Jessica Lee returns for 1st socially distanced, in-person concert at Carnegie Carnegie

We all know that one person in our respective social circles who tends to get the party started. They’re the first to share great ideas, they’re loaded with charisma and they have a penchant for bringing people together.

Of the many wonderful artists that we work with at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall each year, jazz and blues vocalist Jessica Lee stands out as one such innovator.

Lee, along with Mark Strickland, pioneered the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall’s very first Listen Locally Downstairs concert on Feb. 15, 2017.

My predecessor, Suzie Sparks, had a unique vision for a monthly, laid-back, mid-week happy hour concert in our funky, multi-purpose Studio space. The series has truly taken off since then. We’ve since improved the room’s acoustics and introduced a wide variety of local artists to a dedicated and growing audience while staying true to the principle that the series was founded on — collective unwinding.

On March 6, Lee opened our Woman’s Hour program series with a beautiful tribute concert to Pittsburgh’s own Maxine Sullivan in the Music Hall. Unfortunately, that concert became the first and last live Listen Locally performance before the Music Hall’s abrupt covid-19 closure.

Now, several months into the global pandemic, the Music Hall doors remain closed to the public. In-person performances have been difficult to plan, but our resilient local artists have been figuring out different ways to reach their audiences, from porch concerts to Facebook streams.

During the past several months in quarantine, Lee performed songs requested by her fans on social media, dubbing the series “By Request.”

As we’re learning to gather safely, it seems the right time to try something we’ve never done before — a socially distanced outdoor concert in our parking lot. And it only seems appropriate to call upon our program pioneer, Jessica Lee.

On Oct. 3, Lee, along with one of Pittsburgh’s great jazz guitarists Mark Strickland, will perform a one-of-a-kind concert featuring her most requested songs from quarantine. As a bonus, attendees will have first access to Lee’s new CD, “The Pint-Sized Songstress Returns.” The CD includes portions of her March 6 Music Hall concert recorded live .

As you might imagine, there are logistics involved with bringing a performance outdoors. We can’t plan for the weather, but what we can guarantee is the same, intimate experience — that connection with the artist — that our audiences have come to expect from our Listen Locally series. We hope you’ll join us.

Listen Locally OUTSIDE

with Jessica Lee & Mark Strickland

6 p.m. Oct. 3

The program will be presented in the parking lot of the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall with limited, socially distanced seating for the safety of our performers and guests. Guests are required to wear masks in compliance with county regulations.

For more information and ticketing, visit CarnegieCarnegie.org/Upcoming-Events or call 412-276-3456 x6.

Melanie Paglia is the Music Hall director at the Carnegie Carnegie.