The Revitalized Big Band Works of Mary Lou Williams

Saturday, July 26, 2025, 7:00pm downbeat

Schenley Plaza, 4100 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA

(In collaboration with the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, the Mary Lou Williams Institute, and the Afro-American Music Institute)

The Adam Lee-Morgan Jazz Orchestra will showcase the big band compositions and arrangements of Pittsburgh legend Mary Lou Williams. A good number of these pieces of music have been painstakingly reconstructed by Adam Lee-Morgan from the handwritten notes of Williams herself found at the Institute for Jazz Studies Archive at Rutgers University supplemented with the recordings done while Williams was the house composer, arranger, and pianist for Andy Kirk and his Twelve Clouds of Joy in Kansas City. Additional transcriptions have been newly commissioned by the project by Danny Fratina and John Lindsay, as well as a handful of other existing publications.

In addition to the musical performance, stories and anecdotes about Mary Lou will be presented by friends and family under the auspices of the Mary Lou Williams Institute, a local Pittsburgh organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the educational and humanitarian works that Williams was so committed to in her career.

Bring a blanket or lawn chair and witness a renowned musical experience—completely free and open to the public.

https://www.facebook.com/share/1ET83Wpi9Z/

Ellington/Strayhorn Nutcracker

December 21, 2024 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Don’t miss this spectacular performance of Ellington-Strayhorn’s “The Nutcracker” in the ACFL&MH’s Music Hall!

This one-night-only event will showcase jazz legend Duke Ellington and Pittsburgh artist Billy Strayhorn’s 1960 interpretation of “The Nutcracker.” A 17-piece big band will take the stage for two performances—at 6:00 PM and 7:30 PM—bringing this iconic holiday classic to life. Each performance will feature not only the music but also fascinating stories and commentary about the creation of the work and its deep Pittsburgh roots.

Under the direction of Adam Lee, Chatham University’s esteemed music director and lead organizer of the production, the big band is set to deliver an unforgettable evening of music highlighting the historic contributions of these two jazz legends.