{"id":1426,"date":"2013-09-06T04:01:44","date_gmt":"2013-09-06T04:01:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/?p=1426"},"modified":"2015-01-06T19:15:39","modified_gmt":"2015-01-06T19:15:39","slug":"joe-negri-a-consummate-jazz-musician","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2013\/09\/06\/joe-negri-a-consummate-jazz-musician\/","title":{"rendered":"Joe Negri, a consummate jazz musician"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Joe <\/a>
Joe Negri with Shep Fields’ orchestra at the Stanley Theater in 1943. (Photo credit: Unknown) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Joe <\/a>
Joe Negri with Paul Long and Mark Damen during production of the 1963 TV program “This New House.” (Photo credit: WQED) <\/div> <\/div>
\"Joe <\/a>
Joe Negri and Walt Harper promoting a 1960 jazz concert. (Photo credit: Unknown) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Joe <\/a>
Joe Negri, Susan Sager and George Ball in a scene from a 1967 TV special, “Summer Sounds.” (Photo credit: Unknown) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Joe <\/a>
Joe Negri in 2012. (Nate Guidry\/Post-Gazette) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Negri, <\/a>
Negri, Nathan Davis and Danny Conn prepare for a jazz concert in 1986. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

Joe Negri has been playing guitar for so long there\u2019s hardly a time he wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

For a few minutes back in the 1940s, he had a notion of becoming a sports announcer, hoping to be legendary in the mold of his childhood idols, Pirates broadcasters Bob Prince and Rosey Roswell. As with most kids who love baseball, he knew he was never going to play professionally but figured he could be involved in sports on another level.<\/p>\n

But that notion went away \u2014 gone as quickly as he learned to play \u201cFlight of the Bumblebee.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr. Negri, who many will recognize as the affable \u201cHandyman Negri\u201d on \u201cMister Rogers\u2019 Neighborhood,\u201d developed his skills at 16, playing acoustic rhythm guitar for the famous Shep Fields Orchestra. The band crisscrossed the country playing tunes such as \u201cRitual Fire Dance\u201d and \u201cJersey Bounce\u201d and featured saxophonist Serge Chaloff, who later performed with Woody Herman\u2019s Second Herd.<\/p>\n

In the early 1950s, he debuted the Joe Negri Trio on Pittsburgh\u2019s pioneer TV station WDTV as part of the \u201cBuzz \u2018N\u2019 Bill Show.\u201d The trio included Dom Trimarkie on accordion and Lou Mauro on drums.<\/p>\n

After \u201cBuzz \u2018N\u2019 Bill\u201d ended, Mr. Negri moved to \u201cThe John Reed King Show,\u201d a variety show. He led another trio in that venture, teaming with drummer Chuck Spadifore and bassist Jimmy DeJulio.<\/p>\n

In the early \u201960s, Mr. Negri became music director of WTAE-TV\u2019s live programs, a position he held for more than 20 years. It was around this time he entered the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, joining Fred Rogers\u2019 cast of characters.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe is not only the best Royal Handyman in the neighborhood, he is a consummate jazz musician who delights us all,\u201d said the late Fred Rogers in a 2003 Post-Gazette article.<\/p>\n

In 1990, Mr. Negri and drummer H.B. Bennett started the successful \u201cJazz for Juniors\u201d program \u2014 a series of performances in schools and community centers. And in 1999, he was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.<\/p>\n

But to hear him tell it, anyone can do what he does with a little practice and discipline.<\/p>\n

Maybe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Joe Negri has been playing guitar for so long there\u2019s hardly a time he wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Look at the picturesJoe Negri, a consummate jazz musician<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":1430,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"gallery","meta":{"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[1066],"tags":[986,1035],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/tumblr_msnoykASnf1rr5swxo5_1280.jpg?fit=1080%2C1149&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1809,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2013\/05\/07\/mean-joe-greene\/","url_meta":{"origin":1426,"position":0},"title":"Mean Joe Greene","date":"May 7, 2013","format":"gallery","excerpt":"If it was Chuck Noll\u2019s task to resurrect a moribund football franchise when he was hired as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1969.","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/tumblr_mmfo5hh2vw1rr5swxo4_r1_1280-e1418794212506.jpg?fit=1200%2C656&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9549,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2019\/08\/07\/when-the-steelers-almost-lost-joe-greene\/","url_meta":{"origin":1426,"position":1},"title":"When the Steelers almost lost Joe Greene","date":"August 7, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Second in an ongoing series looking back at Chuck Noll's first season with the Steelers Before the 1969 season, the Steelers welcomed two newbies to Pittsburgh who would go on to shape the franchise's bright future. 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