Last Tuesday, March 19, six-time GRAMMY-winning musician, producer, composer, and Blue Note Records President Don Was announced his new band: Don Was and The Pan-Detroit Ensemble.
The group comprises jazz hard-hitters from Was' hometown of suburban Detroit, including Blue Note Records artist Dave McMurray on sax and keyboardist Luis Resto, best known as Eminem's Oscar-winning collaborator for the rapper's iconic record: "Lose Yourself."
Was also shared that the band is now gearing up for its first US tour this May. The full list of the group's upcoming tour dates and venues will be available below.
(Photo : Miryam Ramos)
How Don Was and The Pan-Detroit Ensemble Came to Be
"When the opportunity came to put together a new band, the message was clear to me: go back to Detroit where I came from, be who I am, play like who I am, and team up with some like-minded individuals," said Was.
Joining both McMurray and Resto in Was' team of "like-minded" musicians are trombonist Vincent Chandler, trumpeter John Douglas, drummer Jeff Canaday, percussionist Mahindi Masai, guitarist Wayne Gerard, and vocalist Steffanie Christi'an.
"There's a unique sound and feel to Detroit that permeates the music in a way that resonates all over the globe," Was added. "There is a rawness, a lack of pretension, and an unmistakable, underlying groove that reflects the people and culture of the entire city."
Rooted in the depth of musicality and culture that the likes of John Lee Hooker, Donald Byrd, Joe Henderson, George Clinton, Mitch Ryder, The Stooges, and Electrifying Mojo possess, The Pan-Detroit Ensemble is set to perform a melting pot of tracks, including new originals and covers alike.
The songs that the band will interpret will come from artists such as Yusef Lateef, Olu Dara, and Henry Threadgill, and of course from Was himself, specifically, updated bops from albums that he recorded under his Orquestra Was and Was (Not Was) appellation.
"I've been chasing a sound in my head for the last 30 years," explained the Blue Note Records president. "It's jazzy and improvisational, but also glued together with a sinewy R&B groove. it's not slick or smooth - it's a very raw, honest, Detroit kind of thing."
Was continued by saying that his touring experiences with the Grateful Dead founding member Bobby Weir half a dozen years ago, alongside what he learned working with artists in his label, all pointed towards The Pan Detroit Ensemble as the realization of the sound he has long searched for.
"The intention is to make communicative music that gets under the listener's skin and brings them some joy, comfort, and understanding in deeply troubled times. It's all connected," Was explained.
Take a listen to what Don Was and The Pan-Detroit Ensemble have to offer in the video right below:
As per Was, the forthcoming road shows are "just the start," saying, "I know we've got some special chemistry going on in this band, and I can't wait to see what it evolves into. The plan is to keep learning and growing until we drop... It's too late to turn back now!"
'Don Was and The Pan-Detroit Ensemble' US Tour Dates:
5/21 - Minneapolis, MN - Dakota
5/22 - Evanston, IL - SPACE
5/24 - Detroit, MI - Orchestra Hall
5/25 - Cincinnati, OH - Memorial Hall
5/26 - Cumberland, MD - Delfest
5/28 - Red Bank, NJ - The Vogel at Count Basie Center
5/30 - Washington, DC - The Hamilton Live
5/31 - New York, NY - City Winery
6/2 - Ardmore, PA - Ardmore Music Hall
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