Don Was and the Pan-Detroit Ensemble returned to Lansing Thursday for a genre-bending evening of jazz, soul, and the Grateful Dead.
Legendary bassist and producer Don Was first brought his nine-member band to a sold-out show at Lansing’s Grewall Hall back in February this year. The all-star cast of accomplished Detroit musicians recently returned from a trip to Japan supporting Norah Jones and are now promoting their first album, Groove in the Face of Adversity, which was released the following day.
Was is a Detroit native known for his work with icons like Bonnie Raitt, The Rolling Stones, and Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead. He is also president of the premier jazz label Blue Note Records. That pedigree drew a mix of jazz enthusiasts and Deadheads to fill the room with a mellow yet anticipatory energy.
Shortly after kicking off the show with a groovy and innovative Hank Williams cover, Was bantered with the crowd, explaining how, later on the tour, they would be performing their interpretation of The Dead’s Blues for Allah in its entirety. While the Deadheads on hand didn’t get an entire album’s worth of songs, they did get to hear an outstanding funky jazz-infused interpretation of The Dead’s “Franklin’s Tower.” Trumpeter John Douglas provided an inspired solo while Was laid down the song’s infectious groove, causing a couple of fans in the front row to stand up and start dancing.
Traditional jazz fans had plenty to appreciate as well, with covers of standout classics like Yusef Lateef’s “Nubian Lady.” The instrumental song featured Dave McMurray on flute, along with the Grammy-nominated Wayne Gerard on guitar.
One of the original songs that they performed from the band’s new album was “Midnight Mauraders.” It’s a song that showcases the collective talent of the band, with the rhythm section of Was, drummer Jeff Canaday, and percussionist Mahindi Masai providing the head-bobbing heartbeat of the song while the horns and vocalist Steffanie Christi’an had the crowd swaying back and forth.
As the night wound down, it was clear that Don Was and his Pan-Detroit Ensemble are not just a talented group of Detroit area musicians playing some interesting covers and jamming together. They’re a group on a mission to demonstrate what Detroit’s own unique flavor of soulful jazz is all about.
For fans eager to catch the band on the road, upcoming stops include Louisville, Charlottesville, Virginia, and Buford, Georgia — more chances to witness one of Detroit’s finest exports, keeping the groove alive, no matter the adversity.
