May 24 2022
E²

Presented by Pittsburgh Cultural Trust at Backstage Bar at Theater Square

Making their JazzLive debut, E² is the exciting new group featuring Roby "Supersax" Edwards and drummer extraordinaire Brian Edwards. The group originated from a highly successful project Brian organized to perform the music of Weather Report leading to many other possibilities. The group performs an eclectic mix of Jazz, Jazz-Fusion, Experimental, Soul, Funk and Electronica including Original Music with vigor and imagination. Rounding out the group are keyboardist Michael Bernabe, bassist Eli Naragon, and vocalist, Carolyn Basilia.

Roby Edwards

Roby "Supersax" Edwards is one of small number of world-class Blues, R&B, Soul, Rock, Funk, Soul-Jazz and Balladeers of the tenor saxophone. In addition to playing all the mentioned genres with equal profeciency, Roby Supersax is atypical from many others in that he is as entertaining to watch as he is to hear. Roby Supersax harnesses the power, history, and majestic legacy of the tenor saxophone as a musician along with the joy and necessity of entertaining and showmanship to enormous success. Roby has the gravitas, history and passport stamps to witness a nearly 25-year career as one of the most talented musicians of his era. Having performed in more than 20 countries, for tens of thousands of people, along with some of the legends of music history, on stage and in studio, Roby Supersax is only getting started. "Supersax", the moniker bestowed on Roby in Paris from the great Chicago bandleader, Boney Fields, has put all the unique and priceless elements of a self-determined pursuit of saxophone greatness together in a seamless, captivating package you won't want to miss.

Brian E. Edwards

Brian Edwards was born in Pittsburgh, PA to musician parents. His love affair with the drums began at age three, and it was at that time his parents realized they had a prodigy on their hands. Brian came up in the strong Pittsburgh tradition of jazz and decided to follow in the footsteps of great Pittsburgh drummers like Kenny Clark, Art Blakey, Joe Harris, and Roger Humphries. In his teens he attended the Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts where he studied under Roger Humphries. It was also around this time that he started to expand his abilities by diving into Drum and Bugle Corps, Fusion and R&B. Upon graduating high school, he attended Duquesne University where he studied with Don Liuzzi and Lenny Rodgers. While studying at Duquesne, Brian began quickly building a reputation for being quite a “player,” and was soon getting calls from Pittsburgh greats like Kenny Blake, David and Maureen Budway, Dwayne Dolphin, Jimmy Ponder, Eric Kloss, Dakota Staton, Modern Times, Don Aliquo Sr., and Tony Janflone Sr. After leaving Duquesne, Brian embarked on a touring and recording career that has taken him to Europe and Japan numerous times. He has played most major European venues including Wembley Arena and Royal Albert Hall in performances for the Royal family. He also has several American and European television appearances under his belt some of which include MTV Europe, BET on Jazz, Live @ The Dome-Berlin, Live on Q, Halloween Live w/Jenny Jones. Brian’s international recording debut was on Jesse Johnson’s CD, Bare My Naked Soul. His second international release was his own CD, The Theorical Journey. Besides being an in-demand drummer, Brian is a composer, producer, author of three drum instruction books, and a highly sought after instructor. Brian is not your ordinary drummer, but rather he is a visionary and music powerhouse that must be experienced to be believed.


Updated March 29, 2022: Proof of vaccination and masking is not required for this event. This decision was made in response to low positivity levels in Allegheny County. We will continually monitor CDC, state and local health requirements and adjust as necessary. Individual touring productions may have their own health and safety requirements. Updates will be noted on individual event pages and in pre-show emails, if applicable.

Dates & Times

2022/05/24 - 2022/05/24

Location Info

Backstage Bar at Theater Square