by Michael Buzzelli
A night of soulful sounds and playful banter resonated from the Bitz Opera Factory on Liberty Avenue on Sunday night as the R&B duo, Acute Inflections, comprised of bassist Sadiki Pierre and singer Elasea Douglas, wrapped their 2026 Summer Tour in Pittsburgh.
Pierre and Douglas performed an eclectic array of music from the soulful “Summertime” from “Porgy & Bess” to the 70s rock anthem Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust.”
Audience members were encouraged to dress up in their best “Great Gatsby” looks. Men showed up with suspenders, bowler hats, and black armbands, and women showed up in fascinators and feather boas. One woman even had a long cigarette holder that would have made Phyllis Diller green with envy.
The jazz duet is not just about the music. The couple incorporated jokes and jibes into their act.
The duo’s comedy stylings are reminiscent of Burns & Allen, Stiller and Meara, and the Smothers Brothers (I blame the bass).
Pierre has a particularly dry deadpan wit oozing sarcasm. He jabs at the audience in a playful way, knocking at the audience with a bit of insult comedy, ala Don Rickles.
Douglas’s facial expressions and reactions to Pierre’s banter softens his bitterest blows.
There is an interactive component to the show. The duo gave out prizes, including one to a couple who had been married for 60 years, there was a gift for someone who recognized their first song in the first few chords,, and there was a singalong. Everything to make the audience relish their evening out.
When Pierre is not trading barbs with Douglas or jabbing at the audience, he is a pilot and instructor for Red Tail Flight Academy, a Tuskegee Airmen-inspired aviation charity at New York Stewart International Airport, a full-service flight school. Pierre and Douglas made a pitch for the school and asked the audience to donate. For more information about the academy, click here.
The duo also mentioned their work with the Renaissance Youth Center in the South Bronx, a nonprofit that helps NYC’s most underserved communities in life-changing programs that spark creativity, confidence, and curiosity. You can find out more about Renaissance Youth here.
Acute Inflections was an enjoyable early evening. The event started at 6 PM and finished at 8 PM—a perfect length for a Sunday night.
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For additional tour dates and information, follow Acute Inflections here.
