Check out new music, upcoming live shows around Pittsburgh area during the holidays

Dec. 26—Looking for some holiday entertainment to wind down the year? Here are a few recommendations of new music from artists native to the Pittsburgh area, as well as upcoming performances over the holidays.

Leo P, 'Comin' Up Aces'

From performing onstage with Beyonce and the Dixie Chicks at the 2016 Country Music Awards to seeing his signature dance moves go viral on New York City subway platforms, baritone sax player Leo P has shown up in some unlikely places during his career.

The Pittsburgh native, now living in New York City, recently released a new album, "Comin' Up Aces," paying homage to musical heroes such as Charles Mingus, Maceo Parker and Earth Wind & Fire. He regularly performs with his band Too Many Zooz.

He spoke with the Tribune-Review about the new album and about growing up with a polka-playing dad in Pittsburgh.

Question: What song on the new album "Comin' Up Aces" are you most excited for people to hear, and why?

Answer: I'm most excited for the title track. I have always loved funk music, especially Maceo Parker. That song is my homage to that style of music. Inspired by Maceo, I wrote a "saxy" hook and a vocal chant to help carry the tune. It's about having a great day where luck is on your side at every turn. Another thing about this song that I love is that it features my great friend and colleague Josh Holcomb. I played with Josh for many years in a band called The Lucky Chops, and we have a great chemistry together. Listening to us riffing back and forth on this tune really gets me excited and gives me a warm nostalgia, and I think that comes across to the listeners, as well.

Q: In your bio you say, "I want to bring the party back to jazz. I want to make people dance." Why is this important to you, and what do you think you bring to the jazz scene that is uniquely you?

A: "Bringing the party" back to jazz is important to me because jazz comes from a fun dance party history. Jazz has become more of a musical museum recently, but I would really like to change that. I also noticed that fans of jazz have gotten older, and there aren't many young fans to take their place. To keep jazz alive, I think we need more young people at our shows, and to do that, I think there needs to be more of a "dance party" element to it. I think I bring that energy to the stage because of my unique dance moves. My moves have come from years of experience but I don't take them too seriously. There is always a fun comical side to my performances that really makes people want to come out of their shell. I think this is because it really looks like I'm having fun without limits, and it inspires other people to do the same.

Q: What are some of the music-related lessons you learned in Pittsburgh that have helped you in your career?

A: I first started performing with my father, Stephen Pellegrino, who plays the accordion. The greatest lesson I learned during that time is the importance of putting time into your craft. I don't just mean practicing, I also mean performing. I believe there is an energy from the audience that you get when you perform that you can't get from practicing. That energy is a lot to handle, especially if you don't have a lot of experience. I used to get extremely nervous for every performance, but the more I did it, the more I understood how to control it. Because of this, I took as many opportunities as I could to go out and perform. Performing constantly in Pittsburgh gave me a huge advantage when I moved to New York, and I am very grateful for that.

Jeff Novotny's JAZZPRJKT

If the esoteric side of jazz music is more your speed, University of Pittsburgh and University of Massachusetts alum Jeff Novotny's JAZZPRJKT might be more your speed.

Novotny, a Pittsburgh native now living in Phoenix, recently released a new song, "Vitamins!" And while the instrumentation is certainly not reminiscent of a classical orchestra, the tune itself is based on Brahms' "Rhapsody Opus 79, No. 2."

Novotny described his music as a mix of diverse elements such as rock, metal, electronic and world music with classic jazz styles like bebop stride here and there.

"The listener never knows quite what to expect in the next few seconds, much less how the pieces will unfold over time," he said.

Al Emanuele, 'Liar'

For Al Emanuele, a Mt. Pleasant Township resident and owner of AEA Multimedia, an audio and video production company, music has been a way of life for as long as he can remember.

Emanuele was a member of Westmoreland County rock band Henwae in the 1970s and '80s. The band re-formed with some new members in the early 2000s to release an album, but Emanuele has continued recording and releasing solo music along the way.

His latest, "Liar," lampoons and satirizes the social-media culture of people desperately seeking attention and validation through clicks, views and likes on apps like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

"Liar" is available on Spotify and other streaming platforms.

Upcoming shows

—Dec. 31: Start Making Sense: A Tribute to the Talking Heads, 8 p.m. at Mr. Smalls Theatre, 400 Lincoln Ave. in Millvale. Tickets are $25. For more, see Ticketweb.com.

—Dec. 31: New Year's Eve at the Thunderbird with Beauty Slap and Big Blitz, 9 p.m. at the Thunderbird Cafe & Music Hall, 4056 Butler St. in Pittsburgh. Tickets are $17. For more, see ThunderbirdMusicHall.com.

—Dec. 31: The Nick Moss Band with guest Dennis Gruenling will headline the Blues Society of Western PA's New Year's Eve Blues Bash, 7 p.m. at the Doubletree Hilton, 8402 University Blvd. in Moon. The show includes special guest Miss Freddye's Homecookin' Band. Tickets are $130-$135, available at BSWPA.org./new-years-eve.

—Dec. 31: New Year's Rock'n Eve Bash at Jergel's Rhythm Grille featuring Totally 80s, doors at 7 p.m., show at 9 p.m. at Jergel's, 103 Slade Lane in Warrendale. Tickets are $50-$60. For more, see jergels.com/events/new-years-rockn-eve-bash-w-totally-80s/

—Jan. 6-7: "Dead of Winter" at the Thunderbird, two evenings of Grateful Dead music featuring theCAUSE, SamJAMwich, the Sun Champs, Dave & Pappy and The Ditch Trio. Shows take place at 6 p.m. both nights at the Thunderbird Cafe & Music Hall. Tickets are $20 per night. For more, see Thunderbird MusicHall.com.

—Jan. 8: Thank You for the Music: A Modern Tribute to ABBA, 6 p.m. at the Lamp Theatre, 222 Main St. in Irwin. Tickets are $28. For more, call 724-367-4000 or see LampTheatre.org.

Patrick Varine is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Patrick by email at pvarine@triblive.com or via Twitter .