Interval Monday is a jazz jam session that takes place every Monday at Ava Lounge in East Liberty, Pittsburgh. The jam session was founded by Howie Alexander (piano, keyboard) July 9, 2007, and is now known as a premier place for jazz music in Pittsburgh due to the local and nationally recognized talent it attracts, as well as the increasingly large audience.
The first set belongs to the Interval Trio and the second set opens up to musicians who sit in, among them: Sean Jones - first trumpet with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, three-time winner of Downbeat Magazine's "rising star" award, Dr. Nelson E. Harrison - veteran trombonist of the Count Basie Orchestra featuring Joe Williams, Sarah Vaughan, Helen Humes, Joe Turner, Eddie Vinson, Dennis Rowland (‘78-80 incl. Japan tour), inventor of the Trombetto (a compact brass instrument with four valves that plays a chromatic range of six octaves with a trombone mouthpiece), and Poogie Bell - performer, record producer, composer, and arranger, having worked with artists including Chaka Khan, Marcus Miller, Roberta Flack, Erykah Badu, David Bowie, David Sanborn, Al Jarreau, Vanessa Williams and Randy Crawford.
The jam session features both jazz standards and original compositions, and DJs spin classic jazz vinyl during breaks. There is a documentary style web TV series being produced by Greg Runco, directed by Ralph Vituccio, that focuses on the musicians of Interval Monday, known collectively as, The Interval Trio & Friends.
Interval Monday is the only jam session in the world that brings together the following collection of musicians, including:
Howie Alexander – Piano, Keyboard
Paul Thompson – Bass Guitar
James Johnson III – Drums
Dr. Nelson Harrison – Trombetto Trombetto from the Ghetto
Tony DePaolis – Bass Guitar
Chris Hemingway – Sax
Tony Campbell – Sax
Brian Sanders - Bass Guitar
Dave Throckmorton – Drums
Sean Jones – Trumpet
Alexander Peck – Drums
Charles "Poogie" Bell – Drums
Andrew Kirk – Drums
Ryan Socrates – Drums
Benny Benack III - Trumpet
Colter Harper – Guitar
Dr. Strange K – Freestyle vocals
Thelonious Stretch – Freestyle vocals
Gene Stovall - singer/vocalist
Mh the Verb - emcee/freestyle vocalist
Tom the Poet – Vocals, Poetry
Jay Malls – DJ
Buscrates - DJ
Brotha Mike - DJ
Bill Yinz - DJ