Monterey Jazz Festival celebrates 65th year with star-studded ensemble on DSO's Paradise Jazz Series, April 23

DSO’s Civic Jazz Orchestra gives an opening performance in The Cube prior to the concert

Tickets on sale now at dso.org/jazz

Detroit, (March 30, 2023) – The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) will close its 2022-2023 Paradise Jazz Series with a one-night-only performance by the Monterey Jazz Festival. The performance will take place on Sunday, April 23 at 8 p.m. in Orchestra Hall.

As one of the world’s longest-running and most iconic jazz events, the Monterey Jazz Festival celebrates its 65th year with a must-hear, once-in-a-lifetime ensemble. Featuring Tony and Grammy Award-winning NEA Jazz Master vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater alongside Grammy Award-winning vocalist Kurt Elling and critically acclaimed rising star saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin, this stellar band will be directed by visionary pianist Christian Sands and anchored by his longtime rhythm section, bassist Yasushi Nakamura and drummer Clarence Penn. This performance is a part of the Monterey Jazz Festival’s sixth national tour that began in January 2023.

On the same night at 7 p.m., the Civic Jazz Orchestra will give an opening performance in The Peter D. and Julie F. Cummings Cube (The Cube). The Civic Jazz Orchestra is part of the DSO’s Civic Youth Ensembles, which cultivate every student’s artistic and creative potential through rewarding musical experiences, while developing meaningful skills outside the arts.

Please note: the DSO does not appear on these performances.

Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour will take place on Sunday, April 23 at 8 p.m. in Orchestra Hall; tickets start at $19. Civic Jazz Live will take place on Sunday, April 23 at 7 p.m. in The Cube; tickets start at $15. Tickets can be purchased at dso.org or by calling the Box Office at 313.576.5111, open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Subscriptions for the 2022-2023 Paradise Jazz Series can be purchased at dso.org/jazz.

Currently in its 23rd season, the Paradise Jazz Series is named for and honors the legacy of the Paradise Theatre, the historic Detroit jazz venue that was on the site of Orchestra Hall from 1941-1951. The DSO is one of few major American orchestras to present regular jazz programming on its main stage. Acclaimed trumpeter, bandleader, composer, and educator Terence Blanchard has served as the DSO’s Fred A. Erb Jazz Creative Director Chair since 2012. Learn more about the series at dso.org/jazz.

2022-2023 SEASON DSO SAFETY POLICIES: The DSO no longer requires audiences to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to attend performances. Masks are optional although strongly recommended at DSO performances, particularly when Wayne County and surrounding communities are in the high or “red” category as defined by the CDC. The DSO asks audience members to do their part to create a safe environment for everyone and encourages those who are not feeling well to stay home.

The Paradise Jazz Series is supported by the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation, Huntington, MGM Grand Detroit, and DownBeat magazine.

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MONTEREY JAZZ FESTIVAL ON TOUR
Paradise Jazz Series
Sunday, April 23 at 8 p.m.
Orchestra Hall
Dee Dee Bridgewater, vocalist
Kurt Elling, vocalist
Lakecia Benjamin, saxophone
Christian Sands, piano
Yasushi Nakamura, bass
Clarence Penn, drums

As one of the world’s longest-running and most iconic jazz events, the Monterey Jazz Festival celebrates its 65th year with a must-hear once-in-a-lifetime ensemble. Featuring Tony and Grammy Award-winning NEA Jazz Master vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater alongside Grammy Award-winning vocalist Kurt Elling and critically acclaimed rising star saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin, this stellar band will be directed by visionary pianist Christian Sands and anchored by his longtime rhythm section, bassist Yasushi Nakamura and drummer Clarence Penn.

Related Events:

CIVIC JAZZ LIVE
Sunday, April 23 at 7 p.m.
The Peter D. and Julie F. Cummings Cube
Civic Jazz Orchestra, ensemble
The Civic Jazz Orchestra is the opening act for the Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour which is celebrating its 65th year with a once-in-a-lifetime ensemble featuring Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kurt Elling and many more wonderful musicians.

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About Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour

The Monterey Jazz Festival (MJF) announced its sixth national tour in 2023, with 25 shows scheduled in January and April. Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour–Celebrating 65 is MJF’s latest national outing of jazz superstars and up-and-comers to present the artistry, spirit, and fun of the Monterey Jazz Festival to audiences everywhere with musicians who embody the Central Coast aesthetic by performing music, both historic and new, that reflects the values and legacy of the Monterey Jazz Festival over the last 65 years. Fronted by Dee Dee Bridgewater and Kurt Elling on vocals with Musical Director Christian Sands on piano, the sextet also features 2023 MJF Artist-in-Residence Lakecia Benjamin on alto saxophone, Yasushi Nakamura on bass, and Clarence Penn on drums.

The band’s 22-day tour, taking place in two legs in January and April 2023, will perform 25 concerts in 12 states. January’s shows focused on the Western United States with concerts in California, Arizona, and Utah. April’s shows include stops in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest. Highlights include two nights at New York City’s Jazz at Lincoln Center; Los Angeles’ Walt Disney Concert Hall; UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall; Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center; Boston’s Berklee Performance Center; Detroit’s Orchestra Hall, and many others.

As the longest continuously-running jazz festival in the world, MJF on Tour groups have brought the Festival’s reach to over 150,000 jazz fans across the country and Canada since 2008, featuring some of the genre’s greatest practitioners, including James Moody, Christian McBride, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Gerald Clayton, Benny Green, Bria Skonberg, Kenny Barron, Regina Carter, Nicholas Payton, Ravi Coltrane, Russell Malone, Chris Potter, Melissa Aldana, and Ambrose Akinmusire, to name a few.

About the DSO

The acclaimed Detroit Symphony Orchestra is known for trailblazing performances, collaborations with the world’s foremost musical artists, and a deep connection to its city. As a community-supported orchestra, generous giving by individuals and institutions at all levels drives the continued success and growth of the organization. In January 2020, Italian conductor Jader Bignamini was named the DSO’s next music director to commence with the 2020-2021 season. Celebrated conductor, arranger, and trumpeter Jeff Tyzik is the orchestra’s Principal Pops Conductor, while Oscar-nominated trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard holds the Fred A. Erb Jazz Creative Director Chair.

Making its home at historic Orchestra Hall within the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center, the DSO offers a performance schedule that features PVS Classical, PNC Pops, Paradise Jazz, and Young People’s Family Concert series. One of the world’s most acoustically perfect concert halls, Orchestra Hall celebrated its centennial in 2019-2020. In addition, the DSO presents the William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series in seven metro area venues, as well as a robust schedule of eclectic multi-genre performances in its mid-size venue The Cube, constructed and curated with support from Peter D. & Julie F. Cummings.

A dedication to broadcast innovation began in 1922, when the DSO became the first orchestra in the world to present a live radio broadcast of a concert and continues today with the groundbreaking Live from Orchestra Hall series of free webcasts, which also reaches tens of thousands of children with the Classroom Edition expansion. With growing attendance and unwavering philanthropic support from the people of Detroit, the DSO actively pursues a mission to embrace and inspire individuals, families, and communities through unsurpassed musical experiences.

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