Kente Arts Alliance kicks off their Summer Madness concert series with Vocalist Anyah Nancy. 
A relative newcomer to the Pittsburgh music scene, Anyah Nancy performed at the 2022 Three Rivers Arts Festival and received glowing reviews.  Heavily influenced by jazz vocalists such as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone and others, Anyah Nancy and her band infuse classical jazz with modern soul and R&B.

Led by Pittsburgh saxophonist Ben Opie for over twenty years, OPEK is a reduced-sized big band that features some of Pittsburgh’s most vibrant and exciting musicians. OPEK started as an opportunity to showcase the music of visionary bandleader Sun Ra, and they’ve since expanded their repertoire to include Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, monster movie soundtracks, original works, and all points in between. OPEK performances are lively, engaging, and—most of all—fun! 

This event is sold out. You can still join us by watching online via our virtual channel. 

The second of three concerts created by Yoko Suzuki exploring the history of female jazz harpists and composers and the rarely heard contributions they made to the jazz scene. This month spotlightsAlice Coltrane whose talents as a composer, singer, pianist, and harpist led her to create a distinctive style combining elements of gospel, classical, and jazz music.

Kente Arts Alliance presents two more blockbuster concerts in its Kente Summer Madness Series. For this concert, Kente has assembled an all-star band of renowned jazz musicians who all hail from states within the tri-state area. This formation will present a rare opportunity for them to play together as the Kente All-Stars I. Each member of the band has spent time leading his own series of groups, and each has a keenly individual sound.

Jimmy Heath is one of the great talents of jazz: a world-class saxophonist, composer, and arranger. In August, the Off Minor Jazz series offers an evening of Master Heath’s music, drawing on all parts of his long career. 
This concert features a quintet with a trumpet and alto saxophone frontline playing arrangements by Lynn Speakman. Discussions related to Jimmy Heath’s autobiography, I Walked with Giants, sprinkle in throughout the set.

This event is sold out but you can still tune in for the livestream.  

Kente All-Stars II rounds out Kente’s Summer Madness Series and its spotlight on renowned jazz musicians from the region. This all-star formation includes three of Pittsburgh’s most recognized and favored artists: Dwayne Dolphin, bass; Tom Wendt, drums; and Alton Merrill, piano. Joining them as their special guest is alto saxophonist Antonio Hart.