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Bringing the Whole Neighborhood: March Artist Spotlight with Phat Man Dee


Chances are, you have heard of Pittsburgh's cosmic jazz and cabaret musician Phat Man Dee. Take a deep dive into her artistic and educational practice in this month's spotlight! We guarantee you'll walk away inspired to "bring the whole neighborhood" into your art practice.

Phat Man Dee is a cosmic jazz and cabaret vocalist, bandleader, events producer, videographer, poet, freelance sideshow marvel, music educator, and social justice "artivist provocateur."

When there isn't a pandemic, she performs live approximately 100 dates a year in nightclubs, theaters, educational facilities, private events, and festivals. She was voted #1 Best Local Jazz Act in the Best of Pittsburgh City Paper Reader's Poll of 2020.

Her most recent full-length work was a 12-song CD titled "Songs to Fight Fascists By!" with "Social Justice Disco," a collaborative musical project with Liz Berlin, co-founder of Rusted Root. This energetic, socially minded album features more than 60 musicians, dancers, and spoken word artists. Since the pandemic began, Phat Man Dee has released two singles "Everybody Hurts," which is a cover of R.E.M.'s composition; "MasQue Up!," an original song written as a love letter to the trans and LBGTQIA community.

Social Justice Disco at the Shine the Light Festival at the JCC in partnership with American Jewish Museum of Jewish Community Center and the Center for Loving Kindness. Photo credit Erica Dilcer
Social Justice Disco at the Shine the Light Festival at the JCC in partnership with American Jewish Museum of Jewish Community Center and the Center for Loving Kindness. Photo credit Erica Dilcer

You've been rated as one of Pittsburgh's best jazz musicians and performers. How would you describe your flair for those that have never heard you perform?

I consider myself incredibly blessed to have been voted consistently in the top 3 of Pittsburgh's best jazz artists over the past decade, and #1 in 2020. I do my best to live up to that trust every single day. I have traveled the world and been blessed to play with and hear amazing musicians, and I promise you, it is recognized that Pittsburgh's community of working jazz musicians, bandleaders, composers, arrangers, and educators is a serious force to be reckoned with. Our community has been a huge influence on my artistic sound and sensibilities.

For my personal sound, I have been accused of being very "fairy voodoo" in my aural esthetic. However, I don't let other people's preconceptions affect my pursuit of musicality or my love and respect for the music itself. I strive to honor the legacy of our communally created art form while still honoring my own background and artistic influences.

These influences include my time with American sideshow and burlesque troupes, a founding member of Burningman's Department of Public Works, and my personal heritage as a Jew. I also have a background in singing in multiple languages, because I believe that to truly understand each other we should sing each other's songs. I have been blessed to work with people from multiple countries in Africa, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Puerto Rico, Turkey, India, Scotland, France, Germany, Cuba, and more.

What projects are you currently working on?

During pandemic I have been studying a lot online, learning to write and produce better music and sell my back catalogue and new compositions to film and television productions. To that end, I have been studying sync licensing and music production with courses based in Nashville. I have also been studying how to write songs with current hit songwriters from an academy based in the UK called "The Songwriting Academy," with weekly webinars and master classes. I'll soon be participating in one-on-one mentoring with people who have written for musicians like the Backstreet Boys, One Direction, Tricia Yearwood, Celine Dion, Frank Sinatra and more. I am seriously stoked about this!

I am currently promoting my most recent single, "Save You Save Me," which was recorded during the pandemic with musicians from all over the world, It's in five languages, as well as the music video we released with Social Justice Disco that features local indigenous artists and activists including Johnny Creed Coe, SunBear Coe, and Arlynna Evans called "Mni Wiconi (Water is Sacred)." You can see the music video here.

I am a vocal and songwriting coach under the direction of Liz Berlin through Creative Life Support for a music program in association with Allegheny County foster youth called "We Rock Workshop." While we normally would meet at Mr. Smalls Recording Studio and compose and record there, now we are meeting in Zoom with the students from their placements. Listen to music we have produced through this program in years past here.

I also continue to study vocal technique online with Beth Claussen and Korel Tunador. I am still practicing piano with what I learned at Afro American Music Institute and through Dr Alton Merrel's online courses. The tune I am currently working on is called "I Want to Take a Spa Day in Mr. Rogers' Mind" because I envision a world where we celebrate each other's differences and treat everyone like our neighbor.

Can you describe your dream show or gig for us?

It is my biggest dream to travel and learn songs from all over the world and play them with both my band and the people who teach them to me. My dream show includes a band that plays originals and standards in multiple languages, with belly dancers, show girls and boys, maybe a couple clowns in inflatable duck suits, with featured guests that I get to showcase and center and for whom I get to sing back up. When I book a show, I like to bring the whole neighborhood.

Phat Man Dee and Liz Berlin. Photo credit Renee Rosensteel
Phat Man Dee and Liz Berlin. Photo credit Renee Rosensteel

How has the pandemic impacted your musical career? And how are you able to connect with your fans during this time?

Pandemic has been hard, no lie. In addition to missing my students at the Afro American Music Institute, where I have been a youth vocal coach for four years, the pandemic has also shut down all my music gigs. Among the concerts I had booked, I was booked to sing at the 100 Year Celebration of the Dormont Pool, and I was researching local synchronized swim teams. Suddenly, everything was just gone.

I did get to play a couple things. Mr. Smalls booked me for an outdoor event which was lovely, and I sat in with Roger Humphries' band, RH Factor, for the annual benefit for Black Political Empowerment Project, and City Theatre booked Social Justice Disco for an outdoor music festival. My finances were still decimated. I am blessed, however, to have the ability to connect with my fans through social media and Patreon. I am so grateful for the access I have to the internet and to be able to reach both my students and continue to serve and grow my fan base.My monthly jam session “Tune It! Tuesday” is still rolling on. We gather the third Tuesday of every month. I broadcast the concert from my home and invite artists from theirs over the net. It is viewable on my Facebook, Youtube, and Twitch channels. I am funded through a Love My Neighbor grant from Neighborhood Allies, a project stream grant from PA Council on the Arts, and my Patreon supporters, the “Royal Phatties”.

Your student, Gabriella Salvucci, just released her first single. We’d love to hear your thoughts on what music does as it passes from mentor to mentee.

I AM SO PROUD OF GABRIELLA! I met her through another student of mine, Windafire, who I am equally as proud of! He brought Gabriella to my jam session, Tune It! Tuesday, and she joined me in my vocal class at Afro American Music Institute.

Gabriella has released several singles now and is signed to and recording for local record company Misra Records! In addition to her talent, she is such a dedicated and hard worker.

I was always afraid of teaching, because I didn’t want my weirdness to damage the children. Gabriella was booked with a young jazz ensemble and they wanted her to sing Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints.” I can’t wait for my band to come back together and have her on with me to sing it as a duet at the jam session. With Windafire, he has many passions, one of which is Brazilian music. He sounds like silk and honey, and it’s challenging to work with him on it because I don’t speak Portuguese, but I love it.

In teaching him, and Gabriella, and all of my students, I have found that I am also a student. I think learning is like breathing, once you stop, you die.

Speaking of learning, we recently saw that one of your biggest inspirations, Anne Feeney, an activist and musician, passed away. What was it like to learn from your inspirations?

Anne Fenny was a force. She was the first person I ever saw sing at a political rally. I saw her at the Canonsburg Hospital Workers Strike in the early ‘90s. I was in high school, and she had her guitar amp on her back, her guitar in her hands, and was singing “Bread and Roses” as the police tried to arrest the people for marching for better working conditions and fair wages. I wanted to be like her.

Not long after that, I saw Liz Berlin singing outside Ween Hall at Carnegie Mellon University, protesting the Iraqi war with her music. Anne was also a major mentor to Liz and took her to activist gatherings like the People’s Music Network. When Liz and I put together Social Justice Disco, we knew we needed to record one of Anne’s songs, so we recorded a version of “Have You Been to Jail for Justice?”

In addition to Anne this year, we lost Don Patterson, co-founder of the Soul Show on WYEP and a very special member of our AAMI family. We also lost Jimmy Sapienza of Five Guys Named Moe, who was very important to our jazz music scene. A couple years ago we lost my friend and pianist Donna Davis and a couple years after that we lost pianist Michael Murray, and my friend and drummer John “Smitty” Smith.

I played gigs and recorded with Donna, Mike, and Smitty, and I credit each of them for helping me become the musician I am today. I could keep listing names of artists who showed me what was what, either by working with me or just playing and me listening and letting me sit in. No one gets anywhere in a vacuum and you can’t learn jazz on YouTube. You need a teacher, and I have been blessed by some amazing ones. I hope to be a fraction as informative and supportive to those I am blessed to teach.

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