When people think of Detroit and music, most think Motown. It's overlooked that Detroit had a significant impact on the development of Jazz in this nation. Home to the Mckinney's Cotton Pickers, one of the most influential bands in jazz history, Detroit was and continues to be an epicenter of Jazz expression.
In the early part of the century, Detroit hosted some of the top national jazz acts at venues like the Graystone Ballroom and Paradise Theatre (now Orchestra Hall). Dozens of nightclubs and dance halls in Paradise Valley, the famed black entertainment district, were regularly packed with musicians like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Charlie Parker jamming to the early morning hours.This hip vibe continues today. Through nightclubs, festivals and music education programs, jazz holds an esteemed position in this city's landscape. It's no surprise Detroit continues to generate tremendous jazz musicians like Kenny Burrell, Marcus Belgrave and James Carter.
Come Labor Day weekend, thousands of jazz aficianados take to the streets of downtown Detroit to enjoy the best artists in the world of jazz at the Detroit International Jazz Festival, one of the largest free jazz festivals in the world.
Artist Sampler
Bix Beiderbecke
Marcus Belgrave
Kenny Burrell
Donald Byrd
James Carter
Regina Carter
Tommy Flanagan
Jean Goldkette Orchestra
Roland Hanna
Barry Harris
Jones Brothers
Milt Jackson
Earl Klugh
Yusef Lateef
McKinney's Cotton Pickers
