Indianapolis-based jazz pianist Christopher Pitts is shown performing.
Photo provided
Jazz pianist Christopher Pitts loves the thought of touching and moving an audience.
And he’s … well, jazzed by the thought of doing precisely that Feb. 25 when he joins a quintet — drums, bass, trombone and sax — for a special Black History Month concert at the intimate 80-seat Helen Haddad Hall in downtown Columbus. He explained that part of the appeal there will be in nearly being able to physically reach out and touch front-row attendees from his perch on the stage.
As the 33-year-old Pitts figures it, the tighter the space, the tighter the band — and the looser and more flowing the vibe.
“That setup is preferred,” Pitts said, speaking by phone from his home in Indianapolis. “It’s especially better when you’re playing jazz because that’s such conversational music, and the energy transferred from the audience becomes part of the music making.
“If there is too much separation from the audience, it’s awkward. So being much closer is much better.”
The concert, arranged by longtime community leader Tom Harmon and also Columbus native and Indianapolis resident Alyse Tucker Bounds, is part of the new Columbus Indiana Philharmonic series Jazz at Helen’s. The first two performances, including Columbus native violinist Cathy Morris’ show Feb. 17, have sold out. The concert of Pitts, who didn’t begin playing piano until age 17, is expected to be the same.
The Atlanta transplant days ago played for a small Indianapolis club packed with 91 people. He regularly speaks of offering his audiences an uplifting time.
“Part of being a good artist is being able to provide listeners a transformative experience away from the day to day mind stuff, and provide a new perspective,” Pitts said. “Sometimes with music, that can come with an emotional joy that brings you out of something that was really dragging you down. And sometimes it can help to give you a whole new thought.
“That’s one of the basic purposes of art. And it’s always nice when someone in the audience recognizes that.”
Pitts has earned substantial respect from Indianapolis’ music scene leaders since arriving there in 2017. He has been a staple at such well-known Indy hangouts as The Jazz Kitchen, the Chatterbox, and monthly appearances at McGowan Hall. Plus, he performed last year with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.
Tucker Bounds fell in love with his music at The Chaterbox.
“What I enjoy most about his music is the way he pays homage to the many prolific Black composers throughout history,” said Tucker Bounds. “He seems to pour his heart and soul into all of his performances.”
Pitts’ influences have been broad, from Ludvig von Beethoven to Johann Sebastian Bach to Stevie Wonder and Earth, Wind and Fire. Plus, he loves Sergei Rachmaninoff these days.
“It’s diverse, and I think it certainly should be,” Pitts said, adding that he feels as if he still is considered something of an emerging artist in the Midwest.
He was named among Gritty Vibes’ 2021 Top 30 Black Creatives To Watch. And his artistic giftedness is allowing him to reach beyond music to make an impact. Last month, he helped organize a Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.-inspired event with poets, dancers and others at Newfields in Indianapolis.
“But I’ve been collaborating with a lot of different artists for years,” Pitts said.
With that in mind, he considered bringing visual artists’ pieces to the local concert venue to dress up the space around the stage at Haddad Hall. His renditions of standards of Black artists such as Horace Silver, Peter Walker and Wayne Shorter planned for the program should function as beautiful atmospheric decor, if you will.
“I think it’s important for any jazz musician — or really any musician at all — to be in touch with their sense of physical place,” he said.
A key(board) artist
Who: Jazz pianist Christopher Pitts appearing as part of a quartet as part of the series Jazz at Helen’s.
When: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 25 as part of the local Back History Month celebration.
Where: Helen Haddad Hall, 315 Franklin St. in downtown Columbus.
Tickets: thecip.org
