On Aug. 28, MCG Jazz will release Billy Taylor & Gerry Mulligan: Live at MCG, an album recorded at Pittsburgh’s Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild in 1993. The album features Taylor (pictured) and Mulligan playing a set of standards (plus Taylor’s “Capricious” and Mulligan’s “Line for Lyons”) in a quartet with bassist Chip Jackson and drummer Carl Allen.
Billy Taylor is renowned for his light, spirited bop piano work and for being one of jazz’s most dedicated advocates and ambassadors. Mulligan, who died in 1996, is largely considered jazz’s greatest baritone saxophonist.
Bill Strickland established the Manchester Craftmen’s Guild in 1968 as an art program for inner-city youths. The MCG later received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, allowing the organization to expand its facilities, including the addition of a 350-seat concert hall. Many artists have performed to packed houses and given MCG the rights to the recordings for public release. A portion of the proceeds from MCG Jazz recordings fund future programs and concerts.
For more information on the MCG or to pre-order a copy of the album, visit mcgjazz.com.
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