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September 7, 2006

Detroiters En Masse

Coincidental with the Rifftides review of a new Louis Hayes CD, Mark Stryker of The Detroit Free Press devoted his column to a festival that featured Hayes and others who began their careers in the Motor City.

A remarkable chunk of Detroit-bred jazz history reunited on Monday evening at the Detroit International Jazz Festival, and it was hard to listen to the Detroit Jazz All Stars - pianist Barry Harris, trombonist Curtis Fuller, alto saxophonist Charles McPherson, drummer Louis Hayes, trumpeter Marcus Belgrave and bassist Rodney Whitaker - without shaking your head once again at this city's historic role as an incubator of jazz talent.

To read the whole thing, go here.

Posted by dramsey at September 7, 2006 1:05 AM

COMMENTS

How right you and Mark Stryker are to celebrate and venerate the great jazz music nurtured in Detroit. What a roll call of great musicians. Wonderful to give Barry Harris his due ..along with Tommy Flanagan , Hank Jones (will someone add some more!)

Another Detroit -raised musician who last time I heard him was performing at the absolute peak of his craft is Kirk Lightsey.

These guys bring real joy to people's lives.

Seb

Posted by: seb at September 7, 2006 1:11 AM

Seb:

You might be interested to know that Kirk Lightsey was also part of the line-up of this year's Detroit Jazz Festival and also part of a Detroit reunion of players who worked together in the early '60s. The rest of the band was comprised of saxophonist Bennie Maupin, trombonist George Bohanon, bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Bert Myrick (who unlike the others has basically remained in Detroit his career.) All but McBee are native sons; Lightsey actually convinced McBee to move to Detroit when they were buddies playing the army band together in '61/'62. They both spent a short while in Detroit after they were discharged, before moving to New York. If you're interested, here's a link to review of their festival performance, as well as a link to a profile of Bennie Maupin that ran a week earlier.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060903/ENT04/60903004/0/ENT04

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060827/ENT04/608270518/0/ENT04

As for adding more names of former Detroiters, the list is endless. Here are some off the top of my head other. Most were born or grew up here, though some of of these are folks who spent a few crucial years maturing here. Note the time span covered is from the 1930s through the present day: Yusef Lateef, Milt Jackson, Kenny Burrell, Doug Watkins, Paul Chambers, Roy Brooks, Roland Hanna, Joe Henderson, Barry Harris, Tommy Flanagan, Hank Jones, Thad Jones, Charles McPherson, Curtis Fuller, Louis Hayes, Frank Gant, Wilber Harden, Terry Pollard, Della Reese, Charles Moore, Bobby Battle, Kenn Cox, Bennie Maupin, Cecil McBee, Kirk Lightsey, George Bohanon, Frank Foster, Donald Byrd, Pepper Adams, Gerald Wilson, Ron Carter, Wardell Gray, Sonny Redd, Thad Jones, Elvin Jones, Billy Mitchell, Candy Finch, Ernie Farrow, Alice Coltrane, Hugh Lawson, Ralphe Armstrong, Rodney Whitaker, Kenny Garrett, Geri Allen, Bob Hurst, Ali Jackson, James Carter, Karreim Riggins, Sheila Jordan, Betty Carter, Alvin Jackson, Major Holley, Kiane Zawadi (Bernard McKinney), Lonnie Hillyer, Frank Rosolino, Dorothy Ashby, Rick Margitza, Tim Ries, Jack Brokensha, Randy Johnston. Ok, I'm out of breath, but I know as soon as I hit the post button I'll think of another dozen. But this is a good start.

Posted by: Mark Stryker at September 7, 2006 9:02 PM



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