Thursday Night Jazz: Zero Ted Plays Original Compositions (with a Pop Sensibility)

Zero Ted is a band featuring the original music of pianist Daniel May. The music is jazz-tinged with a clear pop sensibility. As a film and television composer for most of his adult life, Daniel has always been working on projects for hire (currently in his Pittsburgh-based studio and, for 23 years before that, in his Los Angeles studio). Zero Ted is the byproduct of Daniel constantly being in a creative mindset. While working on film and television projects, new musical ideas inevitably spark that have no connection to the project at hand. Zero Ted is the repository where these musical ideas live.

About the Artist:

James Johnson III began playing the drums at the age of five in his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Johnson attended CAPA, Pittsburgh’s high school for the creative and performing arts. It was there that he came under the mentorship of the drummer Roger Humphries. Upon graduating high school, James was invited to tour with jazz legend Ahmad Jamal. With Ahmad, James performed all over the world, appearing in major jazz venues such as Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center. As a member of the Ahmad Jamal trio, James has also appeared at major festivals such as the Cully Jazz Festival in Switzerland, the North Sea Jazz Festival in South Africa, and the Dublin Jazz Festival. James has also performed with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, George Coleman, James Moody, Sean Jones, Monty Alexander, Mulgrew Miller, Russell Ferrante, Bob Mintzer, Kenny Werner, and Hubert Laws. In addition to his performance schedule, James currently serves on the music faculty at the Afro American Music Institute, University of Pittsburgh, and Chatham University. His second solo album, Between, was released in 2019.

Featured Musicians:

Grace Elliott: vocals
Daniel May: piano, compositions
Joe Sheehan: keyboards
Denzel Chismar-Oliver: bass
James Johnson III: drums, music director

About Your Visit: 

The in-house restaurant, Cucina Alfabeto, is open for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412-435-1111 to make a reservation.