Pitt Jazz Ensemble entertains at Nordy’s Place

Patrons of the Schenley Café might have noticed something unusual within the past few weeks:… Patrons of the Schenley Café might have noticed something unusual within the past few weeks: strains of jazz music bouncing out of Nordy’s Place.

Members of the Pitt Jazz Ensemble have been playing lunchtime performances on the lower level of the student union on Thursdays throughout October in anticipation of Jazz Week, the multi-day jazz extravaganza that continues through Saturday.

These brown-bag lunch performances are free and open to the public. The last one will be held on Nov. 5 from noon to 1 p.m.

Professor Leon Lee Dorsey, Pitt assistant professor and associate director of jazz studies, said, “The lunches are really in support of Jazz Week. They provide a nice jumping off point.”

“The lunches have gone great so far. It’s been kind of nice because another thing takes place at the same time in Nordy’s that raises awareness for hunger by selling grilled cheese [Pitt Feel Good], in conjunction with us playing,” Dorsey, the ensemble’s director, said.

Graduate student David Landes has played drums at several of the brown bag lunches.

“Musically speaking, I have a blast. I enjoy playing with the other Pitt people,” Landes said.

Dorsey said that the Jazz Ensemble likes to mix up its playing style — from classical to modern, no jazz form is left unexamined.

Many of Dorsey’s History of Jazz students have attended the lunchtime performances. Landes said that there is a new audience every week, composed not only of friends of the musicians, other jazz lovers and the grilled cheese contingent, but also of students who were just hanging out in Nordy’s, unaware of the performance and surprised to be entertained by free music.

“It’s a very relaxed environment. The audience gets to see their peers perform, which I think really makes it nice as far as [students’] relating to what’s going on,” Dorsey said.

“It isn’t the normal rigid performance where communication only goes from musicians to the audience in one direction. We like to keep it a little bit open and have some talk-back with the audience,” Landes said. “There’s a communal element to jazz. It’s like ultimate Frisbee or pick up soccer but with music.”