Sax Star Keith Pray Plays Organ with Ortet at Jazz on Jay

Preview: Keith Pray’s Ortet plays Jazz on Jay, Thursday, July 9, 2026

Keith Pray leads his Ortet organ trio today with guitarist Michael Novakowski and drummer Chad Ploss on a musical path he began exploring after seeing organist Dr. Lonnie Liston Smith in New York. Pray recalled, “His music was hypnotic, funky as could be and profoundly creative…The (organ) is like a full orchestra: It can whisper, roar and everything in between.”

Since moving here from New York and becoming a leading voice on saxophone, “The organ has proved to be a muse,” said Pray, “providing many new compositions.” In addition to his own sax-powered bands, large and small, plus guest spots, he built an organ trio about eight years ago. This sparse but powerful format features drums, guitar and the organ playing both melody and bass lines.

Keith Pray. Photo provided

Pray first bought an organ hoping to persuade keyboardists in his bands to play it. Exploring it himself, starting in late 2016, he played his first live organ gig four months later. He recorded an organ trio album in August 2021: “Down the Middle,” his sixth (of 12) as a leader. 

Today, Ortet will play “what I feel fits the moment, likely some Jimmy Smith, some originals, maybe some James Brown and/or Beatles.” Pray said In general, the Ortet plays “soul jazz in the style of the classic organ trios of the 60’s &70’s.”

Playing these standards, “I always try to play them differently; some days more extreme than others,” he explained, noting there’s lots of room to improvise.

Pray has taught saxophone at SUNY Oneonta and jazz history and arranging at SUNY Schenectady County Community College. He directs Schenectady City School District’s high school bands and the SUNY Albany Jazz Ensemble. His master classes and clinics include the Proctors Summer Jazz Institute for nine seasons and co-founding All Ears Jazz to develop jazz education workshops.

Both Pray and drummer Chad Ploss trained at the Crane School of Music. Inspired by Motown, heavy metal, the Roots and area percussionist Andy Hearn, Ploss also plays with Raisinhead, in Family Tree jams and other groups.

Guitarist Mike Novakowski also plays in several bands including the trio Katalyst and the Teresa Broadwell Band. 

Pray performs through the summer with his trio, quartet, Big Soul Ensemble and the Ortet; he also guests with Bobby Previte’s Quartet A and the Upstate Composers Orchestra. He’ll play the free admission Galway Jazz Festival at the Cock ’N’ Bull on July 12 with his new band Listen! 

“This group plays my compositions that are written more like ‘normal’ jazz tunes (than free jazz),” said Pray. “But (they) can be more fluid in form, forcing us to listen to each other more intently and hopefully helping to keep things from going as expected.”

Jazz on Jay continues July 16 with the Ragtime Windjammers.

Jazz on Jay is presented by the ElectriCity Arts and Entertainment District.