially those of the Yoruba people, and their adaptation within contemporary jazz drumming. His performance and scholarship engage with themes of improvisation, embodiment, and musical dialogue across diasporic traditions.
For over 27 years, the drum set has been my voice and guiding compass. My journey as a drummer and composer is deeply rooted in a fascination with rhythm and sound, as well as the limitless possibilities that emerge when diverse musical realms collide. I am fascinated by intricate rhythmic structures, layered polyrhythms, and unconventional time signatures, always aiming to make them feel natural, fluid, and deeply musical. I believe that even the most complex rhythms and patterns should feel organic and accessible. Rhythm should engage people emotionally, not merely challenge them intellectually. I seek to bridge traditions, challenge expectations, and inspire both emerging musicians and seasoned listeners to hear complexity as clarity, and clarity as profound.
And Featuring:
Brittney Caraway - Vocals
Brittney Caraway, "Sweet B”, is a dynamic jazz singer based in Denver, where she has been captivating audiences for the past nine years. With performances across the country in cities like Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, and Austin, her smooth melodies and heartfelt interpretations of traditional jazz have made her a beloved figure in the music scene. A classically trained cellist, Sweet B seamlessly blends her classical background with her passion for jazz, which she cherishes for its deep connections to her African American culture. As she takes the stage tonight, prepare to be moved by her enchanting vocals and the vibrant energy she brings to every performance, celebrating the timeless art form of jazz.
Support the Revitalizing the Big Band Works of Mary Lou Williams Project
Mary Lou Williams was a Pittsburgh raised jazz pianist and composer who would go on to become one of the most influential jazz musicians of all time, writing music for Andy Kirk in Kansas City and later Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman, as well as informally instructing jazz greats such as Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonious Monk.
While Williams’ later work has received a lot of attention in recent years due to accessibility of sheet music and high quality recordings, her earlier work that she did for the big bands has been considerably harder to get ahold of, with just a handful of charts available.
The project is to recreate musical scores from her handwritten notes (working in conjunction with the rights holders, the Mary Lou Williams Foundation) and then produce both published packets for educators and also a series of concerts to promote the extraordinary work of Williams.
Money raised will pay for the time and expertise spent carefully transcribing modern readable sheet music from the archival notes and recordings, paying additional transcribers and music editors to double-check the accuracy of the work, and rehearsing and performing the work to create high-quality presentations of the music. There are still dozens of great Williams compositions out there waiting to be given close attention.
