Free jazz quintet led by Pittsburgh saxophonist Lou Stellute plays multiphonics and completely improvised tunes in the spirit of Ornette Coleman.
Lou Stellute brings his quintet to Alphabet City on Thursday, December 10, as part of City of Asylum's Thursday Night Jazz series. The set is called Something to Talk About, and it's built around three tenor saxophones playing together — a rare setup that puts the horns front and center. Stellute himself is a Pittsburgh jazz legend, a winner of the Pittsburgh Players' Choice Award who's been performing, composing for film, and recording for 72 years. Over that time he's played rooms like the Blue Note, the Village Vanguard, Lenny's on the Turnpike, and the Key Club, and he spent 28 years with Roger Humphries & RH Factor.
The quintet is Lou Stellute on tenor sax, Scott Boni on tenor sax, and Ben Opie on tenor sax, with Paul Thompson on bass and George Heid III on drums. With three tenors on the line, the music leans into multiphonics and completely improvised tunes, and the group describes the whole thing as being in the spirit of free-jazz saxophonist Ornette Coleman. The set starts with three songs loosely based on jazz standards, and after that, the rest is made up on the spot.
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It's part of the Thursday Night Jazz series at City of Asylum's North Avenue home, an organization that works to protect and celebrate freedom of creative expression. The show runs from 7 PM to 8:30 PM at Alphabet City, 40 W. North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15212. Admission is free, with both in-person and livestream tickets available.
