Six-time Grammy winner and Blue Note Records President Don Was will hit the road this fall on the first leg of an extensive tour with The Pan-Detroit Ensemble, a “nine-piece soul jazz group from Detroit,” as Was describes it.
The tour will feature songs from the band’s forthcoming debut album alongside a full performance of The Grateful Dead’s Blues for Allah, celebrating the album’s 50th anniversary.
Kicking off October 8 in Traverse City, MI, the run will include stops in Detroit, Louisville, Lansing, and more, plus a special appearance at the immersive Golden Road Festival in Buford, GA. The Traverse City and Evanston dates will include two performances, at 7 PM and 9 PM. Tickets are on sale now. Additional dates will be announced soon—see below for the current itinerary.
Don Was and The Pan-Detroit Ensemble’s debut album will be released this fall via Mack Avenue Records, with further details coming in the weeks ahead. The Detroit date will serve as the official album release show.
A Detroit native, Don Was has spent five decades as a producer, bassist, composer, and longtime head of Blue Note Records. He has produced landmark albums for The Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, John Mayer, Willie Nelson, and more, with combined sales approaching 100 million records. His accolades include a BAFTA Award for Best Original Score (Backbeat), an Emmy for Music Direction (The Beatles: The Night That Changed America), and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association.
Was has led the Don Was Detroit All-Star Revue for more than 15 years, co-hosts The Don Was Motor City Playlist on Detroit NPR station WDET, and hosts Dinner with Don Was on SiriusXM. Since 2018, he has toured extensively with Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros, a group he co-founded with Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir. His latest project, The Pan-Detroit Ensemble, marks a return to his Motor City roots and the raw, groove-driven spirit that has defined his career.
About The Pan-Detroit Ensemble
Formed by Don Was, The Pan-Detroit Ensemble unites some of Detroit’s most accomplished jazz players, including 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).
Tour Dates
October 8 — Traverse City, MI — The Alluvion — 7 PM
October 8 — Traverse City, MI — The Alluvion — 9 PM
October 9 — Lansing, MI — Grewal Hall at 224
October 10 — Evanston, IL — Space — 7 PM
October 10 — Evanston, IL — Space — 9 PM
October 11 — Detroit, MI — The Majestic Theatre
October 15 — Louisville, KY — Headliners Music Hall
October 16 — Charlottesville, VA — Jefferson Theater
October 17 — Saxapahaw, NC — Haw River Ballroom
October 18 — Buford, GA — Lanier Islands
