THE HILL HOUSE PRESENTS "Live at the Hurricane"

THE HILL HOUSE PRESENTS "Live at the Hurricane" A Monthly Event Featuring Live Jazz and "Storytelling Jams"

July 12, 2007 – The Hill House Association announced today a monthly event that will highlight and pay tribute to jazz and its greatest artists called, "Live at the Hurricane." The event sponsored by the Sprout Fund and McCormack Baron Salazar, will begin on Sunday, July 15 at 5 p.m. at the Blakey Program Center, 1908 Wylie Avenue and will recreate the intimate, funky atmosphere of one of Hill District's most beloved jazz clubs – The Hurricane Lounge which brought world class performers to Centre Avenue in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

The five concert series held on the second Sunday of the month, the Hurricane Lounge will come to life in the Hill with candle-lit tables for four, a dance floor and the music of Bebop and Avante Garde jazz greats performed by world class musicians saxophonist Kenny Blake, drummer Roger Humphries, bassist Dwayne Dolphin, pianist Jeff Lashway and trumpeter Danny Donohoe. The performances will be recorded and made available for purchase through the Hill House. Each concert will feature three 45-minute jam sessions. The intermissions will include "Storytelling Jams" -- on-stage interviews with select musicians and roadies who remember the early years of Bebop and Avante Garde Jazz. "We can restore buildings and bring business. We can build beautiful homes for families in the Hill. But, the return of jazz is one of this community's most significant opportunities to revitalize itself as a great cultural hub in the region," said Evan Frazier, President and CEO of the Hill House. The Hurricane Lounge was one of the nation's Chitlin' Circuit clubs, a string of venues throughout the eastern and southern United States, such as the Cotton Club and Victory Grill, that were safe and acceptable for African American musicians, comedians, and other entertainers to perform during the age of racial segregation in the United States. Birdie Dunlap owned the Hurricane Lounge and regularly welcomed jazz greats to its stage. Sarah Vaughn would visit the club on a regular basis during her Pittsburgh performances and it was the first place Nancy Wilson sang in the city. Stanley Turrentine, Jimmy McGriff, Roy Eldridge, Sonny Stitt and Kenny Burrell also were regulars on the Hurricane stage.

The first "Live at the Hurricane" event on July 15 will feature the music of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, who in the mid 40s revolutionized Bebop and created one of the greatest small bands of the 20th Century.

Future shows will feature the works of Horace Silver Quintet, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, the Cannonball Adderly Quintet, Miles Davis, John Coltrane and others. Terri Baltimore, Director of Neighborhood Development expressed, "The concert series is a unique, exciting and fun way to celebrate the legacy of Jazz in the Hill District. The Hurricane Lounge provided the spirit and inspiration for this event."

"Live at the Hurricane" benefits the James F. Henry Scholarship Fund which provides scholarships of up to $500 for post-secondary workforce training (college, vocational or technical). Eligible applicants include current and former Hill House program participants. The concerts also support ongoing arts programming at the Hill House.

The Hill House is selling tickets for each show at $10 each. Light refreshments will be available. Seating is limited to 100 & parking made available in a lot across the street. To purchase tickets you may visit Hill House's website at www.hillhouse.org or call 412-392-3148 for more information.

The Hill House Association is a comprehensive community service provider and facilitator that meets the needs of Hill District residents and diverse constituents in the Greater Pittsburgh area. By housing nearly a dozen health, education and human service agencies under its roof, the Hill House serves as a one-stop resource for individuals looking to improve their lives. Over the past four decades, it is estimated that the Hill House has provided care and support for more than 500,000 children, adults and seniors living in urban environments. In 2006, nearly 70,000 were impacted directly or indirectly by Hill House programs.

The Sprout Fund is a nonprofit organization supporting innovative ideas and grassroots community projects that are catalyzing change in Pittsburgh. Each of The Sprout Fund's programs, Seed Award and Public Art, is designed to advance a community initiative from idea through dialogue to implementation, creating a critical mass of activity for positive regional change. Sprout believes a vital component to building healthy and vibrant communities is civic engagement; serving those who demonstrate the drive and the capacity to think creatively about their communities.