Don Was Brings His Pan-Detroit Ensemble to Judson’s Live in Orlando

Photo: Courtesy of Judson’s Live at Dr. Phillips Center

Few figures in modern American music move as fluidly between genres, scenes, and eras as Don Was. A multi-Grammy Award-winning producer, musician, bandleader, and longtime champion of musical tradition and experimentation, Was has spent decades shaping the sound of artists ranging from Bonnie Raitt and The Rolling Stones to Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan. On Thursday, February 13, he brings that deep musical lineage to Judson’s Live at Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando, performing with his groove-driven Pan-Detroit Ensemble.

The Pan-Detroit Ensemble is less about spotlighting individual virtuosity and more about collective feel — a living, breathing band rooted in funk, soul, jazz, and rhythm-forward improvisation. Drawing inspiration from Detroit’s vast musical legacy, the project embraces spontaneity, subtle interplay, and the kind of deep-pocket groove that reveals itself more with each passing measure.

For longtime fans, this tour offers a chance to see Was step fully into his role as bandleader and bassist, guiding the music from the inside out rather than from behind the producer’s chair. For newer listeners, it serves as an inviting entry point into a body of work shaped by curiosity, collaboration, and an enduring devotion to the communal power of live music.

Grateful Web previously spoke with Don Was about his wide-ranging career, creative philosophy, and belief in live performance as an ever-evolving conversation between musicians and audience. That ethos remains central to the Pan-Detroit Ensemble’s live shows, where structure gives way to feel and songs unfold organically in the moment.

Set within the intimate confines of Judson’s Live, the February 13 performance promises a rare opportunity to experience one of American music’s great connectors up close — not as a behind-the-scenes architect, but as an active participant in the ongoing dialogue that defines great live music.

Don Was & The Pan-Detroit Ensemble
Judson’s Live at Dr. Phillips Center
Orlando, FL
Thursday, February 13, 2026
Showtimes: 7:00 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.

Tickets and additional information are available via the Dr. Phillips Center:

https://www.drphillipscenter.org/events/tickets/2026/don-was/