Coming into this week with a heavy heart as we say goodbye to Quincy Jones, a musician so massive in the American sonic landscape of music that just calling him a musician seems insulting. I loved what WDET’s own Chris Campbell wrote about Jones — you can read that here. For my part, I played original work from Jones, his arranging for Frank Sinatra, his early stuff with an equally young Ray Charles, his work with Sarah Vaughn and of course Michael Jackson, who he changed the landscape of pop music with.

On top of that, a spotlight on Cleo Sol, her remarkable voice and her new single “Fear When You Fly,” plus new releases from Friko, Royal Otis, Ezra Collective, Common Saints, Michael Kiwanuka and more.

Check the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the player above.

In The Groove with Ryan Patrick Hooper playlist for November 4, 2024

• “My Room” – Divorce
• “If I Am” – Friko
• “If Our Love Is Dead” – Royel Otis
• “Shaking Body” – Ezra Collective
• “Zanzibar” – Marcos Valle & Azymuth
• “Thirteen” – Big Star
• “Daisy and Joaquin” – Ball-Point Birds, Tim Bluhm & Greg Loiacono
• “Dance For You” – Dirty Projectors
• “Lilia” – Jonathan Wilson & Milton Nascimento
• “Dream On” – Common Saints & Taloula
• “Rebel Soul” – Michael Kiwanuka
• “Fear When You Fly” – Cleo Sol
• “Why Don’t You” – Cleo Sol
• “One” – Cleo Sol
• “Pulled Up (Alternate Pop Version)” – Talking Heads
• “Jumbo” – Underworld
• “100 years of Bill & Lil” – Joe Webb
• “Skimming Stone” – Beth Orton
• “Defense” – Panda Bear & Cindy Lee
• “Forever” – Mildlife
• “Scaled to Survive” – Leyla McCalla
• “Anything” – Adrianne Lenker
• “Everything Is Simple” – Widowspeak
• “The Big Idea” – Lily Talmers
• “Who Does She Hope To Be?” – Dave Easley
• “Pop-Jazz Structures” – Sven Wunder
• “Sounds From Below” – Lake Trout
• “Soul Bossa Nova” – Quincy Jones (tribute to Quincy Jones)
• “One Mint Julep” – Ray Charles (tribute to Quincy Jones)
• “Fly Me To the Moon (Live At The Sands Hotel And Casino/1966)” – Frank Sinatra  (tribute to Quincy Jones)
• “Come Fly With Me (Live At The Sands Hotel And Casino/1966)” – Frank Sinatra  (tribute to Quincy Jones)
• “Summer In the City” – Quincy Jones (tribute to Quincy Jones)
• “Misty” – Sarah Vaughan (tribute to Quincy Jones)
• “Rock With You” – Michael Jackson (tribute to Quincy Jones)
• “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” – Michael Jackson (tribute to Quincy Jones)
• “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” – Michael Jackson (tribute to Quincy Jones)
• “Sun Circles (John Beltran Project Remix)” – Gratts

Listen to In the Groove with host Ryan Patrick Hooper weekdays from noon-3 p.m. ET on 101.9 WDET or stream on-demand at wdet.org.

The first new music Friday of November with fresh cuts from Samora Pinderhughes, High Vis, Friko, Machinedrum, Leifur James and a triumphant return of Cleo Sol.

Check the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the player above.

In The Groove with Ryan Patrick Hooper playlist for Nov. 1, 2024

• “Guided Tour” – High Vis
• “If I Am” – Friko
• “Pulga” – St. Vincent
• “Hey Bulldog” – Fanny
• “Gotta Get Up” – Harry Nilsson
• “Tenderness” – Parquet Courts
• “OK! (feat. Joekenneth Museau & Kota the Friend)” – Machinedrum
• “Slow Time” – Samora Pinderhughes
• “Higher” – Kokoroko
• “Willow (Birch Community Mix)” – Bryony Jarman-Pinto & Werkha
• “Without Us” – Melanie Charles
• “Gap In The Clouds” – Yellow Days
• “Balloon” – Crumb
• “Sun Circles (John Beltran Project Remix)” – Gratts
• “Proceed” – Speakers Corner Quartet
• “Magic Seeds” – Leifur James
• “Paper Trails” – DARKSIDE
• “Don’t Get Me Started” – The Smile
• “False Start Dub” – Kings of High Speed & JKriv
• “Repent” – JKriv
• “Another Star” – Stevie Wonder
• “Begin Again (Joe Goddard Remix)” – Jessie Ware
• “Cubano Chant” – Peggy O’Keefe
• “Fear When You Fly” – Cleo Sol
• “Les Fleurs” – Minnie Riperton
• “Olhos Coloridos” – Sandra de Sá
• “Esperar pra Ver” – Evinha
• “Le cœur au bout des doigts” – Jacqueline Taïeb
• “Road of the Lonely Ones” – Madlib
• “You Are Mine” – Jay Robinson
• “Apho” – Alfa Mist & Bongeziwe Mabandla
• “Dub Je Je” – Antibalas
• “Jealous Guy (Live)” – Donny Hathaway
• “Take Yo’ Praise” – Camille Yarbrough
• “Never Be Another You” – Lee Fields & The Expressions
• “Chantized” – Freddie Hubbard, Curtis Fuller And Yusef Lateef
• “Baltimore” – Nina Simone

Listen to In the Groove with host Ryan Patrick Hooper weekdays from noon-3 p.m. ET on 101.9 WDET or stream on-demand at wdet.org.

The term “devil’s night” has been dead in Detroit for some years… but I do reference it because it went on for such a long time in this city (hence for the photo for this post). This show was a precursor to Halloween, when I’m really going to dive into music that feels like Halloween without actually being a Halloween song. You helped with these — huge thanks to your voicemails! I’ve noted which tracks are listener picks below.

Check the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the player above.

In The Groove with Ryan Patrick Hooper playlist for October 30, 2024

• “Uriel” – Mary Jane Dunphe
• “Method Actor” – Nilüfer Yanya
• “Crossbow” – Tamar Aphek
• “Nothing Can Surprise Me” – Tamar Aphek
• “Svefn-G-Englar” – Sigur Rós *listener pick*
• “Cherry Sunshine” – somesurprises
• “Talk For Hours” – High Vis
• “Mind’s A Lie” – High Vis
• “Crazy for You (Alternative Version – Demo Version)” – Slowdive
• “Suns of Gold” – Leifur James
• “Let Your Hair Down (feat. Hutch the Great)” – Max Sinal
• “Firestarter (Jitwam Remix)” – The O’My’s
• “i ain’t scared of no devil (feat. dj godfrey ho)” – Jitwam
• “Mad Man” – Mike Nyoni and Born Free
• “Coffin Maker” – Chrissy Zebby Tembo & Ngozi Family
• “Lazy Bones” – WITCH
• “Frankenstein” – The Edgar Winter Group *listener pick*
• “7/4 (Shoreline)” – Broken Social Scene
• “New York” – Cat Power
• “Hey” – Pixies
• “All Over The World” – Pixies
• “Somebody Was Watching” – Pop Staples
• “Searching (feat. Sam Gendel)” – Tristan De Liege & Bryony Jarman-Pinto
• “Graucha Max (In The Groove Song of the Week)” – DARKSIDE
• “X Ray Eyes” – LCD Soundsystem
• “100 Yard Dash (Nicky D Remix)” – Derobert & The Half-truths
• “Lucid Girl” – Thee Sacred Souls
• “Hurting Lies (feat. Allysha Joy)” – EX GENERATION
• “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” – Geto Boys *listener pick*
• “Easy Easy” – King Krule
• “Road Head” – Japanese Breakfast
• “Black Cow” – Steely Dan

Listen to In The Groove with host Ryan Patrick Hooper weekdays from noon-3 p.m. ET on 101.9 WDET or stream on-demand at wdet.org.

Happy Halloween, everyone! This week, on MI Local, I dedicated the latter third of the show to play some songs that aren’t conventionally Halloween-themed, lyrically speaking, but they just have a certain vibe about them that feels frightfully fitted to the spooky season.

Leading off that set is the theremin-centric soundscapes of Via Mardot, with a song called “Portals.” This is a slightly older song by the multi-instrumentalist, singer and composer, but you can follow her on Instagram and find more information about her latest album, Higher Higher Burning Fire.

Along with these “eerie-Halloweeny,” or, as I dubbed them, “…music to carve pumpkins to…,” I also played new music from Kalamazoo-based singer/songwriter Elisabeth Pixley-Fink and Detroit-based artist Na Bonsai. We were also to exclusively premiere new tracks from Ypsilanti singer-songwriter Chris DuPont and Detroit-based indie-rock band Speed Circuit, the latter of which has an album release party THIS SATURDAY at Bowlero Lanes Lounge!

I’m off next Tuesday, as NPR presents live coverage of the presidential election, but I’ll have another power-hour showcase of all-local music ready for you on Nov. 12 — Tune in!

See the playlist below and listen to the episode on-demand for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.

London’s Matt Johnson has released records as The The since the early 1980s.

After a 25-year hiatus, he has returned to the studio to produce his first full The The album. Ensoulment sounds as relevant as ever, cinematic, and lyrically in tune.

Johnson joined me on In The Groove during my week as guest host, just as he arrived in Georgia to prepare for the United States’ leg of his current world tour. We discussed the new album, the life-threatening circumstance that led to The The’s first improvised song, “Linoleum Smooth to the Stockinged Foot,” and the meaning behind “Cognitive Dissident” — the first song released from Ensoulment.

We also spoke about the use of his music in films, including “Guardians of the Galaxy” and the new Francis Ford Coppola film, “Megalopolis.” Closing out the conversation is a thoughtful reflection on the role nostalgia plays in moving life forward.

The The will perform two sets at the Masonic Cathedral Theatre in Detroit on Wednesday, Oct. 23. The first set features the new album, and the second set is a retrospective of songs throughout The The’s discography until now.

Use the media player above to hear my entire conversation with Matt Johnson.

This week on MI Local, I received another visit by a local artist/musician, so that they could personally share a new song with our listeners! R&B singer-songwriter C3 stopped by to premiere his latest song, “The Other Man,” which he spoke about during our interview.

“I really just wanted to write a record for the good guys,” C3 said. It’s about finding “a good-hearted individual” who can “protect you and love you, forever.”

It’s also a song that’s quite danceable, while also showcasing C3’s vocal talents.

Along with this premiere, we heard brand new music from Detroit rock trio Shadow Show, and Ypsilanti-based singer-songwriter Kylee Phillips. We also previewed WDET’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Horror Show II, hosted by Jon Moshier next weekend at the Cadieux Cafe.

Stream the whole show and you’ll also hear some great local tracks that capture a quintessentially autumnal vibe, including Kalamazoo-based artist Jordan Hamilton and Detroit’s own Zilched.

• “The Good Parts” – Kylee Phillips
• “Baba Yaga” – Shadow Show
• “The Other Man” – C3 (In-Studio Guest)
• “Graveyard Rockin'” – The 3-D Invisibles
• “The Morning After (The Monster Mash)” – Norcos Y Horchata
• “Dark Dance” – Detroit Riddim Crew
• “Mezcal” – Duende
• “Sun” – Windy & Carl
• “Like The Dead” – Carmel Liburdi
• “Halloween” – Misty Lyn & the Big Beautiful
• “Believe In” – Jordan Hamilton
• “Radio Tower Blues” – Raw Honey
• “Loveless” – Zilched

It’s the last day of Hispanic Heritage Month, and to celebrate, The Metro was joined by a Detroit musician, activist, historian, and educator who has dedicated his career to improving the lives of Latino residents in southeast Michigan. 

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Osvaldo “Ozzie” Rivera currently teaches at Wayne State and the University of Michigan. He also writes for “El Central” newspaper, serves on Detroit’s Historic Designation Advisory Board and is the former director of Southwest Solutions. He was instrumental in the creation of the Wayne State Center for Latino/a American Studies, established 1971. 

Rivera was born on the island of Puerto Rico but is a lifelong Detroiter. His father was a musician and early in life, Rivera became interested in both music and activism. If you attended this year’s Concert of Colors, you might’ve seen Rivera perform with his band Rican Struction, a Bomba music ensemble. 

Rivera joined the show to discuss the importance of Latino culture in southeast Michigan and work done to support the community. One of the issues in the Detroit Latino community that Rivera fought against was systemic racism in public schools.

“There’s some broad brushes to discuss in terms of just acknowledgement and civil rights, but specifically as it related to the Latino community in Detroit, there were issues with the lack of bilingual education,” Rivera said. “Actually, many students were funneled into special-ed classes only because they spoke Spanish. So La Sed … also put in a successful lawsuit against the Detroit Public School system for funneling, directing Spanish speaking students and some who weren’t even Spanish speaking, they were put in special rooms and some would say some closets. And so you have to fight for bilingual education and against standardization or delegitimizing Latin students.”

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation with Rivera.

More headlines from The Metro on Oct. 15, 2024: 

• A new early childhood educator workforce index shows that child care wages remain low in Michigan and across the United States. Director of Multi-State and International Programs at Berkeley’s Center for the Study of Child Care Employment Caitlin McLean joined the show to discuss the new report.
• There are a lot of issues voters care about, but depending on your party, voter priorities are very different. We’re less than a month away from the presidential election, and that leaves us wondering what might turn out the vote most for either party. Joining us to discuss the upcoming election and what’s on voters’ minds, The Atlantic staff writer Tim Alberta joined The Metro. He’s covered politics with a close eye on both the white, evangelical christian movement in this country and the shifts happening in the Republican Party. He will also be speaking at an event called “Democracy at a Crossroads” at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday on Michigan State University’s campus.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 11 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

This week on Visions, my playlist is all over the board. Between 1965 Sonny Rollins to 2024 Andy Milne, I cover some interesting ground.

Before I get into the music, definitely check out the interview I did during the first hour with Deanna Relyea, director of Edgefest, an annual avant-jazz festival happening this week in Ann Arbor. Deanna and I talk about how Edgefest started (it’s now in its 28th year!), which artists are performing at the festival, and what kind of music to expect. Happening this week, Oct. 16-19 in Ann Arbor, you won’t want to miss it.

I also give a preview of some artists coming to Ann Arbor, many of whom have already graced the airwaves through Visions!

The artists coming to Edgefest are Andy Milne, Myra Melford, Tomeka Reid, Detroit artist Kenji Lee, Sylvie Courvoisier, and William Parker. I also play selections from Sonny Rollins, Wynton Marsalis, Milton Nascimento & Esperanza Spalding, Sam Newsome, and the late Benny Golson.

Check out the playlist below and listen to the episode on-demand for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.

Visions Playlist for Oct. 14, 2024

• “Outubro” – Milton Nascimento  & Esperanza Spalding
• “Mr. Clean” – Roy Hargrove
• “Jaki” – William Parker
• “Freedom Jazz Dance” – Ethnic Heritage Ensemble
• “Black Codes” – Wynton Marsalis
• “Le Pavot Rouge” (feat. Wadada Leo Smith, Christian Fennesz, Nate Wooley, Drew Gress & Kenny Wollesen) – Sylvie Courvoisier
• “Papounet” – Andy Milne and Unison
• “B.K.” – Nicole Mitchell, Tomeka Reid & Mike Reed
• “The Strawberry” – Myra Melford
• “Three Little Words” – Sonny Rollins
• “In the Vein of Trane” – Sam Newsome Quintet
• “Empty Cup” – Kenji Lee’s Fortune Teller Trio
• “Voyage” – Benny Golson, Mulgrew Miller, Rufus Reid & Tony Reedus

Subscribe to Created Equal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

• Alice Randall is a New York Times best-selling author, award-winning songwriter, educator and food activist.

Listen to Created Equal with host Stephen Henderson weekdays from 9-10 a.m. ET on 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand.

We are more than halfway into our 2024 Fall Fundraiser, and a new day means new incentives to encourage WDET listeners to make an investment in Detroit Public Radio’s future.

Listeners who make a donation during In The Groove with Ryan Patrick Hooper from 12-4 p.m. on Wednesday will be automatically entered into a drawing for two VIP tickets to all events or performances at Spot Lite Detroit for a full year.

Missed Hooper’s show? Tune in to The Boulevard with Waajeed from 8-10 p.m. Wednesday and make a donation of any amount and you will be entered in the Spot Lite drawing.

Those who donate during The Boulevard on Wednesday could also win an unreleased Waajeed vinyl titled Get in the Zone LP — set for release this November — and an Underground Music Academy snapback hat.

Listeners will have one last opportunity to win the Spot Lite passes this Saturday, Sept. 21, by making a gift to WDET during The Progressive Underground with Chris Campbell from 6-8 p.m. or during The New Music Show with Shigeto from 8-10 p.m.

Tune in to WDET at 101.9 FM to hear the latest incentives being offered before our Fall Fundraiser ends Sept. 22.

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Sergio Mendes, the celebrated Brazilian musician whose 1966 hit “Mas Que Nada” made him a global superstar and helped launched a long, Grammy-winning career, has died after months battling the effects of long COVID. He was 83.

The death Thursday of the Brazilian pianist, songwriter and arranger was confirmed in a statement by his family.

“His wife and musical partner for the past 54 years, Gracinha Leporace Mendes, was by his side, as were his loving children,” the statement Friday said. “Mendes last performed in November 2023 to sold out and wildly enthusiastic houses in Paris, London and Barcelona.”

Mendes was born in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro’s sister city, and studied classical music at a conservatory before joining jazz groups. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, he began playing Bossa Nova as the genre was heating up in Rio’s nightclub scene with Antonio Carlos Jobim, João Gilberto and others.

In 1962, they traveled to New York for a Bossa Nova festival at Carnegie Hall. During the trip, Cannonball Adderley invited Mendes to collaborate on the album “Cannonball Adderley and The Bossa Rio Sextet,” leading to his first American record, “The Swinger from Rio,” after signing with Atlantic Records.

Two years later, Mendes moved to California and formed Brazil ’64, which evolved into Brazil ’66 after he added two female vocalists. The group’s debut album, produced by Herb Alpert, featured “Mas Que Nada.” Sung entirely in Portuguese, “Mas Que Nada” was a mid-tempo Samba number originally released in 1963 by composer Jorge Ben Sor, and updated three years later by Mendes, who had been playing the song in clubs and gave it a jazzier, more hard-hitting feel.

“I put a band together called Brasil ’66,” he told The Guardian in 2019. “I’d always had instrumental groups, but when I added the two female singers – Lani Hall and Bibi Vogel – it made a different kind of sound. We recorded the song in Los Angeles, with me, the drums, bass and guitar all performing live.”

Mendes’ version was a worldwide hit that helped perpetuate the Brazilian music boom of the 1960s. In 2006, a modern version of the song topped U.S. charts, as performed by Black Eyed Peas. It was included in his album “Timeless,” produced by will.i.am and also featuring Stevie Wonder, Justin Timberlake and John Legend, among others.

“Sergio Mendes was my brother from another country,” trumpet player Alpert wrote on Facebook, along with a photo from decades ago, sitting next to Mendes at the piano. “He was a true friend and extremely gifted musician who brought Brazilian music in all its iterations to the entire world with elegance.”

Mendes’ other hits were an eclectic blend ranging from covers of the Beatles’ “The Fool on the Hill” and “With a Little Help from My Friends,” to his own Brazilian chant, “Magalenha.” Mendes also composed the soundtrack for the film “Pelé,” featuring saxophonist Gerry Mulligan, and even produced an album recorded by the great Brazilian soccer player.

Mendes won the 1992 Grammy Award for Best World Music Album for “Brasileiro” and two Latin Grammy Awards. He also received an Oscar nomination in 2012 for Best Original Song for “Real in Rio,” from the animated film “Rio.”

“Brazilian soul was there,” pianist, singer, and songwriter Marcos Valle told GloboNews about Mendes’ music. Valle also noted that it was Mendes who helped open doors for other Brazilian artists of his generation, including himself, to reach foreign audiences.

Mendes’ family said they will provide details regarding funeral and memorial services at a later date.

Story by David Biller and Gabriela Sá Pessoa, Associated Press.

Following in the footsteps of legends like Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby, harpist Brandee Younger has transformed one of the world’s oldest instruments, bringing it into the modern era. By blending innovative techniques with jazz and beyond, Younger continues to push musical boundaries.

Listen: A conversation with harpist Brandee Younger

The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.

On how her music journey started long before she began playing the harp:

I’ve always been deeply involved in music. In high school, I was voted most musical—not for the harp, but for playing the trombone in the marching band. My first instrument was the flute, but we had too many flute players, so my teacher asked if I’d switch to trombone.

The harp came into my life through a woman at my dad’s job who played it as a hobby. My parents, knowing my musical interests, introduced me to her. We played some flute and harp duets, and she suggested I take lessons. She mentioned that with the right skills, I could even get a scholarship—and that’s how my journey with the harp began.

On how she got her start releasing music by acting on the advice of her mentor, saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, and recording her debut project, the analog-driven “The Prelude” EP:

I wanted to record music but wasn’t sure where to start. I told Ravi Coltrane that I didn’t feel ready to make an album. He reminded me that recordings capture where you are at that moment, and that helped me shift my perspective.

So, I went into the studio, wrote a song called “So Alive,” and recorded a few standards. I sent the demo to Casey Benjamin, who told me, “Don’t make demos, just make albums.” That advice stuck with me, so I decided to put the project on Bandcamp. Music blogs picked it up quickly, and I made my money back fast. That’s how “The Prelude” EP came to life.

On how blending contemporary styles with the timeless sound of the harp has made her an in-demand session musician:

I’ve always loved recording more than performing, so I focused on becoming a session musician. I wanted the harp to be part of the music I was listening to, which wasn’t the classical music I was studying. By recording with artists who were making the kind of music I loved, I created a space for the harp in contemporary genres. This approach laid the foundation for the music I create today.

On how Detroit artists like Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby have influenced her approach to the harp and why she celebrates their legacies:

This has always been intentional for me. The harp is often seen as a classical instrument, and I felt it wasn’t getting the respect it deserved outside of the orchestra. Dorothy Ashby’s discography is incredible, and her level of playing was unmatched, yet she wasn’t recognized the way she should have been. The same goes for Alice Coltrane. Early on, I decided to honor their legacies by including their influence in everything I do — whether through playing their compositions or creating new works inspired by them.

On how she continues to honor the legacies of Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby on her latest album, “Brand New Life”:

With “Brand New Life,” I wanted to pay homage to Alice and Dorothy, but without making it a straightforward tribute album. We recorded some of Dorothy’s compositions that had never been recorded before, literally giving them a “brand new life” (no pun intended as she laughs). It’s a way of continuing their legacy through my own lens.

On how she wants audiences to experience her music through her ongoing tour, newly reformatted trio, and meaningful connections with artists and fans:

I want the music community to feel the sincerity in my work, especially now with my trio. Downsizing from a larger group to just three of us has been incredible. We have such a strong dynamic, both on and off the stage. It’s been a rewarding experience, and I hope that connection comes through in our performances.

To stay updated on Brandee Younger’s tours, events and releases, visit brandeeyounger.com.

On this episode of the Detroit Evening Report, we cover the continued power outages across metro Detroit following this week’s severe storms; the upcoming Detroit Jazz Festival and more.

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Thousands still without power after storms

More than 60,000 metro Detroit residents are still without power on Thursday after severe storms hit the region Tuesday evening and continued into Wednesday. DTE Energy says crews are “continuing to work as quickly and safely as possible to restore power to everyone impacted by the extreme weather.”

The company says it has restored power to more than 80% of its customers and expects to have 90% of customers restored by end of day Thursday, with remaining customers expected to be restored Friday.

Detroit market offers up fridge space during outages

Neighborhood Grocery in Detroit’s Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood is offering refrigerator space to those who are still without power. The market posted on Facebook Wednesday offering up fridge space for medications or freezer space for perishables for those in need of temporary storage until power is restored. 

Corktown ranked top ‘up-and-coming’ neighborhood in US

Detroit’s historical Corktown neighborhood has been ranked a top “up-and-coming” neighborhood in the nation by Travel Mag. The magazine cited spots like Mercury Burger and Bar, Bobcat Bonnie’s and Brooklyn Street Local as hot spots to grab a bite, and also mentioned the reopening of Michigan Central as part of the neighborhood’s resurgence. The neighborhood was listed among 16 others in cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Miami. 

Freedom Arts Festival continues

Programming for the Detroit Parks Coalition’s annual Freedom Arts Festival will continue throughout the fall season. The free festival series kicked off in June and will run through November with a variety of events hosted across nine parks and public spaces in the city.  Supported by the Knight Foundation and the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, the festival features live performances of music, dance, storytelling and art reflecting Detroit’s rich multicultural history, weaving together narratives of freedom, racial justice, connections to place and more. For more information on future programming, visit detroitparkscoalition.com/freedom-arts-festival.

Detroit Jazz Festival returns

The Detroit Jazz Festival kicks off at 6:40 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 30 in Hart Plaza. with performances continuing in downtown Detroit through Labor Day weekend. Over 60 performances are scheduled to take place throughout the long weekend, including from The Bad Plus, Carmen Lundy, artist-in-residence Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band and more. The festival will have stages in Hart Plaza, Cadillac Square and after hour specials in Midtown at Wayne State’s Valade Jazz Center. For more information, visit detroitjazzfest.org.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.