Exploring America's Classical Music with Trudy Pitts, Philadelphia Legend, Composer, Arranger & Soulful Keyboardist, Re-Scheduled Thurs., May 27, 2010 - 12:00 PM Don't Miss it!

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RESCHEDULED THURSDAY, MAY 27, 2010

I LOVE TRUDY PITTS
MY PHILADELPHIA MOM
TEARS OF JOY !!!

An Advocate for Preserving

America's Classical Music "JAZZ"
It's African American Heritage, Legacy and Roots

George V Johnson Jr

Executive Director & Founder

Washington DC Jazz Network

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DR. LARRY RIDLEY

Executive Director

AFRICAN AMERICAN JAZZ CAUCUS

TRUDY PITTS

Organist, Pianist, Educator, Composer, Arranger




Trudy is a native Philadelphian who began playing piano at age six. Her mother, too, was a musician and inspired this family tradition.

"My family was deeply involved in the church community," says Trudy, "and I
started playing piano for Sunday school when I was about nine or ten. As
time went on, I was introduced to the church organ, and I played organ
in Sunday school."

Trudy later helped with the senior choir during the main services and
from there went on to her own church choirs in various other settings.
As she puts it, "It was just a musical atmosphere. You did whatever you
had to do wherever you were."

Earning a degree in music education was only natural for this talented
prodigy. She studied at Philadelphia's Musical Academy, Temple
University, and Juilliard, among other institutions. During these years
she reached out to the classics and built a base from which future
compositions and arrangements would spring.

Always seeking new musical challenges, Trudy accepted an offer to sit in
the pit as an assistant to the pianist in the Tony Award-winning show
Raisin' when it traveled through Philadelphia. "I did that for the month
or two that they were in town. Then not too much later I got a call
from the manager inquiring if I could join the company for the rest of
the tour."

LORRAINE HANSBERRY

AUTHOR OF RAISIN IN THE SUN

STARRING SYDNEY POITIER

Thinking the music was truly beautiful and the show dynamic, Trudy
entered yet another level in her development. "It was something I hadn't
done before, and it was a great responsibility. I was playing piano and
organ. She eventually became the assistant to the conductor of this
nationally touring show, but she never lost sight of what she felt was
her true charge, creative music.

Jazz made its way into Trudy's life and was nurtured by her soul mate
and husband, Bill Carney (a.k.a. Mr. C). He became a major influence
shaping and implementing Trudy's musical skills. Raisin' ultimately lost
Trudy's attention. "You've got to be of a particular mind-set to play
the same book the same way every night, and the saving grace there was
that the book was so beautifully written that all the time I was with
it, there were things that I looked forward to each night. I count that
as a real bright moment in my whole career, the theater."


Trudy has managed to consolidate her mission to play creatively with the
values taught to her by her mother. "She taught me early on, don't let
anything get in between you and your music." For Trudy, this meant
carrying those values into her own marriage and making the whole thing
jell. "I always felt family was top on the list of priorities." Trudy
and Mr. C became a family of music and a musical family. They unified
their efforts and forged ahead.


Early in Mr. C's career as a drummer, he associated with Jazz organists.
He knew that what Bill Davis and later Jimmy Smith were on to was
definitely happening. He had worked with Shirley Scott, and now he
encouraged Trudy, knowing full well what she was capable of. "Bill
brought me right into the business playing Jazz on the organ," Trudy says.
In 1967 the Boston Globe pronounced her a rising star and complimented her drawbar variations, vibrato shadings, and bass pedal work.

Trudy became a sensation on the Hammond organ, and everybody who is
anybody knows why: she has a strong foundation on which to build her new
sound and a musical genius that is matched only by her determination to
succeed. "Whatever I undertook, the job got done, and it wasn't a
matter of not being prepared or not having the skills or not having the
right vibe or attitude. Because my contention is that you begin to know
your outer edges, and if you're not emotionally prepared to do a job,
then you should not take it rather than take it and complain," she says.
Trudy and Mr C at the 1992 Organ Jam in Philadelphia Trudy Pitts
emerged in the world of Jazz organ and was soon swinging away with
Mr. C alongside such greats as

Ben Webster

Gene Ammons

and Sonny Stitt

She recorded four albums for Prestige, appearing with Willis Jackson,

Pat Martino, and later

Rahsaan Roland Kirk.

Bootsie Barnes, Grover Washington, Trudy Pitts, Tommy Jordan

She handled herself formidably in an arena of musicians made up mostly of men. Her musical prowess would have taken her much further down the halls of fame, some have speculated, were it not for her noble decision to maintain the integrity
of her family.

"It's not easy to be a wife, a mother, and a career person at the same
time. That is no harder today than it was yesterday." Trudy's decision
was a supreme commitment to the family. "l paid a lot of dues in that regard with a lot of prayers and meditation and commitment in that area and help from Mr. C, who realized the magnitude of being all these different people. We did it together. I couldn't have done it without him."

Today, Trudy's dream gig provides her with freedom to be true, while Mr.
C insulates her from things that don't pertain to her mission, creating
music. "Sometimes people ask me [about] things other than playing the
piano, and I tell them, 'You'll have to talk to Mr. C,' because my part
in this whole thing is to sit down and play the piano or organ. Outside
of that, I don't know from nothing!"

TC III

Vocalese/Lyricist

HOST of the Jazz Vocalist Workshop every Sunday at St. Nick's Pub, Harlem, NY

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[Kevin Hurst, Sr.]

A friend of mine knows Trudy and got me buy the Rahsaan album she played on named the 'Return of the 5,000 lb Man' in the 70s. I had never listened to Bird, Trane, Miles, and learned their tunes before I did required listening(wish I had listened first!). I loved Rahsaan and Trudy played on three Rahsaan records I have.