Pittsburgh Jazz Live Festival

My first visit to this annual event.Pros: Loved the multiple stages in close proximity to one another so that you could go from stage to stage for the next show lining up Loved that there were food trucks available near the stagesLoved the music Loved easy access -- parked in 1st ave garage and took the "T" from there to Wood Street for free. Garage parking was a flat 5.00 fee. Easy to get in and out and plenty of parking available. Also, restrooms available in the garage.Cons:I didn't stay as long as I would have liked because maneuvering from one stage to the next was claustrophobic and dangerous because the sidewalks were nearly impassible. There were people's chairs on them plus venues had their tables and chairs on them, as well. Two way foot traffic was nearly impossible. So, I cried "Uncle" and we ended up at the Harris Theater to watch a wonderful foreign film.

A fabulous line up of stars and top names in the jazz world. Two time Grammy award winning vocalist Gregory Porter headlined 2018 Pittsburgh Jazz Fest. All of it is free! Just bring a lawn chair since it is held on the streets of Pittsburgh! A must see event for any jazz enthusiast!

Unfortunately I was out of town for the first two days of the jazz festival this year but it gets better each year. Several bistros / bars allow beer, wine with you to watch jazz on the street outside. The photo is of the Spanish Harlem jazz orchestra, and they were fantastic!

What's better than a weekend full of upcoming and legendary Jazz musicians??? A FREE weekend full of upcoming and legendary Jazz musicians!!! Every June (or early July) for the last four years, Pittsburgh Jazz Live Fest has descended upon the 'Burgh. And, this year was the best so far!I was only able to make the second day this year. And, it was an awesome experience! My day began with a tribute to Dorothy Ashby concert, "Afro Harping", by the talented jazz harpist Brandee Younger. Moving on to a performance by the Messenger Legacy. Followed by an AMAZING concert by Gregory Porter. And, the last performance that I was able to catch was The Joe Locke Group - which was my favorite show of the day. Along with the awesome jazz performances came some pretty awesome food trucks and vendors! TGIFridays was there giving out free "samples" all day - like huge burger sliders and thirst quenching fruity drinks. Basically, if you hung around their truck, you could gorge yourself on free food all day. There were some really great area small businesses too, like Franktuary and BRGR, as well as the lesser known tea/popsicle vendors Healcrest Farms. That, and all of the regular area bars and restaurants like Seviche and Nine on Nine, etc, were hoppin'!I wish I would have been able to make Friday and Sunday, for events like the Jazz Bar Crawl (Friday) and a performance by multiple grammy award winner Dianne Reeves (Sunday)! Thankfully, there's always next year!

Never a disappointment and always fun! Even withal the tai you must go and experience the live jazz and realize it's more than elevator music! I love the jam sessions after and all the artists are truly remarkable!

I have to be completely honest and say I normally do not listen to jazz on a regular basis. With that being said, I was beyond impressed with the act I got to see at Jazz Fest last Friday night! After grabbing dinner and drinks with a group of friends, we came across the stages set up on 9th Street. It was a beautiful night, and with nothing else planned for the evening, we decided to stick around and check out the bands. We got to see Aaron Abernathy and The Nat Turner Band- both of which I had never heard of before. I was preparing myself to suffer the rest of the night witnessing elevator music being preformed live, wishing I had a to-go cocktail in hand. When Aaron Abernathy ("AB") came on stage, I knew I was wrong, and could sense the vibe of the crowd shift. He's young, an amazing singer, and his music does not resemble the uninspiring melodies of your average elevator music. It was a great performance, and it was clear this guy is an amazing musician.