Thursday Night Jazz: Roger Humphries + The RH Factor

We’re kicking off our fall 2025 concert season with the man, the myth, the legend: Roger Humphries. A legend in the Pittsburgh jazz scene for decades, Roger is one of 20 members of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s inaugural class of Jazz Legacies Fellows from around the country. He is a beloved and renowned figure, both on and beyond the Alphabet City stage, bringing a uniquely engaging atmosphere everywhere he goes. 

This fall, Roger and the RH Factor return to the Alphabet City stage for another world-class, not-to-be-missed performance, highlighting the spirit of collaboration, community, and letting jazz run free. 

About the Artist:

Roger Humphries was still a toddler when his family first discovered his early talent for playing drums. He began playing professionally at 14, and within two years, he was leading his own group at Carnegie Music Hall. In 1964, Roger went to New York to join the Horace Silver Quintet. While with Silver, Roger recorded three albums: Song For My Father, Cape Verdean Blues, and Jody Grind, with Song for My Father taking its place as one of the most legendary albums of our time. Music critics rate Roger as one of the most exciting percussionists in the business. He has provided the rhythmic beat for such greats as Ray Charles, Horace Silver, Richard “Groove” Holmes, Stanley Turrentine, James Moody, Lee Morgan, Dr. Billy Taylor, Benny Green, Lionel Hampton, Coleman Hawkins, Clark Terry, J.J. Johnson, Dizzy Gillespie, and countless others. After playing with various groups around the country, ace drummer Roger Humphries decided to organize his own group in 1972, which he calls RH Factor.