The only genre of music that is as smooth, heartfelt, and American as jazz is KidzBop. See the superior of two historical institutions with today’s deal: for $22, you get one ticket to see the Lionel Loueke Trio & Gretchen Parlato Band on Friday, March 26, at 9:30 p.m. at the MCG Jazz Hall. Adult tickets are normally $42.50. Print and present your Groupon at the box office on show night and receive the best available seats. Shows are suitable for all ages.

For over two decades MCG has been strengthening and preserving the rich jazz history in Pittsburgh. Alongside countless performances in this cozy, 350-seat hall, more than 300 albums (with four Grammy wins) have been recorded on the MCG label. In the storied tradition of MCG Jazz, the Lionel Loueke Trio & Gretchen Parlato Band are talented jazz forces to be reckoned with, capable of obliterating rock, paper, and scissors.

Lionel Loueke mixes baritone with falsetto, forging a gentle blend of scat-singing and melodic mastery. He’s an innovative virtuoso who wields the guitar like an extension of his body and also employs electronics and synthesizers to create his unforgettable sound. Gretchen Parlato is the milk to Lionel’s cereal. Her vocals create a soothing, synergetic infusion that plays more like an instrument. Pick up a few tickets and bring that special someone, friend, or parole officer to see the youthful future of jazz music build off a century of musical evolution.

Reviews

The New York Times sings the praises of the Gretchen Parlato Band:

• This music was fairly intense in its complicated rhythm-section moves, impassioned in its soloing and all subordinate to her subtle projection. – Ben Ratliff

The Lionel Loueke Trio impresses thejazzbreakfast:

• Loueke uses harmony pedals to turn his voice into a choir, and bits of paper to turn his guitar into an African thumb piano. He even managed to make it sound like a West African talking drum a couple of times. But in the end, it isn’t the gadgets or the tricky time signatures that are important – it’s the music, and the light in the eyes and the smiles on the faces of those listening that matter most.