This touring jazz couple is coming to Philly. They have something crowds love
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Bassist Sadiki Pierre and singer Elasea Douglas of Acute Inflections. Photo: Courtesy of Acute Inflections
A couple who plays together stays together.
Why it matters: Elasea Douglas and Sadiki Pierre, the jazzy duo known as Acute Inflections, have been together for more than 13 years — and they don't hide that from their audiences.
The big picture: From Faith Hill and Tim McGraw to Beyoncé and Jay-Z, there's just something everyone loves about performing couples.
- It's glove to hand, a harmonious synergy bringing people together.
Driving the news: The couple known as "Beauty and the Bass" is performing Sunday night at Plays and Players Theatre.
- Part jazz showcase, part comedy show, the New York-based duo riffs back-and-forth banter into their sets — the production magic that makes them such a crowd-pleaser.
The intrigue: Sometimes, that might look romantic — and in other moments, they bust their partner's chops for not-so-endearing qualities.
Case in point: Pierre has learned to accept his role as "El's loyal man servant," and Douglas has learned to accept his biting riffs about her cooking — which she tells Axios is getting better.
- "No comment," Pierre says.
How it started: The couple met more than a decade ago, when Pierre, who was living in Philly at the time, attended a Broadway show that Douglas was performing in. Pierre was overcome by Douglas' sound.
- While mingling after the show, they caught each other's eyes. Pierre had this big, but understated personality that drew Douglas in.
- "He was very polite and never left my side after that night," Douglas says.
A few dates in, Pierre, a pilot and disillusioned bassist, had shared how he had lost his love for music because of the "politics" of performing.
- Douglas shared how people always told her she also had a "jazzy" voice, and an independent streak for making songs "her own," but she felt that wasn't always embraced on Broadway.
And thus, "Beauty and the Bass" was born.
- They started off small, performing at weddings and birthdays. They realized they had something pure and enticing when people approached them after the shows to compliment their chemistry.
Yes, but: With the good comes the difficult.
- There are nights, Pierre says, when "you're about to go on stage, and you're fighting and you hate each other."
- By the end of the show, he says people are coming up to them saying, "I just love how you guys look at each other."
The bottom line: Sure, "the hot" part of romance sometimes turns hot-headed, Douglas says. But the couple is always quick to remember each other's best parts.
- "This is something," Douglas says, "that I don't know existed … anywhere else."
If you go: Sunday, 6pm; tickets: $40.