Jazz Players by Matthew Alexander

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We spotted this mural going up on the back walls of North Shore Place I and II and contacted the developer to find out more. They connected us directly with the artist, Matthew Alexander, who told us this about the installation:

...the graphic covers an area about 20 feet high and over 200 feet long on the backside of a set of retail buildings that overlook a large tailgating lot for the Steelers and Pirates as well as a freeway.

The North Shore Place I & II mural depicts the shadows of jazz musicians being cast up onto the rear of the buildings. The concept is to show the abstracted depictions of some of Pittsburgh’s most famous jazz musicians: Roy Eldridge, Ray Brown, Errol Garner, and Kenny Clarke, who are playing their instruments in a sort of back–alley, while what remains is their cast shadows.

The limitations I had to work within were set prior to my involvement: 1–2 colors, and silhouettes of jazz musicians. I worked with Rob Dower, an architect with Strada Architecture to complete and approve the design.

You can spot the mural from the Fort Duquesne bridge ramp. It makes the building stand out from the crowd and seems to be a perfect example of how art makes a difference. This very low key, subtle image totally changes the personality of the otherwise plain, brick building and parking lot.

Pittsburgh Jazz History Mural by multiple artists

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This mural is not just a history of jazz greats, it’s a history of Pittsburgh jazz greats! Can you feel your city pride swelling when you realize the breadth of talent that came from our own neighborhoods?

Top left in the mural is Stanley William Turrentine, also known as Mr T or The Sugar Man

Stanley Turrentine and the Penn Incline

To the right of Stanley Turrentine is Ray Brown, a Grammy award winning base musician.

Ray Brown

Below and right of Ray Brown is George Benson, the man that had the first platinum jazz album.

George Benson

David Roy Eldridge or Little Jazz is considered one of the most important virtuoso trumpeters in the history of jazz.

Roy Eldrige

Composer and self–taught pianist Errol Garner was a musical genius, possibly best known for composing Misty.

Errol Garner

Art Blakey started out playing piano until Errol Garner bumped him over to the drums. He found his nitch there becoming an award winning jazz drummer.

Art Blakey

Lena Horne is the only one of this talented group that is not a native of the ’Burgh. She did, however, move here when she was 18 to live with her father for several years.

Lena Horne

The posts in front of this mural are also painted, making them less of a distraction:

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Bass Man With Moon by James Simon

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Another incredible addition to the community by James Simon. Mr Simon has often worked with local kids to create fun, whimsical, beautiful pieces of art, but never with kids as young as the ones he mentored this time.

This piece was done as part of the Summer Art Camp for ACH (Amon Cashmere Harris) Clear Pathways. ACH Clear Pathways is a non–profit organization named in tribute to a 7 year old boy that died from a heart condition. His mother, Tyian Battle, has created an organization to engage, teach and give direction to the other children in the community through performance and visual arts. This particular Summer Art Camp was funded by McAuley Ministries, and that allowed ACH Clear Pathways to bring in an expert to work with the kids.

Instead of a project that these 5–12 year old kids might take home to hang on the refrigerator, this time they helped create real art. The kind that people will stop to admire for years to come and that these kids will feel a sense of accomplishment from.

James Simon looked at his canvas – the side of Rose Reilly’s house – and saw a big, vertical space perfect for a bass player. He offered the suggestion and the only request he received was to include at least one child in the design. Mr Simon designed the mural with the bass player, a boy, two zebras and a full moon. The boy is on a skateboard with a basketball and wearing his cap backwards.

Over the course of about two months, James Simon showed 25 kids how to break the tiles and lay out the colors to create the images. They helped him glue pieces in place with the design on the floor. Later, when the separate sections of the mural were complete, Mr Simon attached them to the building. The children wouldn’t see the whole picture until the end.

Tyian Battle looked at the finished mural and was surprised to see the boy wearing his cap just like her son did and doing the things that he enjoyed doing. She had not told Mr Simon that her son enjoyed skateboarding and basketball or that he always wore his cap like that.

When we asked about the zebras and what their significance was, we got James Simon’s usual response to those questions: ...because I liked it. He especially liked the psychedelic zebra, as he described it. Why the upside down zebra? I made a mistake he joked. I think if you want to find symbolism or deep meaning in these, you’re looking at the wrong art. James Simon’s works are all about fun and things that he likes.

New Granada Theater murals by George Gist

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George Gist is considered one of the top African American muralists in the country. His three panel mural on the New Granada Theater pays tribute to it’s rich history of jazz.

This once beautiful, lively, keystone to the hill district has certainly seen better days. No one is willing to give up on it yet though. It seems as though any dream of rejuvenating the Hill District will center on the rebirth of the New Granada Theater. To that end, the Hill Community Delvelopment Corporation (who owns the building) is working toward something good here. They have a program to use art (both visual and theater arts) to help pull the community into a process to make change happen. Mr Gist was brought in to help with murals and more.

Jazz Greats by Kyle Holbrook, Chris Savido, Ashley Hodder

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Chris Savido designed this mural to show what you might have seen when you peaked through the keyhole into the New Granada Theater. The New Granada Theater was once a thriving center of Jazz in this country. Everybody who was anybody in Jazz performed here. All the greats like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Lena Horne and countless others frequented this theater and it's Savoy Ballroom.

With Ashley Hodder's help, Chris created the crowd watching the show using many local celebraties in the front row. They include August Wilson, a local baseball player from the Homestead Greys, and other local figures past and present.

The New Granada Theater has seen better days. It was once the most important building on Centre Ave and it was designed by the first known African-American architect in Pittsburgh – Louis Arnet Stuart Bellinger. If you go to see this mural it's just east of the theater. There are plans underway to restore this building and once again make it a center of activity in the Hill District neighborhood. The mural of Jazz Greats is a great reminder of what it once was and might be again.
Summary:
Artist(s): Chris Savido, Ashley Hodder
Address: 2037 Center Ave
City: Pittsburgh (Hill District)
Zip Code: 15219
Organization:
PghMurals@gmail.com
Twitter: @PghMurals

Listening Through Time by Chris St Pierre

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We got this information on Listening Through Time from Curt Gettman at the Sprout Fund.

Reaching into the Hill District’s rich past and lighting the way to the future, this lively mural depicts a saxophonist symbolically filling Centre Avenue with the energy of Jazz. The Hill Community Development Corporation, the House of the Crossroads, Freedom Unlimited Inc., and the office of then City Councilman Sala Udin collaborated with artist Chris St. Pierre to develop this idea, which draws on the Hill District’s history as home to a vibrant, world–class Jazz scene during the mid–20th Century. Legends Lena Horne and George Benson have roots in the Hill District, and drummer Art Blakey’s family still reside there today. These luminaries lend their spirit and energy to the mural, radiating a sense of hope and promise for the future while connecting to and commemorating the past.

Summary:

Artist(s): Chris St Pierre
Address: 2201 Wylie Ave
City: Pittsburgh (Hill District)
Zip Code: 15219
Organization:

PghMurals@gmail.com
Twitter: @PghMurals

Näkturnal mural by multiple artists

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This mural may be more of a business sign than a mural. It was hard to tell. Initially we wondered if there had been a music store at this location. What we found out was that Näkturnal is a marketing company, and they seem to specialize in events and work with artists, musicians and organizations. That would explain the theme of musical instruments and an artist painting the mural.

Summary:

Artist(s): Kyle Holbrook, Ed Rawson, Dan Friedson, W. Borcik
Address: Penn Ave & S. Highland Ave
City: Pittsburgh (East Liberty)
Zip Code: 15206

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Twitter: @PghMurals