Don Was and The Pan-Detroit Ensemble Announce New Tour Dates to Support ‘Groove in the Face of Adversity’ Album

Photo Credit: Miryam Ramos

Last Friday, October 10, Don Was and The Pan-Detroit Ensemble delivered their highly anticipated album, Groove in the Face of Adversity, an introduction to the six-time Grammy award-winning bandleader and his nine-piece soul-jazz communal. To mark the release, the big band will hit the road for a series of new headlining appearances beginning on January 9 in Ann Arbor, Mich. 

On the road, Was will be joined by a collective of Motor City instrumentalists, Jeff Canaday (drums), Vincent Chandler (trombone), Steffanie Christi’an (vocals), John Douglas (trumpet), Wayne Gerard (guitar), Mahindi Masai (percussion), Dave McMurray (saxophone), and Luis Resto (keyboards).

The group’s winter jaunt will begin in a two-fold, with an early [6:30 p.m.] and late [9:30 p.m.] show scheduled for January 9 and 10 at the Blue LLama Jazz Club in Ann Arbor, Mich. After summiting their first four concerts over two nights, the 10-piece will make their way to New York’s Blue Note on January 12, for a double showing, at 8 p.m., and 10:30 p.m. 

On January 14, the group of jazz cats will arrive at Ardmore Music Hall in Ardmore, Pa., ahead of their follow-up, two nights later in Pittsburgh. Before ending their winter tour, they will turn in an evening at Cleveland’s Beachland Ballroom, before the jaunt’s final night, January 18 at Lyell B. Clay Concert Theatre in Morgantown, W.V.

 “We’re the Pan-Detroit Ensemble and we are on a mission to promulgate the music of our hometown,” Was says via press release, extending the collective intent. 

“There was a nonverbal message that came through the music,” he says, uniting their live flow with the album contents. “‘Don, you’ve got to groove in the face of adversity’—meaning, relax, go with the flow. That became a philosophy I’ve followed ever since.” Listen below. 

Purchase tickets for the Winter Tour at https://donwas.com.

TOUR DATES

October 17—Saxapahaw, N.C.—Haw River Ballroom 

October 18—Buford, Ga.—Lanier Islands

January 9—Ann Arbor, Mich.—Blue LLama Jazz Club—6:30 P.M.

January 9—Ann Arbor, Mich.—Blue LLama Jazz Club—9 P.M.

January 10—Ann Arbor, Mich,—Blue LLama Jazz Club—6:30 P.M. 

January 10—Ann Arbor, Mich.—Blue LLama Jazz Club—9 P.M.

January 12—New York—Blue Note—8 P.M. 

January 12—New York—Blue Note—10:30 P.M

January 14—Ardmore, Pa.—Ardmore Music Hall

January 16—Pittsburgh—Thunderbird

January 17—Cleveland, Ohio—Beachland Ballroom

January 18—Morgantown, W.V.—Lyell B Clay Concert Theatre

Tracking List:

1. Midnights Marauders

2. Nubian Lady

3. I Ain’t Got Nothing But Time

4. This Is My Country

5. You Asked, I Came

6. Insane