Ace Hotel Pittsburgh digs PITTSBURGH VINYL!

By now you are probably aware that the East Liberty YMCA has been converted into an Ace Hotel. Ace Hotel is an international chain of chic, boutique hotels located in a handful of cities across the United States, in addition to locations in London and Panama. When you book a larger room, or a suite, it comes furnished with a turntable and records. Make sure that you specify that you would like a turntable when you're making your reservations.

  

Ace Hotel Pittsburgh assembled a crew of seven local disc jockeys and music folk to curate a vinyl collection for them. One of those folks being local disc jockey J. Malls, who runs this here blog in addition to DJ'ing regularly around the Pittsburgh area. In fact he is the co-founder of the TITLE TOWN Soul & Funk Dance Party, which will take place the second Friday of each month at the Ace Hotel Pittsburgh beginning Friday, January 8th, 2016.

Ace Hotel requested "a mixture of vintage, current releases and local artists, or artists with Pittsburgh roots/connections." Of course there was a budget to operate within, so that had a lot to do with the selection process. We couldn't provide them with a record from every artist who ever resided in Pittsburgh, or records that typically carry a $100 price tag, but here goes the batch of forty (40) records that we delivered. It's mostly full length albums with a few 12" singles. We think it's a pretty eclectic batch of vinyl that will give hotel guests a glimpse into Pittsburgh's rich and diverse musical history.  

Look over the list and let us know what you think. All artists are listed alphabetically and compilations are included alphabetized by title. Here it goes ...

The B.U.D. "B. for the Ladies" b/w "Chill"

1994 Saturn Records, SR-12-0921-1

This is the debut 1994 record by Bud'da, then known as The B.U.D. Shortly after it's release on the Pittsburgh-based Saturn Records label, Bud'da headed to the west coast to work with Dr. Dre and his label, which was brand new at the time, Aftermath Records. Since then he's obtained super-producer status creating soundscapes for the likes of Aaliyah and many other notable Hip Hop and R&B artists. 

Floyd Beck "Party is the Solution" b/w "What About Me"
1980 Precision, 4Z8-9804

Pittsburgh guitarist and vocalist Floyd Beck released a number of great 7" singles in the mid to late 1970's, which continued into the 1980's. This release on Precision Records is likely his best distributed record. The B-side "What About Me" is actually a remake of a song that he produced in the 1960's, which was originally recorded by The Exceptional Three featuring Ruby Carter.

George Benson Breezin'

1976 Warner Brothers, BSK 3111

George Benson is perhaps Pittsburgh's most famous Jazz export. Born and raised here, he hit the road with Brother Jack McDuff in the early 1960's. By 1970 he'd already had a handful of solo albums under his belt. By 1980 he was topping the charts with hit after hit. This album is one of a half-dozen records that Benson released in 1976 alone. It includes classics such as the Bobby Womack-penned title track "Breezin'" and "This Masquerade." 

Slim Bryant and his Wildcats Square Dances with Calls and Instructions
195? Lion Records, L-70070

Slim Bryant is likely one of the most notable Country artists associated with Pittsburgh. He's not a household name like Kenny Rogers, but there's a good chance that he's one of your favorite Country artists' favorite Country artists. After all he recorded with none other than Jimmie Rodgers, who is widely regarded as the father of modern Country music, prior to relocating to Pittsburgh in 1940. This album, which is the only Slim Bryant full length album, features traditional square dances with calls and instructions. 

Flo Cassinelli Live at Chukkers!
1987 Self-released, NR 17056

Flo Cassinelli was, perhaps most notably, a member of Deuces Wild. Deuces Wild are often described as being one of Pittsburgh's most popular Jazz groups. They date back to the 1940's. The group had an interchangeable lineup, and was primarily comprised of white musicians, but Roy Eldridge was known to play with them from time to time. This private press release was recorded live, toward the end of Cassinelli's career, at Chukkers in downtown Pittsburgh.

Chunky, Novi & Ernie Self-titled

1977 Warner Brothers, BS 3030

Chunky, Novie and Ernie are a 1970's Soft Rock group. Chunky, who was born in Pittsburgh as Ilene Rappaport, got her start in 1969 with an obscure Sixites Psych/Folk Rock group, Rebecca and the Sunny Brook Farmers. She later recorded as Lauren Wood and also recorded with Frank Zappa off and on over the decades.

Kenny Clarke Kenny Clarke Meets the Detroit Jazzmen

1977 Savoy/Arista, SJL-1111

Pittsburgh native Kenny 'Klook' Clarke, also known as Liaqat Ali Salaam, is one of the fathers of Bebop and is widely regarded as the father of modern Jazz drumming. He played with the likes of Roy Eldridge, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie to name just a few, but he is perhaps best known as the original drummer for the Modern Jazz Quartet. This album was released in 1977, but was recorded in New Jersey in 1956. The lineup features Paul Chambers on bass, who was also born in Pittsburgh.

Frank Cunimondo Trio The Lamp Is Low

1969 Mondo, 102

Frank Cunimondo has been a fixture in the Pittsburgh Jazz scene for decades. He still plays out on occasion. This is his second full length album, released in 1969, and it features Mike Taylor (bass) and Roger Humphries (drums). Humphries is one of Pittsburgh's premier Jazz musicians, who is well-known for his recordings with Horace Silver on Blue Note Records. If you're lucky, maybe you will catch Cunimondo playing live while you're in town. Humphries is a safer bet. He hosts weekly sessions, which are always a great time.

DJ Big Phill Wide Screen Music Vol. One
2003 BUKA Records, BUK 10

Pittsburgh rapper J. Sands of Lone Catalysts formed B.U.K.A. Records in the latter part of the 1990's. He released a series of singles and compilations that is still unrivaled in terms of Pittsburgh Hip Hop labels. One of these releases was Wide Screen Music Vol. One, which was assembled by Pittsburgh-based producer DJ Big Phill. Check out the track "412 Memory Lane" by Hi-Lo Productions, which takes listeners on a journey through Pittsburgh Hip Hop history. Read more about B.U.K.A. Records here. 

Diamond Reo Dirty Diamonds
1976 Kama Sutra, KSBS 2619

This is the second full length album by Diamond Reo on Kama Sutra Records. The Dirty Diamonds are a notable Pittsburgh Rock group who toured with the likes of Kiss and Aerosmith. This album features Frank Czuri (previously of The Igniters, who later went on to join The Jaggerz and The Silencers), Norman Nardini, local guitar hero Warren 'Kingfish' King and drummer Robert Johns.

Erroll Garner Gemini

1972 London, XPS 617

Erroll Garner, one of the world's most innovative Jazz pianists, was born here in PIttsburgh. He fits into a lineage of amazing Pittsburgh piano players, most notably including Earl 'Fatha' Hines, Mary Lou Williams, Billy Strayhorn and Ahmad Jamal. Garner's most famous composition is the standard "Misty." His 1955 album Concert By The Sea set records for Jazz album sales at the time of it's release and he was the first Jazz artist to cross over to mainstream success and perform in concert halls. This is one of the one hundred (approx) albums that he recorded.

Ailene Goodman Pittsburgh: Songs of a City

1954 R4RM-4757

Here goes a very interesting record made to commemorate the 115th anniversary of the Joseph Horne Co., which was a department store (better known as 'Hornes') founded here in Pittsburgh in 1849. The story of Pittsburgh is sung by Folk artist Ailene Goodman. The best part of the album is the narration featuring a who's who of mid-century Pittsburgh broadcasting. Paul Long and Clark Race are among the many TV and radio celebrities who are featured. 

Tyrone Green "You Ain't Right Eddy Murphy"

1986 Precise Music, PMR-1401

This is one of the earliest Pittsburgh Hip Hop records, which was written and produced by Melvin 'Melle Mel' Plowden, also known as Jazzy Mel P. Plowden was a mover and shaker in the early days of Pittsburgh Hip Hop. He was cast in the 1985 Hip Hop film Rappin', which was filmed here on Pittsburgh's Northside. Plowden performed on "Snack Attack" which is included on the original motion picture soundtrack. After Rappin' Plowden started his label Precise Music Records and this was the first release, which was inspired by Eddy Murphy's popular Tyrone Green skits on Saturday Night Live.

Dave Greene Taking The Chance

1981 Sound 7 Records, SLP-81-7-001

Private press Country Rock/Folk with a few notable local musicians including Pittsburgh living-legend Joe Negri (guitar) and Lou Scheiber (piano). Recorded by Lee Hollihan who worked on a number of cool Alternative/New Wave records in the Eighties, in addition to some notable Indie Rock releases in the Nineties. 

Walt Harper Walt Harper Live at the Attic

196? Birmingham, BI-1570

Walt Harper was a very popular Pittsburgh-based Jazz pianist. His groups date back to the 1940's. In the 1960's he opened his own venue, Walt Harper's Attic, where this recording was made. This is also one of the finite number of albums where you can hear Pittsburgh-based trombonist, Dr. Nelson Harrison, who still performs locally on a regular basis.

Phyllis Hyman Self Titled

1977 Buddah Records, BDS 5681

The debut full length album by Phyllis Hyman. Hyman was born in Philadelphia, but she was raised here in St. Clair Village (in Pittsburgh's South Hills region). This record was released a year after she was featured on Norman Connors' album, You Are My Starship. Her earliest recordings were made years earlier singing background vocals for artists here in Pittsburgh. 

Eddie Jefferson Letter From Home

1987 Riverside, OJC-307 (RLP-9411)

1980's remaster of Eddie Jefferson's debut album Letter From Home, originally released in 1962. Jefferson is one of Jazz's most innovative vocalists and the inventor of vocalese. He is perhaps associated with the New York Jazz scene, more so than Pittsburgh, but he was born here where he made his earliest recordings with the Walt Harper Quintet. 

James T. Johnson Mass Gospel Choir Children of the Lord
197? Triumph Records, 007

Local Gospel recording dedicated to the memory of James T. Johnson, Sr., by his son James T. Johnson, Jr. James Johnson, Jr. plays piano and wrote the arrangements on this record. He is most notably the founder of the Afro American Music Institute in Homewood. Some of the children pictured on the album cover are now Pittsburgh-based musicians themselves, such as DJ Big Phill who also appears on this list. Johnson continues to impact the lives of young people through music.

Gene Ludwig This is Gene Ludwig

1965 Ge-Lu Records, GL 1415

This is Gene Ludwig's self-released album on Ge-Lu Records. It features Randy Gelispie on drums and Jerry Byrd on guitar. Ludwig converted from piano to the Hammond B3 organ after catching one of Jazz's most famous organists, Jimmy Smith, live here in Pittsburgh at the Hurricane club. Ludwig can also be heard on the recordings of Sonny Stitt. Read more about Gene Ludwig here. 

Madhouse 16

1987 Paisley Park Records, 1-25658

The 1987 sophomore follow-up to Madhouse' debut full length, which was titled 8. All horns and keyboards are played by Eric Leeds, a Duquesne University music major and the brother of Alan Leeds. Alan Leeds became Prince's road manager circa 1984. Eric Leeds was also a member of The Family who Prince released in 1985. In 1987 Madhouse released both of their albums on the Prince-run Paisley Park imprint. Read more about Eric and Alan Leeds' contributions to Pittsburgh music history here.

Henry Mancini The Pink Panther Strikes Again
1976 United Artists, UA-LA694-G

Composed and conducted by Aliquippa, PA's own Henry Mancini who wrote the original Pink Panther theme. This is the soundtrack to the fifth film in the Pink Panther franchise. It's just one of Mancini's many, very famous film scores, the most famous of which are perhaps Peter Gunn and Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Frank Metis and Randy Starr Pittsburgh; Biography of a City

196? Mayflower Records, M-632

A narrative biography of Pittsburgh set to the compositions of Frank Metis and sung by Randy Starr. These eleven tracks tell the story of Pittsburgh from 1753, when George Washington first surveyed the area prior to the Revolutionary War, to the time the record was made, which was likely in the early 1960's. 

Norman Nardini and the Tigers Self titled LP

1985 CBS, BFZ 39457

The second full length album by Norman Nardini and the Tigers. Nardini had previously played bass for the Pittsburgh Rock super-group Diamond Reo. On his solo albums Nardini sings lead and plays guitar. This was likely his best distributed record on CBS. It not only includes additional guitars by fellow Diamond Reo alum Warren King, but also features background vocals by a much lesser-known Jon Bon Jovi. 

Various Artists Pittsburgh's Greatest Hits
1966 Itzy Records, 101

Reissue of Itzy Klein's 1966 double album compilation that defines 'The Pittsburgh Sound.' These are primarily songs that were popularized by Pittsburgh DJ's, not necessarily songs recorded by PIttsburgh artists, but there are a few local artists included - namely Chuck Edwards, The Splendors and The Arondies. 

Pittsburgh Pops Orchestra An American Musical Panorama

1964 United Artists, UAL 3384

This album commemorates the Pittsburgh Pops 1964 tour, An American Musical Panorama, which traveled through seventeen cities that year. It features tenor Mike Driscoll and baritone Robert Mosely, both Pittsburgh natives, in addition to guitarist Joe Negri (aka Handy Man Joe from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood) and Paul Hubinon. The record is particularly interesting because of Hubinon and Mosley. Paul Hubinon relocated to Los Angeles where he became one of the most recorded trumpet players of the 1970's. Robert Mosley was among the first generation of African American opera singers to achieve success during the 1950's and 1960's.

Pittsburgh Steelers Super Team XII
197? Fleetwood, FCLP-3111

If you're staying in Pittsburgh during the football season, the town will likely be painted black and gold. Say you are not the biggest sports, or more importantly Pittsburgh Steelers, fan. This album will come in very handy. Familiarize yourself with the highlights of the 1978 Super Bowl champs, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Narrated by notable local sports journalists, WTAE's Jack Flemming and, the inventor of The Terrible Towel, Myron Cope.

Pittsburgh Symphony Rhapsody of Steel
1959 United States Steel, JB-502

Here we have the soundtrack to a short animated film made in 1959 by United States Steel. Dimitri Tiomkin conducts the Pittsburgh Symphony who plays his original compositions. The B-side features Gary Merrill's narrative dialog from the film. The gatefold 'book and record' package is assembled Disney-style and includes beautiful illustrations from the animated film. 

Jimmy Ponder White Room

1977 Impulse/ABC, AS-9327

Jimmy 'Fatts' Ponder is another one of Pittsburgh's most famous guitarists. He began playing in the early 1960's and by 1970 he had recorded with the likes of Stanley Turrentine (also from Pittsburgh), Andrew Hill and Lou Donaldson. He can also be heard on the recordings of Rusty Bryant, Shirley Scott, Donald Byrd, Jack McDuff and Houston Person - just to name a few. This is his third full length album, arranged & conducted by Johnny Pate and released on Impulse! Records in 1977. 

Billy Price and the Keystone Rhythm Band Is It Over?

1980 Green Dolphin, 800756

One of Pittsburgh's premier Blues singers. Price relocated to Pittsburgh in the late 1960's. In the Seventies he attracted national attention recording with Blues artist Roy Buchanan. Since then Price and his Keystone Rhythm Band have achieved long-term success in the local region. This album, recorded in 1980, features notable Pittsburgh artists such as Eric Leeds (baritone sax), Kenny Blake (alto sax) and Don Garvin (guitar). 

Pure Gold Self TItled
1983 Green Dolphin, NR14861

This is the first full length album by Pure Gold, a local 'oldies revival' group with their roots planted firmly in the 1950's and 1960's. Pure Gold is tremendously successful in the Pittsburgh region and they're famous for their numerous appearances on the PBS "My Music" concert series, which was produced by their manager Henry Deluca.

Mister Rogers Josephine The Short Neck Giraffe

1968 Small World Records, 81053

One of the world's most famous children's television programs of all time, Mister Rogers Neighborhood, originated here in Pittsburgh. Most of the Mister Rogers records were originally released on his own label, Small World Records, in the late 1960's. In the Seventies, the records were licensed for reissue to a variety of labels including Columbia and Pickwick. Then the finite number of recordings were reissued again in the 1980's on Small World Enterprises, Inc. This particular 1968 recording was never reissued and is definitely one of Mister Rogers' most obscure albums.

The Skyliners Since I Don't Have You
1963 Original Sound, OSR-LPM-5010

This repackage is mostly comprised of songs from The Skyliners debut 1959 album, which was originally released on the Pittsburgh-based Calico Records label. The title track of this album, "Since I Don't Have You", was a major hit in the early days of Rock & Roll. It was covered by the likes of The Four Seasons, Chuck Jackson, Guns N' Roses and Brian Setzer. The Skyliners are still performing today. In 2015 they were invited to perform an impromptu rendition of "Since I Don't Have You" live on stage with Stevie Wonder.

Thee Speaking Canaries Platter Base Must Be Constructed of Moon-Rocks
2015 Chunklet, CHKLP018

Pittsburgh was an Indie Rock hotbed in the 1990's. The most successful group to emerge from that era was no doubt Don Caballero, which was formed by drummer-extraordinaire Damon Che Fitzgerald. Thee Speaking Canaries was another of Fitzgerald's groups at that time, which featured an all-star Indie Rock lineup including Karl Hendricks and Noah Leger. This album was released in 2015, but it was originally recorded in 1990 with Ray Caperoon (drums) and Lee Hollihan (guitar). Limited edition vinyl was pressed courtesy of, purveyors of Post-Punk Math-Rock, Chunklet Industries.

Dakota Staton I've Been There
1970 Verve, V6-8799

Dakota Staton was a Pittsburgh-born Jazz vocalist who began recording in the 1950's. This is one of the first albums that she released after returning to the United States from overseas. It's particularly interesting because some of the songs are written by Elizabeth Davis, who was a Pittsburgh-based song writer who lived above one of the city's most notable Jazz venues, The Crawford Grill, in the Hill District. Davis' compositions were also recorded by the likes of Ramsey Lewis.

Terry Lee Music for Young Lovers Volume 4
1976 Airship Communications, CS82742-35

This Terry Lee compilation was originally released in 1969. Terry Lee was one of Pittsburgh's most famous DJ's. He was not only famous as a radio disc jockey, but he also hosted dance parties and the Come Alive television show, which was a local program patterned after American Bandstand. In addition he also managed artists, some of which are among the city's most famous Garage Rock groups - namely The Swamp Rats.

Strict Flow "People On Lock" b/w "Radio"
1999 Raw Shack Records, RSP-008

Strict Flow formed in the Mid-Nineties when most of Pittsburgh's older and more established Hip Hop artists were leaving the city. In 1999 they signed with Raw Shack Records, a small indie label who attracted attention with the release of J-Live's first single. As the years went on Strict Flow formed their own label Authentic Recordings, released a full length album and then subsequently went their separate ways. MC Sied Chahrour became Pittsburgh Slim and signed with Def Jam Records. Masai Turner formed the Hip Hop/Rock band Formula 412. Producer E. Dan started Pittsburgh's famed recording studio, I.D. Labs, and fellow producer CLG began managing a young Wiz Khalifa. The rest is Pittsburgh Hip Hop history.

B.E. Taylor Group Innermission

1982 Sweet City/MCA, MCA-5335

First album by B.E. Taylor on MCA Records. Taylor is another local artist who's had national exposure followed by long-term success in the regional market. Nowadays he's best known for his annual Christmas concerts, which have been televised by local PBS stations. They're a pretty big deal. Not many local artists can sell out Heinz Hall two nights in a row.

The Vogues Five O'Clock World

19?? Pickwick, SPC-3188

This is a budget label reissue of The Vogues second album, which was originally released here in Pittsburgh in 1966 on Co & Ce Records. This Turtle Creek, PA quartet was one of Pittsburgh's most successful exports with the popularity of their single "You're The One." The song was featured on their first album Meet The Vogues, but they tacked it on to this reissue as well. 

Adam Wade One is a Lonely Number

1962 Epic Records, LN 24026

Adam Wade may not be a household name, but he's had a very interesting career. He's a Westinghouse High School graduate who worked with Jonas Salk while he was discovering the Polio vaccine here in Pittsburgh. Wade recorded a handful of albums in the early to mid 1960's, which drew a comparisons to Johnny Mathis. He acted as well. While he landed very few lead roles, you would be amazed at some of the movies and TV shows that he appeared in. In addition he become the first African-American game show host in 1975. 

David Werner Whizz Kid

1974 RCA, APL1-0350

David Werner is often referred to as the David Bowie of Pittsburgh. He was in fact label mates with Bowie when his first two albums were released on RCA Records. This is his first album, which he recorded and self-produced at the age of 19. Werner's recording career didn't survive into the Eighties, but he continued writing well into the Nineties. One of his biggest hits was likely Billy Idol's "Cradle of Love."

The Mad Hatters: The Early Recordings of Billy Strayhorn

Join us in this celebration of composer and arranger Billy Strayhorn’s ONE-HUNDREDTH birthday!  The information we are presenting here is largely taken from David Hajdu’s extensive interview with Jerome Eisner, for his book Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn.

In June of 1937 Billy Strayhorn, not quite twenty-two years old, asked Jerome Eisner to join a trio that he was putting together. Strayhorn and Eisner became friends while attending Westinghouse High School here in Pittsburgh. Strayhorn patterned the group after the Benny Goodman Trio, which included Jazz pianist Teddy Wilson, who was no doubt a great influence. The trio was eventually named The Mad Hatters. They were an integrated group, similar to Benny Goodman's trio, comprised of Strayhorn on piano, Eisner on clarinet and Calvin Dort on drums.

Visit I DIG PGH on Youtube to listen.

The Mad Hatters' first gig was in 1937 at Charlie Ray’s, a club located above the Triangle Theater building on Station Street in East Liberty. They played there Friday and Saturday nights for nearly a year. A not-yet-famous Billy May sat in occasionally during his early days as a trumpeter. Early in 1938 The Mad Hatters expanded to become a quintet. That March they recorded three sides at George Heid Studio. Those recordings are thought to be lost. That summer the group performed regularly at an amusement park located somewhere between Bridgeville and Canonsburg. By the end of the summer The Mad Hatters downsized to their original three-piece line up. They performed six nights a week, for several weeks, at a club south of Pittsburgh in Winchester, VA. Their successful run at the venue ended abruptly when a brawl broke out between drummer Calvin Dort and a patron who made racist remarks toward Strayhorn.

On December 21st, 1938, after Strayhorn’s first meeting with Duke Ellington, The Mad Hatters recorded four songs at Volkwein’s in downtown Pittsburgh. Strayhorn quickly departed to join Duke Ellington in New York and The Mad Hatters never played again. Two of the recordings are thought to be lost and here we present to you the two surviving sides of the single remaining acetate. Both sides are tunes popularized at the time by the Benny Goodman Trio, “Body and Soul” and “Sweet Sue.”

These recordings are a very important part of Pittsburgh music history, dating back seventy-seven years. They are likely the earliest Billy Strayhorn recordings in existence. Until now, very few people have had an opportunity to hear them. We thank pianist and musicologist Bryan Wright for his restoration work on the recordings.

Once again, happy ONE-HUNDREDTH birthday Billy Strayhorn!

Spanky Wilson LIVE! Betty Davis Documentary! Spider Rondinelli Tribute!

We've posted about Spanky Wilson a few times since the piece we published back in October of 2011. If you're still not familiar with her, or it isn't fresh in your mind, then we suggest that you go back and give it a read.

Spanky started her career here in Pittsburgh, in the 1950's, playing tiny clubs in neighborhoods like Homewood and the Hill District. At age seventy-six she has performed all over the world, she's legendary among record collectors and, while she never quite scored that 'big hit record', she has achieved nothing short of a worldwide underground cult status.

Spanky's been residing here in Pittsburgh for the past five years, but by this time next year she will be living back in Los Angeles. We urge Pittsburgh residents to check out her live show while she's still with us. Why procrastinate? Check her out THIS FRIDAY, September 18th at Thunderbird Cafe in Lawrenceville. She's assembled a great group of musicians, playing as 'The All-Stars', comprised of Max Leake (keys), Paul Thompson (bass), Thomas Wendt (drums) and Lou Stellute (sax).  Here is a little teaser for Friday's gig ...

 

alternate link for clip: http://tinyurl.com/pw6eg4g

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This event was organized by the TITLE TOWN Soul & Funk Dance Party and it's being marketed as the TITLE TOWN 'Dance & Show.' Doors open at 9 pm. There will be two full one-hour sets, 9:30-10:30 pm and 11 pm-12 am, with TITLE TOWN DJ's playing forty-fives through out the night. Stick around and dance afterward. The party will likely go until 2 am. Advance tickets are available at Showclix.com.




We'd also like to take this opportunity to mention a few other local artists and upcoming events. Betty Davis, born in North Carolina, is another Pittsburgh-bred soul sister who is still residing locally. The one-time wife of Jazz great Miles Davis wrote songs for The Chambers Brothers and recorded with the likes of Larry Graham and Greg Errico of Sly & The Family Stone. She disappeared from the limelight in the late 1970's and she's been living in seclusion in Homestead ever since.



An international group of filmmakers, Native Voice Films, has recently convinced her to tell her story. They are working on a documentary titled NASTY GAL - The Many Lives of Funk Queen Betty Davis. Their IndieGogo campaign just launched this week and we urge you to check it out. If all goes well there will be a city-wide celebration of Ms. Davis next summer, which will be included in the film.




90.5 FM WESA's Saturday night DJ, Bob Studebaker, is organizing an overdue tribute to percussionist Spider Rondinelli on Sunday, October 18th at James Street Gastropub & Speak Easy. It's called SpiderFest and it will be upstairs in the ballroom. You can make reservations by calling 412-904-3335. Check it out on Facebook here. That's Spider in the photograph above, seated in front of Edgar Wills (bass) and vocalist Sonji Clay. Sonji Clay was the first wife of boxing great Muhammad Ali and, while she is from Chicago, she started her singing career here in Pittsburgh. Edgar Willis is a hometown Jazz hero who was the musical arranger for Ray Charles. In addition he played with The Johnny Otis Show, as well as with Doc Severinsen in The Tonight Show band. Spider Rondinelli is a fixture in the local Jazz community and he recorded with the likes of Deuces Wild and The Frank Cunimondo Trio.

We're tickled black & gold over here with all of this tribute that's being paid to some of Pittsburgh's local musical luminaries, especially while they're still here with us. We hope that you'll support some of these great efforts!

Last Weekend for the Mozelle Thompson Album Art Retrospective

Tomorrow, Saturday, November 29th, is Small Business Saturday, so come out to support the Garfield business district and stop by Most Wanted Fine Art for The Album Art of Mozelle Thompson; LP Illustrations 1953-1969.

Gallery hours at Most Wanted Fine Art are 12-6 pm and there will be live painting by Darrell Kinsell in addition to live music (2-4 pm) featuring Jacquea May (vocals), Carlos Pena (guitar), Miles Jackson (bass) and the one-and-only Charles ‘Poogie’ Bell (drums). 

Everything at Most Wanted Fine Art is FREE. Other businesses participating in Small Business Saturday include Verde, Robin’s Nest, Voluto, People’s Indian Restaurant, Modern Formations, Pho Minh, Daily Bread, Refresh PGH, That’s Sharp, and Mostly Mod/ARTica.



Bring proof of purchase from any of the participating businesses and we’ll give you a FREE super-limited edition alternate poster for the show featuring Mozelle Thompson’s 1970 Jesse Owens illustration. This is the image that appeared on the first edition of the Jesse Owens autobiography and a small quantity of this alternate poster was whipped up by local comic book artists Frank Santoro (Pompeii, Cold Heat) with assistance by Jim Rugg (Street Angel, Afrodisiac). First come first served. Limited quantity is available while supplies last. 

Your last opportunity to see the Mozelle Thompson show is Sunday, November 30th, 12-6 pm. RSVP for the Facebook event here. 

We're still raffling off the first edition of Ernest Tidyman's novel Shaft with the Mozelle Thompson dust cover illustration, so make sure you keep signing in to let us know you were there! 

Special Promotions For The Mozelle Thompson Retrospective at Most Wanted Fine Art

I DIG PGH is happy to co-present The Album Art of Mozelle Thompson; LP Illustrations 1953-1969 at Most Wanted Fine Art. Mozelle Thompson was a Pittsburgher and a pioneering African American visual artist who contributed to the history of album cover illustration. 

To commemorate this occasion we are producing a very special, limited I DIG PGH print edition. It contains four pages of information about Thompson's life and career. It includes twenty plus images and a two-page discography of albums and EP's illustrated by the artist. There are only six opportunities to see this exhibition (11/7, 11/8, 11/9, 11/16, 11/23 & 11/30). The publication will be available exclusively at Most Wanted Fine Art on these dates. There will be a limited number of copies available each of the days, so early arrival is recommended.

We need YOU to come out and support this effort in order to demonstrate further need for documentation and preservation of Mozelle Thompson's work. Please sign the guest book so we can keep track of attendance. Leave your contact information and you will be entered in a raffle for an original 1970 first edition of Ernest Tidyman's novel Shaft, which features a Mozelle Thompson illustration on the dustcover. That's right, before Gordon Parks, Richard Roundtree or Isaac Hayes had anything to do with the popular 1970's film franchise, the one image associated with the John Shaft character was an illustration by MOZELLE THOMPSON! 

This exhibition debuts on Friday, November 7th (6-11 PM) for the First Friday Unblurred gallery crawl. The official opening reception is Saturday, November 8th (12-6 PM). Live music will be provided by Roger Barbour of the Basic Sounds of Pittsburgh. This will be a very special performance as Roger will be performing with original Basic Sounds' members Steve Jackson and Sonny Childs, in addition to Mark Strickland, Vince Taglieri and vocalist Barbara Ray. Refreshments will be provided by The Allegheny Wine Mixer.





Regular weekly gallery hours are Sundays 12-6 PM from Sunday, November 9th until Sunday, November 30th. RSVP for the Facebook event here and let us know you're coming! Stay tuned for more information about special events happening in correlation with this project. 

The Album Art of Mozelle Thompson; LP Illustrations 1953-1969

We apologize for the hiatus, but we are finally back and as usual we're about to celebrate some highly neglected Pittsburgh history. We're bringing you another I DIG PGH sponsored event in November 2014 at Most Wanted Fine Art in Garfield. It's a retrospective of album covers illustrated by Pittsburgh's own Mozelle Thompson.

Mozelle Thompson (1926-1969) was a child prodigy and a prolific illustrator of album covers, in addition to books and magazines, from 1953-1969. He was a pioneering African American artist and this is a first-of-it's-kind retrospective of his work, focussing specifically on his album cover illustrations. The exhibition will include approximately one hundred unique record cover illustrations plus additional book and magazine illustrations.

The show will be up in time for November's Unblurred First Friday Gallery Crawl - Friday, November 7th, and the OFFICIAL OPENING RECEPTION is Saturday, November 8th from 12-6 PM.

Stop by on Saturday, November 8th for live music featuring Roger Barbour of the Basic Sounds of Pittsburgh and refreshments courtesy of The Allegheny Wine Mixer. 

Facebook users can RSVP for the exhibition here.

This project supported in part by a Seed Award from The Sprout Fund.

This is an Artist Residency project of Most Wanted Fine Art with support from the Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation and additional donations from The Allegheny Wine Mixer, Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery and IKEA. Stay tuned for more information about this event. 

Velma Carey: Unsung Singer from the Golden Age of Pittsburgh Television

Enjoying a good record is one thing, but did you ever think of a record as more than a format for music? Miriam-Webster dictionary defines the term record as “a thing constituting a piece of evidence about the past.” We're not saying that you can't just kick back and simply enjoy a record, but records are indeed just what their name implies. The records that we’re about to discuss are not actual records, but acetates. Acetates are essentially records, but they’re generally produced in very small quantities and only intended for a finite number of plays. We're going to use the terms interchangeably. Way back in the day, in this case the 1940’s, people would cut acetates and, if they dug the recordings upon playback, perhaps they would make an actual record. While out digging for records on a cold Pittsburgh day, because that’s what we do here at I DIG PGH, we stumbled across a stack of acetates by a woman from Rankin, PA named Velma Carey. We don’t know of too many recording artists from Rankin, so this was a really exciting find.

The recordings were very interesting in the respect that ... a) Like we said, they were from Rankin. b) Many of them were dated (1942-1953) and included all sorts of additional information. And c) Some of the acetates were transcriptions of live performances from local and national television and radio. Search engines initially produced little to no information about Velma Carey. As we dug deeper and deeper a very interesting story came together. These recordings documented Carey’s development from an aspiring vocalist to a professional singer and local television celebrity. Although her name has been lost to obscurity, she could very likely have been the first African American woman to make regular appearances on Pittsburgh television.

One of the acetates is marked “first record made”, but we’re pretty certain this is not the earliest of the recordings. We’ll save that for later and instead start with a record that was made at Fillion Studios on June 1st, 1942. Ferdinand Fillion was a classically trained violinist and composer born in Holyoke, Massachusetts. He was the founder of the Pittsburgh Civic String Orchestra and he served as the president of various local organizations including the Musicians Club and the Pittsburgh Drama League. He arrived in Pittsburgh in 1925 and established Fillion Studios. They had several locations and employed a staff of forty or more instructors specializing in all aspects of music, drama and dance. Carey, who recorded as Velma Woodbury, probably studied there when this recording was made. We determined that she was approximately twenty-five years old at the time. The record features a modern classical composition, “Come Love With Me” by Vito Carnevali, an eighteenth century Haydn canzonet “My Mother Bids Me Bind My Hair” and a spiritual that most readers should be familiar with “Nobody Knows The Trouble I’ve Seen.”

Velma Carey made her first radio appearance on Sunday, December 26th, 1943. There was a corresponding mention of her in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette the following day. The Post-Gazette owned radio station WWSW. Carey appeared on their Sunday afternoon program, Victory Varieties. She was a contestant performing for a $100 grand prize. According to the article she was a twenty-six-year-old war wife, who had a six-year-old son, and she was employed as an elevator operator at the Union Switch & Signal in Swissvale. Her husband, Kingsley Carey, was enlisted during WWII, but he was home on furlough and present in the third row of the Nixon Theater where she dedicated Schubert’s “Ave Maria” to him. Audience members voted by ballot and Velma Carey was announced as the first place winner in the Tuesday, December 28th issue of the Post-Gazette.

The next recording is dated May 7th, 1944. One side is “Miss You”, which was a hit for Rudy Vallee in the mid-1920’s. The flip is a Hedgerow & Meadow/Walter Warner composition. The team of writers collaborated on popular love songs, also from the 1920’s. Maybe we’re just a little bit too romantic over here at I DIG PGH, but we imagine Velma Carey continuing to dedicate these selections to her husband Kingsley who was likely still serving in WWII at the time the recordings were made.  

Velma Carey performed at The Irene Kauffman Settlement Music School’s 1945 recital. She was likely receiving musical instruction there also. The Irene Kauffman Settlement was founded late in the 19th century. Initially, the organization was formed to help the children of Jewish immigrants. They were based in the Hill District. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Kauffman donated a building for the organization in 1911. It was located at 1835 Center Avenue and it is now a part of the Hill House Association. Once they acquired this building they offered a wide variety of programs to immigrants of all ethnicities and provided space, which was utilized by different social, religious and political groups. There’s just one more recording made in the 1940’s, which is an acetate dated November 9th, 1947. It’s the first of several transcription records where Carey is singing live on the radio. Unfortunately it’s largely unlistenable because of condition and there’s no information pertaining to which radio station it was broadcasted on.

We have no information or recordings from those last years of the 1940’s, but there’s an important historical development we can use to fill this gap. Pittsburgh’s first television station, WDTV owned by the DuMont Television Network, began airing early in January of 1949. WDTV would eventually be acquired by Westinghouse (owners of KDKA radio) in 1954 and become KDKA the TV station, as we know it today, in 1955. Carey was mentioned in, Post-Gazette music and drama critic, Harold V. Cohen’s Drama Desk column on July 14th, 1951. Cohen wrote “Velma Carey, a finalist at the Schenley Theater in the recent ‘Star Discovery’ contest and a regular Wednesday afternoon guest star on WDTV’s ‘Variety Resort’ leaves in a day or so for Montreal and Toronto to combine business with pleasure. She’ll meet theatrical contacts there to line up some future Canadian bookings.“ So we don’t exactly know when Carey’s television career began, but we do know that she was already making regular TV appearances on WDTV as early as July of 1951. Pittsburgh television was less than three years old at this point.

WDTV aired the first televised Children’s Hospital fundraiser on Sunday, December 9th, 1951. Station Manager Harold C. Lund was also the head organizer of the Old Newsboys’ Fund, who organized the event. Carey performed along with a who’s who of Pittsburgh’s original TV celebrities. This pantheon of local names included the likes of Joe Negri, Johnny Costa, Rege Cordic, Bob Caldwell and many more. Carey was prominently featured in a Post-Gazette article leading up to the event. That's her pictured in the top right of the above image. The following Saturday she was mentioned again in the Pittsburgh Press for her participation with a similar Children’s Hospital benefit, also organized by the Old Newsboys' Fund, this time being broadcast on KDKA radio. 

There’s documentation of Carey performing locally in 1952 and continuing to appear on local TV and radio. She’s mentioned in various issues of the Post-Gazette that year for engagements at the Famous Door, which was a venue located on Frankstown Avenue in Larimer, and at The Blue Ridge on Sawmill Run Blvd. Her next recording is a radio transcription made by Westinghouse Radio Station, Inc on November 18th, which means that the recordings would have been broadcast on (Westinghouse-owned station) KDKA. The record features two children’s songs penned by the songwriting team, Jewel Frank and Hiram Hirsh. Hirsh was better known as a lawyer and Republican Party politician. In 1952 he was the Western Pennsylvania chairman of the GOP. His most notable accomplishment was introducing voting machines to Allegheny County in the 1930’s.

So far we’ve talked about an entire decade of Velma Carey’s life. The recordings made up to this point honestly aren’t the most impressive, but they do get progressively better and her story is inspiring. We’ve traced her beginnings as a twenty-five-year-old wife and mother who aspired to be an entertainer. She was receiving classical training much later in life than most performers do. A decade later she’s a bit of a local celebrity appearing regularly on Pittsburgh television.

Carey’s story gets more interesting in1953. Enter Esther Middleman, who meets Velma Carey while she’s working as a tea hostess by day at the original Saks Fifth Avenue location in downtown Pittsburgh. Middleman explains all of this on the first of the next three records that we’ll discuss. They're live radio transcriptions from Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, which were made by Rockhill Radio, Inc. in New York City. Arthur Godfrey, already an established radio personality, was a huge player in the early days of television. This was just one of his programs and it ran from 1946-1958. Episodes began airing live simultaneously on radio and TV in 1948. The show was broadcast on WCBS, which was located in the CBS Studio Building on 52nd Street in New York City. Middleman got Carey booked on the program where she received her first national exposure on Monday March 2nd, 1953.

Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts was a show that launched the careers of Pat Boone, The McGuire Sisters, Johnny Nash and Patsy Cline just to name a few. Comedians such as Lenny Bruce, Don Knotts and Jonathan Winters all appeared on the program. Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly were actually rejected. Carey performed “Stormy Weather”, a tune that was written in 1933 and recorded the prior year by Billie Holiday. She received a thunderous applause from the audience and appeared on the show again the following Thursday, March 5th. The Thursday appearance is on the second acetate featuring Carey performing Gershwin’s “Summertime” from the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess. There’s a third acetate as well from Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts, but there’s no label on the record. It’s likely from the same week. Carey performs “You Made Me Love You.”

There are other acetates, but for the most part they have no information on them. The one we mentioned earlier, marked “first record made”, features Carey accompanied by Herman Middleman on piano. This is probably not the first record that she made, but more likely from the early Fifties assuming that Herman Middleman is a relation of Esther Middleman. Carey sings “Hallelujah!”, the title track from the 1929 MGM film. The other side of the acetate features Glenn Miller’s 1942 hit “That Old Black Magic.” Another acetate, which is probably our favorite, is titled “You Told Me.” It features Carey singing R&B accompanied by piano with group vocal backings. It’s more than likely from the mid-Fifties, or later, and it’s a complete departure from all of her other recordings, which largely showcase her classical background and her affinity for popular theatrical tunes. Her vocal style doesn’t translate to R&B all that naturally, but it’s a very interesting recording. It's also the only one of the acetates that plays at 45 rpm rather than 78 rpm, which further implies that it's from the mid to late 1950's. That's when the 45 rpm format, introduced in 1949, began to gain popularity.

Carey performed throughout the Fifties and was consistently referred to in print as “one of Pittsburgh’s favorite TV songstresses.” She had a lead singing role in What’s The Rush?, which was a long-running musical that opened at The Pittsburgh Play House on April 13th, 1956. This was an early work by composer Charles Strouse and lyricist Lee Adams who were responsible for the 1960 hit musical Bye Bye Birdie. On June 24th,1958 Harold V. Cohen writes “Singer Velma Carey is coming along all right after three major operations but the doctor has advised her not to take any bookings until fall.” Carey did return in the fall for an engagement at Ronnie’s in Millvale that November. We’ve only found two references to Velma Carey from the 1960’s, the latter being a 1965 NAACP benefit at the Hilton Hotel, which was a Jazz gig. She was the featured vocalist along with musicians Jon Walton (tenor saxophone), Carl Arter (piano), Tom Sewell (bass). According to the article 1,500 reservations had been made for this event. Velma Carey would have been 48 years old at that time.


In 1984 Carey, then residing in Braddock Hills, wrote a letter to the Pittsburgh Press, as did many other readers, opposed to the demotion of Westinghouse principal Richard Wallace. This was an incident that caused a protest on the part of residents in Homewood that year. She expresses her social concern again in a 1993 Post-Gazette article about a potential community park and wildlife sanctuary that many Braddock Hills residents were opposed to. Velma Carey’s obituary appeared in the Post-Gazette in July of 2004. She lived to be 84 years old. There was no reference to her twenty-plus year career as a singer, or that she arguably may have been one of the first, if not the first, African American women on Pittsburgh television, or her national appearances on Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts. It only said that she was survived by her husband and son, her five grandchildren and “a host of” great grandchildren. Perhaps she wanted to ease into obscurity because her family life was more important than all of those aforementioned accomplishments. In any event we thought that her story was pretty awesome and there should be some tribute paid to her. 

Ninety-five-year-old WWII veteran, Kingsley Carey, had a tribute paid to him last year. He was honored by the Veterans Leadership Program of Western Pennsylvania at Carnegie Music Hall in October of 2012. We believe that he’s still out there somewhere, but we're having a hard time getting a hold of him. If anybody reading this is in touch with him tell him that we made him a Velma Carey CD.

If you'd like to hear some of Velma Carey's recordings visit the I DIG PGH YouTube channel. I DIG PGH is also on Facebook and Twitter.