March in Pittsburgh is filled with the varied sounds of jazz from near and far.

One artist is a frequent visitor to the ‘burgh – French-born (now living in New Jersey) guitarist, Stephane Wrembel. He’ll be playing with his quartet at the James Simon Studio, Uptown, Thursday March 19th.

We share a chat with Stephane from a few years ago, taking about Django Reinhardt, New Orleans, and how he bounces between idioms and styles.

Pittsburgh native Evan David will be a featured performer this Sunday at the Carnegie in Carnegie as a part of the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra’s “Emerging Artists Series.” Evan will be on sax with a quartet that includes Alton Merrell – piano; Paul Thompson – bass; and Thomas Wendt – drums – but the straight-ahead sound is not all Evan David has in his quiver. He’s also a key member of the group ARCADIA, playing sounds of games like MARIO KART with a jazz feel (and with an electronic wind instrument, too!).

The busy month of March on the jazz scene also includes more Thursday night jazz at Alphabet City on the Northside – including a new music single release from bassist Anton DeFade, March 12th.

On March 11th, four Pittsburgh Jazz Legends come to MCG Jazz for an event inspired by the Jan. 23-Feb. 1 world premiere run of Freedom House: Giving Life a Second Chance, at Prime Stage Theatre. The play recalls the 1967 creation of Freedom House Ambulance Service, America’s first mobile emergency medical unit staffed by professionally-trained paramedics from Pittsburgh’s Hill District. Live on-stage will be Roger Humphries – Drums; Jeff Grubbs – Bass; Max Leake – Piano; Mark Jackovic – Saxophone.

The cartoony sounds of the group Arcadia got us thinking about many of the sounds of the 30’s and 40’s that became familiar to young people from things like Looney Tunes cartoons and film shorts by Laurel and Hardy and the Little Rascals. That led us to thinking about recent music from Don Byron and vintage sounds from John Kirby and his “Greatest Little Band in the Land,” in the 1930’s and 40’s. Kirby’s band also featured trumpeter Charlie Shavers, clarinetist Buster Bailey, Billy Kyle, piano, Russell Procope on alto sax – and Pittsburgh (Homestead) native Maxine Sullivan on some famously popular vocals.

The Scene – an hourlong radio show – Thursday night at 6, Friday and Saturday at noon, Sunday at 5 on WZUM