Legendary musician and producer Don Was brought an all-star ensemble of fellow Detroit musicians for an eclectic jazz-funk show to Lansing’s Grewal Hall.
When it comes to Michigan musicians, Don Was may not be a household name but he’s about as big as they come. Over the course of his 50-plus year career, he’s collaborated either as a musician, producer, or filmmaker with everyone from The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, and Bonnie Raitt to Ziggy Marley, Grateful Dead, and The B-52s. As the executive for Blue Note Records, one of the most prestigious labels in jazz, he’s ear-wormed his way into even more heads.
It should be no surprise then that when Was decided to bring his latest project to Lansing, Don Was and the Pan-Detroit Ensemble, the show was packed with the who’s who of the capital city’s music scene. Local radio hosts and bar band stars packed the room alongside jazz fans and Dead Heads to get a chance to see what Was and his fellow Detroit musicians had to offer.
The nine-member ensemble brought energy right from the start, with a funky-jazz number that allowed vocalist Steffanie Christi’an to show off her pipes, and gave trumpeter John Douglas the opportunity for a lively solo right out of the gate. From there it was a mix of originals, Was (Not Was) tracks, and other covers all done through a very Detroit lens of jazz.
It was during the ensemble’s cover of Hank Williams’ “I Ain’t Got Nothing But Time” that the band really showed their credentials and got into an extended conversational jam. Trumpeter John Douglas and keyboardist and Eminen collaborator Luis Resto would alternate some of the spotlight and then guitarist Wayne Gerard would take some bars, all while Christi’an’s powerful voice added depth to a song that was about as far from the original version as it could get – but in the best way possible.
After that, it was more funk-laced jazz that included incredible renditions of two Grateful Dead tracks, “Loser” and the fan-favorite “Shakedown Street.” Was had toured and performed with Bob Weir several times over the past few years and, given how enthusiastically the “woos!” rang out from the crows on the latter song, it was clear quite a few folks were hoping to hear a sample from this part of Was’ musical history.
Whether playing interesting covers or original songs, the one thing that stood out was the fact that, despite Don Was’ name being in the title of the band, it was clear this show wasn’t about him. Yes, he was positioned center stage and his baselines always laid a solid groove. Yes, it was likely his legacy that drew the majority of the crowd. But, like any good producer, he knew when to get out of the way and let his fellow bandmates demonstrate their own talents and lead the musical conversation.
Don Was and the Pan-Detroit Ensemble don’t have any more shows booked after this week, but he said they are working on a new album so fans should stay tuned for updates and hopefully, the opportunity will come back to see how this all-star cast evolves.
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