Urban League Honors Legendary Jazz Musicians Trudy Pitts & Mr. C with the Prestigious 'Harmony Award' at the Song of Equality Gala on May 19th in Philadelphia

Urban League Honors Legendary Jazz Musicians Trudy Pitts & Mr. C with the Prestigious 'Harmony Award' at the Song of Equality Gala on May 19th in Philadelphia

Special Performance By Jeffrey Osborne

All Proceeds to Benefit the mission of the Urban League of Philadelphia

The Urban League of Philadelphia celebrates its 90th anniversary at the 5th Annual Song of Equality Gala and will pay homage to two extraordinary individuals who exemplify peace, harmony and justice, and play a vital role in narrowing the equality divide. Join us on Saturday, May 19, 2007 at 8:30pm at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, 12th & Market Street (Entrance), as we honor this year's Harmony Award recipients: jazz legends Trudy Pitts Carney & William "Mr. C" Carney. The electrifying entertainer Jeffrey Osborne will perform in concert. Concert tickets are $40 and will go on sale at TICKET PHILADELPHIA (215.893.1999) on May 1st!

Married for over 45 years, Trudy Pitts and Mr. C have shared their lifelong love of music with diverse audiences in Philadelphia and around the world, and together, they create music that has the power to lift the spirit and transcend cultural barriers.

Trudy Pitts, an award-winning composer, pianist and educator, began playing the piano at the age of six. After years of touring as a classical concert pianist, she joined a jazz band with John Coltrane, Albert Heath and William Carney in 1958. By the mid-1960s, the band, with new personnel, became known as "Trudy Pitts & Mr. C." Rather than pursue countless opportunities for stardom elsewhere, Trudy and Mr. C chose to remain in Philadelphia and raise their family. Trudy taught music in the School District of Philadelphia and at several area colleges and universities. Throughout her career she performed with such jazz greats as Ben Webster, Gene Ammons, and Sonny Stitt. Appearing on Prestige Records, Trudy recorded four critically acclaimed albums with Willis Jackson, Pat Martino, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk. She was the first jazz artist to perform on the new Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ at the Kimmel Center of the Performing Arts. Utilizing the color and sound of the organs' 7,000 pipes, Trudy took the medium to a whole new level.

Mr. C is an award-winning drummer, mentor, jazz historian and preservationist. He worked alongside such notables as John Coltrane, Grover Washington Jr. and Shirley Scott. Mr. C is deeply committed to educating the public about music, and has worked tirelessly to foster a supportive environment for other Philadelphia-area musicians. He established numerous performance venues; assisted in the development of Temple University's WRTI Jazz FM; and co-created Jazz Vespers, bringing live jazz to local churches. Mr. C was also instrumental in raising over $4 million to rejuvenate the Clef Club, which opened its new doors in 1995 on the Avenue of the Arts.

As a drummer, solo artist and lead singer of L.T.D., recording artist Jeffrey Osborne has earned unprecedented international success with numerous hit songs and albums to his credit. His mighty voice was the center of a series of gold and platinum albums including Love to the World, Something to Love, and Togetherness & Devotion. He is widely known for recording many R&B/pop classics including Love Ballad, On the Wings of Love, Back In Love Again, Stay With Me Tonight, Only Human, and One Love. Marking his 30th year since the release of his first album, Osborne recently released a new CD, Music Is Life, on Koch Records and continues to give electrifying performances throughout the world.

The Urban League of Philadelphia (ULP) is a non-profit, nonpartisan, civil rights and community-based movement that provides direct services, research and policy advocacy to help individuals and communities reach their fullest potential. Primarily working with African-Americans and other emerging ethnic communities, the ULP is an affiliate of the National Urban League. The National Urban League serves over 2 million people through professionally staffed affiliates located in 105 urban areas across the U.S., working to close equality gaps for people at all economic levels and stages of life, and giving residents a chance to give back as volunteers. Visit us at www.urbanleaguephila.org.

Contact: Amber Jaynes, 215-561-6070 ext: 211, ajaynes@urbanleaguephila.org/

Source: Urban League of Philadelphia

CONTACT: Amber Jaynes of the Urban League of Philadelphia,
+1-215-561-6070, ext. 211, ajaynes@urbanleaguephila.org

Web site:

http://www.urbanleaguephila.org/

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