32 July 11 • 2019
jn
SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Concert of
Colors
World music, Detroit
milestones, Don Was’
All-Star Revue and more!
D
on Was — famed rock musi-
cian, talent producer and jazz
record company president —
grew up in Oak Park and has returned
during 12 summers to appear at the
Concert of Colors, the annual free
world music festival in Detroit.
This year, he moves into the festival
theme of “Freedom of Expression: The
Power of Owning Our Voices” and will
be part of the celebration of milestone
anniversaries.
As performers appear on stages in
Midtown and beyond for events now
through July 18, festival participants
will mark 100 years for Orchestra Hall,
70 years for WDET public radio, 60
years for Motown music and 50 years
since the moon land-
ing.
Collaborating on
organizing the Don
Was Detroit All-Star
Revue, set for July
13 at the Detroit
Film Theatre in the
Detroit Institute of
Arts (DIA), Was will
focus on the Motown
triumphs. He also
will return to the DIA
July 15 to introduce
the film Blue Note
Records: Beyond the
Notes, in which he explains his role as
company president.
“I love the whole Concert of Colors
experience,
” says Was, growing up with
the family name Fagenson and having
his bar mitzvah at Temple Emanu-El
in Oak Park. “That includes being in
Detroit, seeing my old friends, eating
at all the good restaurants and playing
the music. The musicians in the show
are all good friends, and we go back 40
years of playing together.
”
Was, a teenager in the ’
60s when
Motown Records launched, remem-
bers how the hits were a source of great
pride for Detroit.
“When the Motown artists received
international acclaim, it was something
akin to the Tigers winning the World
Series,
” he says. “I think the great thing
about Motown is that Berry Gordy
understood there’
s a commonality of
human emotional experiences that
transcends any kind of cultural or
racial boundaries, and he made music
that reflected the emotional life of
every human being.
”
Was worked on the revue with
Ann Delisi from WDET and Ismael
Ahmed, festival founder. Revue stars
include Sweet Pea Atkinson, Donald
Ray Mitchell and Randy Jacobs. Other
festival programs, along
with music stars, spotlight
a mobile electric guitar
processional, a commis-
sioned performance piece
titled “Moonwalk” and
community yoga.
Was heard jazz first in
1966, learning from disc
jockey Ed Love, then on
station WCHD and now
working on WDET at
age 92.
“I realized all these jazz
songs were coming from
this little label out of New
York City called Blue Note Records,
”
recalls Was, appointed president in
2012. “I’
ve been a fan since then. I
think Sophie Huber, the director of
Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes,
did a brilliant job in laying out the con-
tinuum of Blue Note ethos.
”
As Was prepares to take the DIA
stage, he remembers watching jazz
shows at the venue.
“It’
s a real thrill to be back there
playing live,
” he says. “I’
m so knocked
out by the changes in Detroit. I walk
around, and it’
s just jumping.
” ■
arts&life
GABI PORTER
details
Don Was appears with the
Detroit All-Star Revue at
8 p.m. Saturday, July 13,
at the Detroit Film Theatre,
and returns at 7 p.m.
Monday, July 15, to intro-
duce Blue Note Records:
Beyond the Notes. For the
Concert of Colors schedule,
go to concertofcolors.com.
Don Was
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