Stevie Wonder jazz tribute to be performed at DSO this weekend
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If you haven’t yet heard of the Detroit City Jazz Orchestra Plus, you’ll be hearing it plenty in the future. The ensemble, created solely to honor the work of musicians from Detroit, was put together late last year by the Rev. Dan Aldridge and internationally acclaimed baritone saxophonist and bandleader Alex Harding.
At 8 p.m. on Saturday, the band will perform “A Celebration of the Music of Stevie Wonder,” presented by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) in The CUBE at Orchestra Hall, 3711 Woodward Ave.
“What we do is play music composed and arranged by Detroiters,” he said. “From all genres. That’s why it’s called the Detroit City Jazz Orchestra PLUS. We’re not just going to cover the jazz cats, which is extensive. We also have Motown, we have so much more music to celebrate. So that’s what it’s all about.”
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DSO Director of Jazz Goode Wyche III said the organization jumped at the idea when it was presented.
"Alex Harding and Dan Aldridge came to me with the idea of not only this project, but the whole concept of the band, to celebrate Detroit music, Detroit artists and be of Detroiters," Wyche said. "The first concert went over well and we had good attendance, and they came back to me and said, 'Let's do Stevie Wonder,' which was a no-brainer. Walter Szymanski, who's arranged for Beyoncé and "American Idol," did a lot of the arrangements.
"The vision for The CUBE," he said, "is to be a space that lifts up Detroit artists and Detroit music, to be a place where you can hear great Detroit music performed at the highest level. So just having them here as a part of that mission and bringing that band together with the space to present is something we're proud of."
Saturday’s Stevie tribute will feature songs cherry-picked from throughout his long career, including ones not heard often. “You Are the Sunshine of My Life,” “Rocket Love,” “All I Do,” “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing,” “The Secret Life of Plants” and “Creepin’” are among the evening’s set list.
The band is comprised of some of Detroit’s finest jazz musicians: Harding (baritone saxophone), Pamela Wise (piano), Dwight Adams (trumpet), Vincent Chandler (trombone), Kasan Belgrave (alto saxophone), Rafael Leafar (tenor saxophone), Josef Deas (bass), Oliver Nevilles (guitar) and Djallo Djakate (drums), with Chelly K and Rob Carter as featured vocalists.
The Detroit City Jazz Orchestra Plus debuted last fall with a show at The CUBE featuring assorted works from varied Detroit musicians; this is its first concert honoring one person’s body of work. It will return later this year with another presentation.
Tickets for Saturday's performance start at $20 and can be purchased at www.dso.org.
Contact Free Press arts and culture reporter Duante Beddingfield at dbeddingfield@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Stevie Wonder jazz tribute to be performed at DSO this weekend
