Mary Lou Williams: Music for the Soul

There are two ways to watch the program: in-person at our venue Alphabet City or live-streamed online. If you’re coming live, you can also dine at the in-house restaurant 40 North—before, during, or after the concert. Please visit Open Table to make a reservation.  Open Table reservations are different from concert tkts.

Please scroll to the bottom to review our Covid-19 safety policies for indoor programs @ Alphabet City, including the proof of vaccination requirement.

Celebrate the launch of Deanna Witkowski’s new biography on Mary Lou Williams, Music for the Soul, and celebrate the tunes of this masterful Pittsburgh musician.

Mary Lou Williams’ music transcends time in American culture. With a foundation in the Blues, Mary Lou’s compositions reflect her life as a Black woman and a true triumph of the human spirit.

Pianist-composer-jazz historian and Mary Lou Williams’ scholar Deanna Witkowski offers a poignant portrait of the pioneering jazz pianist-composer. Witkowski’s forthcoming album, Force of Nature (MCG Jazz, October) features all Williams compositions.
She presents the full Mary Lou: “a forward-thinking, breathtakingly original pianist and
composer,” who mentored some of the greatest musicians of the twentieth century—including
Powell, Charlie Parker, and Art Blakey—and a deeply spiritual person who found solace in the
Catholic faith and believed in the healing power of jazz.

We’ll hear Deanna play Williams’ tunes and read passages of the biography. This is an evening not-to-be missed for jazz fans  interested in Pittsburgh’s musical legacy past, present, and future.

Featured Musicians

• Deanna Witkowski (keys)
• Tony DePaolis (bass)
• Tom Wendt (drums)

Covid-19 policies for indoor programs [at Alphabet City] as of September 1, 2021

• To keep our audience safe, we will require proof of vaccination (physical card or photo) to attend all events at Alphabet City.
• There will be special accommodations for children under 12 and people with medical conditions or religious beliefs preventing them from being vaccinated. These audience members will be asked to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test within 72 hours of the performance start time, or a negative COVID-19 antigen test taken within 6 hours of the performance start time.
• All guests will be required to wear masks.
• Audience size will be limited to 60% total capacity and seats will be set up with moderate social distancing.
• Please remember there is a restaurant, 40 North, inside our open concept venue. Diners will be required to show proof of vaccination but will not wear masks while seated at tables.