Kickstart Your Summer with the Arts!

May 19, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Edsel and Eleanor Ford House and Daffodil Garden by Stephen J. Brown

WRCJ 90.9 FM and Edsel & Eleanor Ford House invite you to Kickstart Your Summer!

Don’t miss a fun filled event for families, students and arts and cultural organizations. You also can be part of a live radio broadcast on WRCJ 90.9 FM, hosted by Dave Wagner and Chris Felcyn.

Join us on the grounds of the historic Edsel & Eleanor Ford House on the shore of Lake St. Clair on Saturday, June 8, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Among the fun:

  • Free Admission and Free Parking
  • Live entertainment will be provided by musicians from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Livonia Symphony, Macomb Symphony, Cantata Academy Chorale, The Detroit Children’s Choir, Grosse Pointe Community Chorus, Motor City Brass Band and many others
  • Over 40 Exhibitors – Arts, Music, Educational and Civic Organizations
  • Instrument “Petting Zoo” and other children’s activities
  • Tours of the historic Edsel & Eleanor Ford House will be available with an admission fee of $12 for adults, $11 for seniors, $5 for children ages 6 – 12 and free for children under 5.

Families will be able to sample tasty food from Ford House’s Cotswold Café, Dirty Dog Jazz Café and Fresh Farms Market.

Representatives from the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, Cranbrook Academy of Art & Art Museum, Cranbrook Music Guild, Dearborn Symphony, Detroit Public TV, Grosse Pointe Symphony, Michigan Opera Theatre, Windsor Symphony, and many other arts and cultural organizations will be on hand with activities and information.

The Edsel & Eleanor Ford House is located at 1100 Lake Shore Road, Grosse Pointe Shores. For more information, visit us online at www.wrcjfm.org.

The image above of the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House and the Daffodil Garden is a detail from a photograph by Stephen J. Brown. Click here to see it and other photographs by Mr. Brown.

 

Filed Under: Architecture, Art & Design, Classical, Community, Culture, Dance, Detroit Inspires, Fun, History, Jazz, Music, News Tagged With: ,

Jamie and Jordan

May 15, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Performance Network Theatre presents Jamie and Jordan

The Children’s Theatre Network of Performance Network Theatre invites audiences to gather at the theater on Saturday, May 25 at 1 p.m. for the perfect family summer kickoff, “Jamie and Jordan,” a baseball-themed musical about health and friendships with book and lyrics by Kim Carney and music by Gene Gaunt.

Tickets are $7 for children, $10 for adults, and $20 for a family package of four. Tickets may be purchased at the door or online at performancenetwork.org, by calling (734) 663-0681.

Details from Performance Network:

This hilarious musical tale teaches children about the importance of a healthy lifestyle and healthy friendships. Born in the same hospital on the same day, neighbors Jamie and Jordan are lifelong best friends. When a twist of fate (and an ankle!) separates them, they learn that healthy choices are worth the extra effort. Parents and guardians will love the educational content and the positive message, and kids will love the entertaining songs and humor, as well as the free milk and snack reception in the lobby after the show.

Children’s Theatre Network is committed to providing education and entertainment to children and families in a safe environment. Although the Children’s Theatre Network Saturday Series is coming to a close over the summer, the learning will continue with the Build-A-Play two week workshop from July 8-18. Suited for children ages seven to 11, students will learn improvisation, movement, and storytelling from Children’s Theatre Network Director Becky Fox and Writer/Actor Anne Rhoades.

In addition to its Saturday Series, the Children’s Theatre Network provides classes and workshops, engages in school outreach with the revolutionary “Get in the Game” program, and tours its shows to area schools and communities. For more information or to sign up, call  (734) 663-0681.

Further information and ticket reservations can be found online at www.performancenetwork.org or by calling  (734) 663-0681 during box office hours, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays.

Founded in 1981, Performance Network Theatre has grown from a fledgling company to Ann Arbor’s only resident professional theatre. The Network reaches 40,000 theatre patrons and children each year through its year-round Professional Series and its Children’s Theatre Network.

Filed Under: Fun, Jazz, Music, Popular, Spotlight, Theatre Tagged With: ,

Palmer Woods Music in Homes – Afro Cuban Jazz

May 1, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Orquesta-La-Inspiracion-i3

The paradisal spring gardens behind a stately Palmer Woods Mansion will be swaying with the hot rhythms of Orquesta La Inspiracion’s horns, percussion and vocals for the upcoming Palmer Woods Music in Homes concert on Saturday, May 25 at 8 p.m. A delicious Mexican feast will be served during intermission, and the main floor of the home will be open for a tour prior to the concert.

Orquesta La Inspiracion is led by award-winning jazz pianist and music director Bill Meyer. Bringing together veterans of Detroit’s Latin and jazz scenes, his ear respects and his hand reveals these distinct ­traditions to produce authentic music derived from the Spanish-speaking Caribbean. Meyer’s new musical structures also include elements of Yoruban, Congolese, and Dahomean traditions.

This is a concert where the audience is encouraged to not keep still. ­Propelled by the rhythms and tones of Afro-Cuban pop and salsa, those within earshot instantly become part of the unique Latin pulse and are often up on their feet dancing.

The Palmer Woods Music in Homes series presents outstanding live music set in the magnificent homes of one of the City of Detroit’s most beautiful and historic neighborhoods. The 2012-2013 season launched in December, followed by a jazz, classical or world music concert each month in a different magnificent home. The spring-summer concerts are held in beautiful gardens, shelter by a spacious tent.

Tickets, $40 each or $35 for groups of 10 or more, can be purchased at palmerwoods.org or by calling (313) 891-2514. The address of the concert home in Palmer Woods is revealed when tickets are purchased. The concerts are special opportunities to hear world-class musicians who have Detroit-area roots. Included is a reception with delicious food, beverages and desserts (often related to the musical style).

Long considered to be one of Michigan’s premiere communities, Palmer Woods actively works to preserve and enrich the quality of life in Detroit. The concerts help raise funds for neighborhood preservation and improvements, as well as support the arts and project a positive and creative image about Detroit. Performances are held in different historic Palmer Woods mansions and cool homes.

The “concert halls” have included homes designed by legendary architects Minoru Yamasaki, Albert Kahn, Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Marr and others. Concerts are produced by the Creative Arts Collective. The Palmer Woods Association and Creative Arts Collective present Palmer Woods Music in Homes to strengthen our neighborhood and Detroit’s image, showcase Palmer Woods as a wonderful place to live and visit, and enrich the quality of life and cultural environment in our city. Concerts are supported in part by Be Well Medical Center in Berkley, Barefield DesignWorks, Blossoms in Birmingham, City Living Detroit, DMC-Sinai Grace Hospital and WRCJ 90.9 FM.

 

Filed Under: Architecture, Community, Fun, Jazz, Music, Spotlight, World Tagged With: , ,

The Green Room: the Drummer – Sean Dobbins

April 24, 2013 By

One of Detroit’s most sought after Jazz drummers Sean Dobbins shows us a slice of his very busy life.

The Green Room series is produced by Roy Feldman for Detroit Performs.

To see more artists in the Green Room, please click here.

Filed Under: Jazz, Music, Reviews, Video, Who We Are Tagged With: , , , ,

Dinah Washington revealed through music and word

April 10, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Joan Belgrave

Joan Belgrave pays homage to one of America’s great vocalists in “The Dinah Washington Story.” The extraordinary Music Under the Arch program takes place Thursday, May 16, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in Saline.

The performance fuses live performance by an ensemble of extraordinary jazz artists with vocals and history as revealed by Ms. Belgrave. Among her musical connections to the Detroit music community, Dinah Washington is close to fans of the Detroit Lions who remember her as Mrs. Richard “Night Train” Lane.

The extraordinary Music Under the Arch program takes place Thursday, May 16, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in Saline.

“Dinah Jams”

Joan Belgrave – vocalist and storyteller

The Detroit Sound

Marion Hayden - bass

Gayelynn McKinney - drums

Ian Finkelstein - piano

Marcus Miller - saxophones

Featuring Very Special Guest —- Jazz Master Marcus Belgrave - trumpet

Music Under the Arch is located in the community’s downtown, 117 South Ann Arbor Street, Saline, MI

For tickets and more information, call (734) 657-5428.

Organizers remind Detroit Performs that seating is limited and the last show sold out.

 

Filed Under: Blues, Community, Culture, Jazz, Music, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Art X Detroit

April 6, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Art X Detroit mural by artist Hubert Massey

Get set for a five-day multidisciplinary celebration that presents works created by the 2011-2012 Kresge Eminent Artists and Artist Fellows. Free and open to the public, Art X Detroit is filled with dance and musical performances, literary readings, workshops and panel discussions that are distinguished in depth and quality.

Artists include Detroit Poet Laureate Naomi Long Madgett and playwright Bill Harris, as well as a host of visual and performing artists who represent established and cutting edge parts of the spectrum. For the complete Who’s Who, What’s What and the schedule, click here.

From Art X Detroit:

Art X Detroit: Kresge Arts Experience is a five-day multidisciplinary celebration, from April 10-14, 2013, that will exclusively present works created by the 2011-2012 Kresge Eminent Artists and Artist Fellows, along with a special visual arts exhibition at MOCAD that runs through April 28, 2013.

An exciting program of dance and musical performances, literary readings, workshops, panel discussions, public art and special exhibitions, Art X Detroit will be hosted at more than a dozen venues located throughout Midtown Detroit’s Cultural Center and is free to the public. Art X Detroit is supported by The Kresge Foundation.

———————–

Midway

I’ve come this far to freedom and I won’t turn back

I’m climbing to the highway from my old dirt track

I’m coming and I’m going

And I’m stretching and I’m growing

And I’ll reap what I’ve been sowing or my skin’s not black

I’ve prayed and slaved and waited and I’ve sung my song

You’ve bled me and you’ve starved me but I’ve still grown strong

You’ve lashed me and you’ve treed me

And you’ve everything but freed me

But in time you’ll know you need me and it won’t be long.

I’ve seen the daylight breaking high above the bough

I’ve found my destination and I’ve made my vow;

So whether you abhor me

Or deride me or ignore me

Mighty mountains loom before me and I won’t stop now.

– Naomi Long Madgett (1959)

 

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Madgett’s note:

(“Midway was first published in Freedomways in 1959, but I think I wrote it in 1958. The poem grew out of a discussion with a friend that acknowledged that the Supreme Court desegregation ruling, which legalized racial justice for the first time, led to the determination of Black people to move forward and never again accept the status quo.”)

SOURCE

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The image above:

“A People’s Vision” is a work of public art located at Warren and Woodward Avenues in Detroit Michigan. Created by Hubert Massey, a Kresge Fellow and visual artist whose work is featured in Art X Detroit, the mural reflects images of Detroit’s past and future, including historic events, cultural traditions and symbolic figures associated with the city. The work is a result of collaborative feedback between the artist and community. Learn more here.

 

 

Filed Under: Architecture, Art & Design, Community, Culture, Jazz, Music, Painting, Photography, Popular, Sculpture, Who We Are, Words

Detroit Performs: Tim Janis’ Celebrate America

March 20, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Detroit Performs: Tim Janis' Celebrate America

Southeastern Michigan’s gifted young vocalists star in the Detroit Public Television spectacular, Detroit Performs: Tim Janis’ Celebrate America. Orginally aired on WTVS Channel 56, the special program is available online here.

In Detroit Performs: Tim Janis’ Celebrate America, students perform songs that have  uplifted and inspired the nation in times of war and times of peace. Hundreds of talented young singers from schools throughout metro Detroit step into the spotlight on DPTV with renowned producer and musician Tim Janis, a man who’s worked with some of America’s biggest stars and entertainers.

Beautiful songs, outstanding soloists and talented choruses fill Detroit Performs: Tim Janis’ Celebrate America. School performers are featured as a group and close-up, as the program also includes historic and patriotic archival images and video for a most moving musical story that celebrates the people and the nation. The magical television concert features 19 Southeast Michigan high school, middle school and youth choirs. The program was recorded in October and includes talents from :

  • Avondale Middle School
  • Avondale High School
  • Birmingham Groves High School
  • Carter/Johnson Upper Elementary Schools
  • Community Chorus of Detroit
  • Detroit Children’s Choir
  • Detroit School of the Arts
  • Emerson Middle School
  • Garden City High School
  • Lakeview High School
  • L’Anse Creuse High School
  • L’Anse Creuse North High School
  • Livonia Franklin High School
  • Livonia Stevenson
  • Oakland Homeschool Music
  • Redford Union High School
  • Royal Oak High School
  • Southfield Lathrup High School

“(The program) is designed to give our youth the opportunity to showcase their choirs,” Janis said. “The talent our teachers and students have is extraordinary. The project was and is a team effort with DPTV. I am thrilled at the incredible talent, hard work and dedication each choir and its teachers brought to the songs.”

When it comes to America’s love of choral music, Janis knows what he’s talking about. He has produced and worked with Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Ray Charles, and the New York Philharmonic. Janis’ work includes raising funds for public television with George Clooney and James Earl Jones, yet he views his involvement with high school choirs as his most important and rewarding work.

 

Filed Under: Art & Design, Classical, Community, Detroit Public Schools, For Students, Fun, Jazz, Music, Reviews, Who We Are, Words Tagged With: , , ,

Four Strings Like You’ve Never Heard

March 2, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Jake Shimabukuro

In the hands of a master, the ukulele can be a most amazing musical instrument. Its four strings are capable of sounding like a classical guitar or like the rhythm section of a jazz ensemble or a sound only a uke can make.

In the hands of Jake Shimabukuro, the ukulele is all that and then something else entirely. The instrument becomes a portal to special world where music brings people together in a very special way.

Experience for Jake Shimabukoro: Life on Four Strings comes to Detroit Public Television Channel 56 on Sunday, May 12 at 5 p.m. The program tells  the heartfelt story of a musical sensation who has catapulted the ukulele to never-before-imagined heights as he touches the lives of the young and old who inspire his brilliance.

Learn more online and catch the trailer at www.lifeonfourstrings.com.

In Michigan, ukulele’s have become a craze on the local music scene. They can be relatively inexpensive to buy and easy to play and learn. Some stores are catching the wave and sponsor “Intro to the Ukulele” classes. A number of adult summer music camps are also offering ukulele programs, as well.

 

Filed Under: Film, Jazz, Music, Popular, Video, Who We Are, World Tagged With: , , , ,

To Market, To Market

February 17, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Luis Resto performs The Cut at Music Hall Jazz Cafe

Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings presents jazz pianist Luis Resto and cellist Debra Fayroian in “To Market, To Market,” a special collaboration on Sunday, April 28. The DCWS Structurally Sound series performance begins at 3 p.m. at the Red Bull House of Art in Detroit’s Eastern Market.

To Market, To Market will feature DCWS cellist Debra Fayroian and Detroit jazz pianist Luis Resto. DCWS’ newest chamber music series, Structurally Sound presents chamber music in architecturally significant or interesting spaces with repertoire that relates to the space’s unique qualities. Matthew Eaton, curator at the Red Bull House of Art, will speak at the concert.

Fayroian and Resto will perform a number of works for cello and piano including contemporary French composer Claude Bolling’s “Suite for Cello and Jazz Piano.” A skilled jazz pianist, Bolling’s work easily mixes the key elements of jazz and classical music for a lively and fresh look at both musical genres. The work will also include Dan Kolton on acoustic bass and Tom Brown on drums.

Other works for cello and piano will include the world premiere of a new work by Resto titled “E minor Menagerie” and Resto’s “Chant Native American” for electric cello and piano.

The concert will also feature a performance of “the Cut,” a multimedia presentation that is a collaboration between Luis Resto and photographer Michelle Andonian. The presentation visually explores the Dequindre Cut Greenway, a 1.35-mile path that runs behind Eastern Market in an ever-evolving multimedia presentation that pairs silent film and still photographs with a blend of traditional and synthesis music improvised by Resto. The video and stills are projected onto a screen with Resto in the middle playing his piano. His live performance becomes part of the video.

The Red Bull House of Art opened in May of 2012 with its first exhibit featuring the works of eight Detroit artists. The house allows up and coming artists the chance to develop their skill and showcase their abilities in a collaborative and inspirational environment by exploring new themes and innovative ideas.

Initial funding for Structurally Sound came as part of a larger grant awarded to DCWS by the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan in honor of Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings’ 30th year. The grant was given to support new initiatives by DCWS.

Tickets for Structurally Sound are available by calling (248) 559-2095 or going online to detroitchamberwinds.org. Ticket prices are $35 for adults, $30 for seniors (60+), and $10 for students (under 25). Tickets will be $5 more at the door. The concert will take place in the Red Bull House of Art building in Detroit Eastern Market located at 1551 Winder Street. Space is limited, please call ahead to reserve.

 

REPERTOIRE

Chant Native American for electric cello & piano……………………………..Luis Resto

The Cut………………………………………………………Michelle Andonian and Luis Resto

Apres un Reve………………………………………………………………………….Gabriel Faure

Vocalise…………………………………………………………………………………..Rachmaninoff

E minor Menagerie piano & cello (WORLD PREMIERE)…………………..Luis Resto

Suite for Cello & Jazz Piano Trio………………………………………………..Claude Bolling

 

ABOUT DETROIT CHAMBER WINDS & STRINGS

Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings is an ensemble committed to bringing to life the body of repertoire that utilizes between 6 & 20 musicians. DCWS musicians are drawn primarily from the Detroit Symphony and Michigan Opera Theatre orchestras. Now in its 31st year, Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings presents an annual subscription series, the Nightnotes series, and new in 2012, the Structurally Sound series. Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings was named Crain’s Detroit Business 2010 Best-Managed Nonprofit. For more information, call (248) 559-2095 or visit www.detroitchamberwinds.org.

The image above shows Luis Resto performing The Cut at Music Hall Center for the Peforming Arts’ Jazz Cafe. In addition to outstanding music, video and images from Dequindre Cut Pathway linking downtown with Eastern Market are projected onto various surfaces  to create an extraordinary experience. For some, the performance evoked a sensation of being part of the Detroit scene today and part of the City’s future.

Filed Under: Art & Design, Classical, Community, Culture, Jazz, Music, Photography, Reviews, Video, Who We Are Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Hastings Street

February 16, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Mosaic-Youth-Theatre-present-Hastings-Street

At a time when history was just around the corner, this was the street at the center of it all! Experience a special time in Detroit’s cultural history when Mosaic Youth Theatre presents “Hastings Street.” Performances are Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 8 p.m.; and Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Detroit Film Theatre inside the Detroit Institute of Arts.

For teenagers in Detroit’s “Black Bottom,” the 1940’s were a time of exploration and conflict. Hastings Street was at the heart of it all – filled with business and commerce by day; and bright lights, blues music, and danger by night.

Originally commissioned for the Detroit Tri-centenary Celebrations, Hastings Street swings with a jazzy beat and the low-down blues the 1940’s. Told through song, dance and an unforgettable story, the production is proudly presented with the support of Ford Motor Company Fund.

Tickets are $32 for premium seating, $22 for adults and $15 for students and senior citizens (available at box office only). For reservations and more information, please call (313) 872-6910.

 

Filed Under: Blues, Community, Culture, Dance, Jazz, Music, Reviews, Theatre, Who We Are, Words Tagged With: , ,
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