WaterFire Sharon is proud to announce that the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra (PJO), co-directed by Sean Jones and Mike Tomaro, will play at the August 23 event. The PJO celebrates Pittsburgh’s rich jazz history in the here and now by uniting Pittsburgh jazz musicians of all ages and ethnic backgrounds to perform the broad scope jazz styles in an orchestral format. While celebrating Pittsburgh’s jazz tradition, PJO engages youth in the inherent potential of jazz. Central to the PJO mission is the creation of new works that advance the genre.
Sean Jones – Artistic Director and Trumpet, as an educator and composer, he works to bring humanity to music by infusing real life experience with composition. As a musician Jones blends the emotion of gospel with the creativity of jazz, reminiscent of times when music was an expression of life not just performance.
Born in Warren, OH, Jones was introduced to the trumpet in the fifth grade. He chose it because it was a difficult instrument but it was the sound that hooked him. “When I actually played a note for the first time it sounded good. I loved the feeling. I loved the sense of vibration. I wanted to hold on to that forever.” He fell in love with music but it would be the sound of Miles Davis that would introduce him to the possibilities of jazz.
In 2007, Jones was nominated Trumpeter of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association and JazzTimes named him Best New Artist. In 2010, after five years as lead trumpet of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with artistic director Wynton Marsalis, Jones formed a new relationship with Marcus Miller, joining the bassist for a world tour.
In addition to his new position as chair of brass at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA and as artist director of the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra, Jones’ current performance focus is upon his quartet: pianist Orrin Evans, bassist 
Luques Curtis and drummer Obed Calvaire; who have been together since 2007 and his latest CD, im.pro.vice: Never Before Seen.
