Detroit JazzStage
This month on Detroit Jazzstage,Terri Pontremoli, the Executive Director of the Detroit International Jazz Festival, sat down to discuss this year’s lineup. For more than a quarter century, the Detroit Jazz Fest has entertained millions of fans with jazz legends ranging from Herbie Hancock to Yusef Lateef and Ron Carter. Today, it ROARS on six […]
This DJS Jazz Spotlite features the legendary Dr. Yusef Lateef. Known for his innovative blending of “Eastern” music with American jazz, Lateef’s main instruments are tenor saxophone and flute, but he is one of few to play oboe or bassoon in jazz, and also plays various world music instruments. Dr. Lateef came up in a […]
Your guest for this DJS Jazz Spotlite is the New York-based vocalist-songwriter-bandleader and Mack Avenue recording artist Sachal Vasandani. This fresh, young talent displays a singular, deep-brewed voice and possesses an uncanny sensibility to straddle the fine line between jazz and pop. You will hear a cut from his latest CD, Eyes Wide Open. Vasandani […]
Mack Avenue Records Recording artist Sean Jones has revealed himself as among the most immensely expressive, versatile and gifted players of his generation. With each new project, the Warren, Ohio native has peeled back another layer to show us a fresh peek at his soul. His 2004 solo debut, Eternal Journey (recorded when he was […]
This DJS Jazz Spotlite features multi-award winning pianist Rick Roe. He is a respected educator and one of the Professors of Jazz at Michigan State University. Rick has served as an educator/clinician at the University of Arizona, North Texas University, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the University of Michigan, and the Montreaux/Detroit Jazz Festival. […]
We are thrilled to present to you an original composition, plus commentary from Hal Galper. With over 82 recordings to his credit, 20 as a leader in his own right, pianist, composer, publisher, educator, author and touring artist, Hal Galper is best known for his work with Chet Baker, Cannonball Adderley, John Scofield and the […]
Pianist Steve Richko lives in Dearborn, MI. He is a 27-year-old prodigy who fell in love with the music of Oscar Peterson at the age of 12. Since then, Steve has made a thorough study of Oscar’s piano artistry and career. Today, Steve Richko is regarded as one the finest young pianists on the Detroit […]
Alto Saxophonist, and Origin Records recording artist Alex Graham has performed with several of today’s top jazz artists including Wessell Anderson, Nnenna Freelon, Louis Smith, Diane Schuur, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Mark Levine, Peter Bernstein, Steve Davis, Joe Magnarelli, Michael Weiss, Aaron Goldberg, Rodney Whitaker, Jim Rotundi, Sam Yahel and […]
This month we are featuring trumpeter, composer, and arranger Walt Szymanski. Walt began his musical journey from a small home on the east side of Detroit that was constantly resonating with the sound of music. Listening to his mother play and sing the Broadway standards on the family piano and hearing the records of Nat […]
This month on Detroit JazzStage, we welcome poet M.L. Liebler and jazz guitarist/poet Ron English. M.L. fronts the group, M. L. Liebler & The Magic Poetry Band. By day, he is a Wayne State University professor (and St. Clair Shores, Michigan’s first Poet Laureate). Over the last twenty plus years, M.L. has combined his insightful, […]
Detroit JazzStage is pleased to announce it’s continued partnership with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the Max M Fisher Music Center. “The Max” is a state of the art performing arts complex built in 2003. They are home to the world famous Detroit Symphony Orchestra as well as to jazz, pops, family concerts and more. […]
This month on Detroit JazzStage, we interview Terri Pontremoli, Executive/Artistic Director of the the Detroit International Jazz Festival. Pontremoli joined the Detroit Jazz Fest in 2005 as managing director. In 2007, she is thrilled to serve as artistic and executive director for “one of the best jazz festivals in the world in a city with […]
Clarinetist, tenor saxophonist, and educator, Wendell Harrison, has been a creative powerhouse in Detroit for several decades now. Artists he has worked with include Jack McDuff, Elvin Jones, Sonny Stitt, Grant Green, Sun Ra, Eddie Harris and Hank Crawford. Along with the Wenha and Rebirth labels, Wendell is also the creator of Tribe records. Recordings […]
Detroit JazzStage is pleased to announce a partnership with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the Max M Fisher Music Center. “The Max” is a state of the art performing arts complex built in 2003. They are home to the world famous Detroit Symphony Orchestra as well as to jazz, pops, family concerts and more. This […]
For this DJS Jazz Spotlight we’re showcasing 21 year old vocal sensation Jesse Palter who, through both training and pure instinct, has grown into one of the most recently accomplished and dynamic singers (and songwriters) in the Detroit jazz scene.. Her voice is a flexible, facile instrument wielded by an ambitious and visionary player; it […]
In the right hands, they say the pen is mightier than the sword. But the saxophone? Now that is mighty! How mighty you ask? Just check out the words and music of the legendary counterculture icon, saxophonist, composer, poet and philosopher Faruq Z. Bey on the October edition of Detroit JazzStage. Faruq joins Jim Gallert […]
Greetings Detroit JazzStage listeners. We are putting the finishing touches on the October show featuring Faruq Z. Bey. In the meantime, please enjoy this short promo where Faruq discusses the relationships between spoken inflections and musical expressions. For a complete catalog of music by Faruq Z. Bey and the Northwoods Improvisers, go to http://www.entropystereo.com Music […]
As you probably know by now, Detroit JazzStage had the pleasure of working with the Detroit International Jazz Festival . We are thrilled that each of our featured artists appeared at the festival. Celebrating Detroit’s rich Jazz heritage with host Rodney Reeves is Executive Producer and former co-host Dean Sahutske and Mark Byerly Besides being […]
Although Detroiters have the recent record setting heat wave behind them, things are about to heat up again. This month, Detroit JazzStage presents the Latin Jazz group Tumbao Bravo, co-led by percussionist Alberto Nacif and Saxophonist/Flautist Paul Vornhagen, both of whom we interviewed for this month’s show. In addition to learning about the band we […]
Your June/July guest is the great Alto Saxophonist Phil Lasley. Phil explained what it was like growing up in 1950’s Detroit. Although his earliest experiences were based in bebop, he has played just about every style of music imaginable. Phil explained how he was drawn to New York to play with people like Tina Brooks, […]
What do Wynton Marsalis, Jon Faddis, Rodney Whitaker, Greg Hutchinson, Bobby Watson, have in common? They have all had our May guest in their piano chair. Your featured artist this month is the great pianist, Rick Roe. Featured music is taken from his recordings The Changeover (1997) where he is joined by bassist Rodney Whitaker […]
Our April guest is the veteran Jazz pianist Buddy Budson. Buddy gave us an insightful interview on his approach to his music and his feelings about some past and present Detroit Jazz musicians. We featured cuts from his recording On With Their Heads and two original songs recorded live at Detroit JazzStage. As always, we […]
Detroit JazzStage is pleased to bring to our listeners this first Featurette presenting pianist Dave Cook’s composition Up, Up, Up, sponsored by InvestedCentral.com. Dave’s composition was performed by trumpeter Paul Finkbeiner’s group Atmospheric Disturbance at the Firefly Club in Ann Arbor, MI in January 2006. It was recorded by Mark Byerly of Longview Sound. The […]
Welcome to the March edition of Detroit JazzStage featuring the music of Jazzhead and an interview with trumpeter John Douglas. Defying the muck of the “Acid Jazz” mire, Jazzhead has raged to the top of Detroit’s jazz/latin/funk/fusion heap and beyond. From holding down weekly offerings in downtown Motown to late-night (or early morning depending on […]
JazzStage Productions is glad to announce the addition of Jim Gallert to Detroit JazzStage. Jim Gallert is a veteran jazz broadcaster, researcher and writer. He’s chalked up over twenty-five years of radio experience as producer and host of “Jazz Yesterday and “Detroit Jazz Alive” on WDET-FM, Detroit, and “Swing City” on WEMU-FM, Ypsilanti. Gallert has […]
Detroit Jazzstage is pleased to announce our February guests, Urban Transport. The unusual pairing of trombone with alto sax along with exceptional playing and songwriting make Urban Transport one of the most exciting groups in Detroit. Trombonist Vincent Chandler, drummer Sean Dobbins, alto saxophonist Dean Moore, and bassist Josef Deas sat down with our hosts, […]
Welcome to Part 2 of our New Year’s celebration. Our guest, Phil Ogilvie’s Rhythm Kings, was recorded live at the Firefly Club in Ann Arbor, MI. If you haven’t heard Part 1, please click here to download it. Part 1 can also be found in iTunes. Enjoy the show. For more information on the band […]
This month we are celebrating the New Year with Phil Ogilvie’s Rhythm Kings, P.O.R.K. for short, recorded live at the Firefly Club in Ann Arbor MI. There we also interviewed band members Jim Dapogny, Music Director, and Chris Smith, Band Manager. We had a great time doing the recording and learned much about the style […]
Hello and welcome to another edition of Detroit JazzStage. Rodney and I would like to thank all our listeners for subscribing to Detroit JazzStage and helping to make it one of the top jazz podcasts as listed in iTunes. This month we celebrate the holiday season with the Paul Keller Ensembles’s Christmas Songs For Jazz […]
Hello Detroit Jazzstage listeners. Dean and I wanted to give thanks to you for your incredible support. Our show has become far more popular than we would have ever imagined. Because of you, we are the number one jazz podcasts as ranked by Itunes. We are humbled to have a home on your harddrive and […]
Hello and welcome to the debut of Detroit JazzStage featuring trumpeter Mark Byerly. Mark has a very interesting history that we think you will enjoy hearing about. Rodney and I have worked very hard on trying to present to you, our listeners, a glimpse into the talent that exists here in Detroit. We hope you […]
Hello. I’d like to thank our subcribers to the Detroit JazzStage podcast and let you all know how much we appreciate your patronage. You’ll all be happy to know that we will have a finished show, featuring Detroit trumpeter Mark Byerly,posted on November 1st. In the meantime, take a listen to Mark’s comments on, and […]