George Edward Heid was deeply rooted in music, with jazz occupying a special place in his heart. For over sixty years, he played a pivotal role in the jazz landscape of Pittsburgh, contributing as a performer, audio engineer, educator, and mentor.
Growing up in his father’s recording studio, George Heid Productions, he was exposed to the vibrant jazz scene where notable Pittsburgh artists such as Billy Strayhorn, Erroll Garner, and George Benson recorded their first works. He initially learned to play the piano but transitioned to drums during high school. This switch allowed him to collaborate with many esteemed jazz musicians in Pittsburgh, including his brother Bill Heid, David Budway, Dwayne Dolphin, Gene Ludwig, Lou Stellute, Sonny Barbato, Dr. Mike Taylor, and Jimmy Ponder.
In the late 1970s, George broadened his business to include pro audio installation and sales, enhancing his recording and tape duplication services. Over the next two decades, he specified and installed audio systems in various local radio stations, colleges, and prominent venues such as Heinz Hall, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Benedum Center, Van Gelder Studios, Audiomation Studios, and Unitel Mobile Video.
Among his proudest achievements were the installations at Pittsburgh's jazz venues, including Graffiti, Dizzy’s Club Cafe, The Balcony, and Dowe’s on 9th. In 1985, George was approached by The Manchester Craftsmen's Guild to design and install a system for recording their music events. During his time as chief recording engineer, he recorded over 100 concerts featuring renowned artists such as Wynton Marsalis, McCoy Tyner, Stanley Turrentine, Ray Brown, Betty Carter, Max Roach, Art Blakey, New York Voices, Joe Negri, and Roger Humphries, Sr.
George held a deep respect for the legendary recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder, whose techniques greatly influenced his own recording style. Throughout his career, he engineered numerous albums, many released under his own label, Corona Records. Some of the artists featured on Corona included Roger Humphries, Dwayne Dolphin, Sean Jones, Bill Heid, George Heid III, Benny Benack III, Brett Williams, Warren Wolf, Victor Provost, Peter Bernstein, Joe “Sonny” Barbato, David and Maureen Budway, The Balcony Big Band, Billy Price, Modern Times, Max Leake, and Sandy Staley.
In his efforts to promote jazz to a broader and younger audience, George began with his son, George Heid III, who started playing drums and piano at the age of 3 in his father's Aspinwall recording studio. A particularly proud moment for George as both a mentor and father occurred in 2012 when he witnessed George III win awards at the Monterey Next Generation Jazz Festival and subsequently perform at the Monterey Jazz Festival later that same year.
In 2012, George co-founded Lighthouse Arts, Inc., a non-profit organization aimed at enhancing jazz education by providing accessible opportunities for students and the community. He served as co-president alongside Dr. Harry Clark, a former principal and co-founder of the Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, which his son attended.
In 2018, Lighthouse Arts released an album that celebrated Pittsburgh’s rich jazz heritage, embodying George's belief in jazz as a continuum that spans generations and adapts over time. Titled The Past is the Present: The Continuing Jazz Legacy of Pittsburgh, the album featured 22 musicians across 12 tracks, showcasing three generations of talent: the young lions (including George Heid III, Benny Benack III, Warren Wolf, and Brett Williams), the torchbearers (including James Moore, Jeff Bush, Roby Edwards, Paul Thompson, and Thomas Wendt), and the ascended masters (including David Budway, Sean Jones, Lou Stellute, Maureen Budway, Dwayne Dolphin, and Roger Humphries, Sr.). George engineered this album at his studio, and in January 2023, Lighthouse Arts hosted a free concert for The Past is the Present at City of Asylum.
In 2019, Lighthouse Arts organized seven house concerts at George’s studio in Aspinwall, featuring artists from all three generational categories. These intimate performances were offered free to the public, with video recordings available on the Lighthouse Arts website and YouTube.
George’s Facebook page encapsulated his passion for jazz and the artists behind it: “I have been blessed by the music of gifted artists and privileged to have participated with so many.” The artists he collaborated with were equally fortunate to have shared in George’s extensive musical journey.
