PHOTO BY RICK FINKELSTEIN

Through the online service Oh! Jazz, music lovers can peer into nightclubs and jazz bars around the world.

Tokyo. Madrid. Sydney. Havana.

And, of course, Pittsburgh.

Con Alma, the beloved jazz club Downtown, was added to Oh! Jazz’s roster of clubs earlier this year — taking its place amid dynamic venues such as JazzB in São Paulo and the 606 Club in London.

Con Alma co-founder and music curator John Shannon says Pittsburgh’s spot on that global roster is well deserved. “Pittsburgh is a jazz city. Jazz music has deeper roots than any other music in Pittsburgh.”

Those roots go back nearly to the birth of jazz, he says, and include pivotal moments — like the day Billy Strayhorn met Duke Ellington, a meeting that only could’ve happened here. “This city has shaped jazz music — the music would be different if it wasn’t for Pittsburgh.”

Through Oh! Jazz’s subscription service, fans around the world will get a look at the city’s current jazz scene. The broadcast is much more than a static camera peeking into a club; Shannon says three cameras are in place, operated remotely from the service’s home in Spain, making for a “high-fidelity” viewing and listening experience. The concerts remain available on the service after their initial broadcast.

“We are the first United States club to be added to this platform. We’re very proud of that,” Shannon says. Clubs must be selected, he adds; the service came to Con Alma, not the other way around. “It’s not a crowdsourced thing where a lot of clubs are a part of it. We’re one of 15 clubs right now.”

Globally, that means a look at the modern jazz scene in the city. Locally, though, that means that Con Alma patrons can be a part of shows seen around the world — for nothing more than the price of their dinner. If you have a reservation on a night the club is streaming on Oh! Jazz, you’ll be a part of the show; no separate ticket is needed.

The next broadcast is set for Tuesday, Feb. 20, when the Mila Shadel Trio will take the stage. Fans who aren’t able to be at Con Alma in person — or jazz lovers who want a peak at shows around the world — can sign up for Oh! Jazz through Con Alma’s link, which benefits the club and demonstrates to the service that Pittsburgh fans are eager for the content.

That focus on the clubs, Shannon says, demonstrates Oh! Jazz’s commitment to important venues around the world. A quarter of subscription revenue is redirected to the artists featured on the service; 10% is also paid back to the clubs.

More than the financial impact, though, Shannon says it’s a recognition of Pittsburgh’s place in the music landscape.

“I think it’s the first time in a long time — and it’s a long overdue situation — for the rest of the world to see the world-class jazz music that is happening in Pittsburgh.”