Thursday Night Jazz: Anton DeFade Quintet’s “Gaijin” (Single Release)

Photo Credit: Natalie Rhea

You heard it here first: bassist and composer Anton DeFade is releasing a new single. The best part? Anton and his quintet will launch the single to the public right here at City of Asylum. The launch concert will heavily feature Anton’s original music, echoing the sounds of Cannonball Adderley, Ray Brown, Horace Silver, and Art Blakey.

The single will be released on cassette, taking listeners back to the days of mixtapes and rewinding favorite tracks to listen to over and over again. Side A will include the new single, “Gaijin” (Japanese for “foreigner”), a couple of Anton’s singles from 2025, and an alternate studio take of “Gaijin.”  Side B will have three unreleased live recordings from the quintet. And for those of us itching to listen but no longer in possession of a cassette player, codes for a digital version of the release will be available. 

Featured Musicians:

JD Chaisson: trumpet

Evan David: saxophone

Jacob Pleakis: piano

Anton DeFade: bass

Brian Wolfe: drums

About the Artist:

Anton DeFade has established himself as one of the most in demand bassists in the Pittsburgh area and beyond. As a child, Anton was introduced to many different styles of music by following his dad, Ray DeFade Jr., around to his gigs from loud rock concerts to intimate jazz performances. Upon graduating high school, Anton performed with the Center of Life (COL) jazz band in addition to teaching at the program. In 2011, the Center of Life Jazz Band took 2nd place in the Monterey Next Generation Festival and went on to take 1st place the following year. After this victory, Anton formed the band Elevations alongside fellow COL members George Heid III, Brett Williams, Benny Benack III, and Michael Stephenson. Currently, Anton is focusing more attention on writing and recording music with his own group, the Anton DeFade Quintet, alongside many other projects as a sideman.

About Your Visit: 

The in-house restaurant, Cucina Alfabeto, is open for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412-435-1111 to make a reservation.