August Wilson & Jazz: The Soundtrack of the Hill
Jazz and the Blues is the heartbeat of August Wilson’s writing. He famously said that the Blues provided the "cultural manual" for his life.
Pittsburgh’s Hill District: A Global Jazz Epicenter
In the early to mid-20th century, Pittsburgh’s Hill District was widely regarded as "The Crossroads of the World." This vibrant neighborhood stood alongside Harlem and Chicago’s South Side as one of the country’s premier jazz hubs, creating a soundscape that would eventually inform every line of August Wilson’s work.
The Crawford Grill: A Legacy of Excellence
The Crawford Grill was the undisputed epicenter of this musical revolution. From the 1930s through the 1950s, this Black-owned landmark served as a premier stage for national legends.
- The Legends: The Grill’s revolving stage hosted icons such as Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, John Coltrane, and Dizzy Gillespie.
- A Cultural Melting Pot: More than just a club, it was a site of interracial socializing and a beacon of Black entrepreneurial success, even being listed in the historic Green Book.
- The Soundscape of the Plays: The Hill’s broader nightlife, its dance halls, bars, and jitney stations provided the authentic vocal cadences and rhythmic energy that Wilson translated into his scripts.
Jazz Themes in the Century Cycle
August Wilson famously said that the Blues provided the "cultural manual" for his life. In his plays, he doesn’t just write about Pittsburgh’s streets; he writes about its soundtrack, using music to dramatize the soul of a community.
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (1920s)
Set in a recording studio, this play dramatizes the tension between traditional Southern blues and the emerging, sophisticated jazz sounds of the urban North.
The Piano Lesson (1930s)
Here, music represents an ancestral legacy, where a family heirloom—a piano—becomes the central point of conflict between honoring the past and moving toward the future.
Seven Guitars (1940s)
The play revolves around a blues guitarist, echoing the real-life jam sessions and performance culture that defined the Hill District during the "Golden Age of Jazz."
The Listening Room
“The blues is the best heritage because it contains the history, it contains the ideas, it contains the spirit of the people.”
— August Wilson
The Foundation: The Blues
Bessie Smith & Ma Rainey: August Wilson often recounted how hearing a Bessie Smith record for the first time changed his life. To him, these "Classic Blues" singers weren't just performers; they were historians. Their songs provided the emotional "manual" for how Black Americans survived and thrived despite the hardships of the early 20th century.
The Rhythm of the Century Cycle
- Decade-Specific Sound: In Wilson's plays, the music evolves alongside the characters. From the raw, spiritual chants of the 1900s (Gem of the Ocean) to the sophisticated, politically charged jazz of the 1960s (Two Trains Running), the playlist tracks the migration of the Black soul from the rural South to the urban North.
- The "Blood Memory": Songs like "Berta, Berta" or traditional spirituals represent what Wilson called "blood memory"—the ancestral knowledge and strength passed down through music when formal history was denied or erased.
The Pittsburgh Giants: The Crawford Grill Era
- Art Blakey & Billy Strayhorn: These tracks are the "hometown heroes" of the playlist. These men grew up on the same streets as Wilson. Their music represents the intellectual and artistic peak of the Hill District. When you hear Art Blakey’s driving drums, you are hearing the heartbeat of Wylie Avenue at midnight in 1950.
- Erroll Garner & Mary Lou Williams: These Pittsburgh-born innovators proved that the Hill District was a world-class laboratory for art. Their presence in this playlist honors the "Crossroads of the World" and the atmosphere of excellence that surrounded Wilson during his formative years.
The Spiritual Connection
- Gospel & Redemption: In many Wilson plays, characters are searching for their "song." The inclusion of gospel icons like Mahalia Jackson reminds us that for Wilson's characters, music was a form of spiritual armor—a way to claim space and dignity in a world that often tried to deny them both.
The Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival
The relationship between August Wilson and jazz remains a living tradition in Pittsburgh today. The August Wilson African American Cultural Center honors this history by producing the annual Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival. Mark your calendar for the upcoming festival, September 17-20, 2026
- A Contemporary Celebration: Each year, the PIJF brings world-renowned national and international jazz artists to Downtown Pittsburgh, drawing tens of thousands of music lovers.
- Community Connection: By hosting performances, jam sessions, and educational programming, the festival transforms the city into a contemporary version of the "Crossroads," ensuring that the jazz legacy of the Hill District thrives for a new generation.
