TASLIMAH BEY'S RAGTIME BAND
Pianist Taslimah Bey will lead a Mardi Gras in Detroit celebration with her all-star ensemble, which includes the great Detroit trumpeter Dwight Adams, a regular on Stevie Wonder tours.
Bey began studying classical music at age 16, but soon switched to jazz, beginning a lifelong passion for the music. She is famed for her playing in the Ragtime tradition — music of legendary composers/pianists such as Scott Joplin, Jelly Roll Morton and Fats Waller.
In 1985, Taslimah presented the Ragtime Legacy, a lecture/concert on the compositions of early ragtime composers. The next year she formed Taslimah’s Ragtime Band, which has included a rotating roster of jazz greats: Marcus Belgrave, Charlie Gabriel, Marion Hayden, Greg Patrick, Tony Holland, Raycee Biggs and James Carter.
Bey has a long list of performances in several jazz and ragtime festivals throughout the US. She performed at Preservation Hall with the jazz legends of New Orleans, including drummer, Shannon Powell. In 2001, Bey received the award for the Preservation of African-American Music from the Societie for the Culturally Concerned in Detroit. In summer 2007, she was a featured artist at Greenfield Village’s Ragtime Street Fair.
In addition to performing ragtime, Taslimah has Bachelor’s of Music and teaches at Cody High School in Detroit. She is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in Music Education from Oakland University. Taslimah can be heard on the CD, Taslimah Bey, Live!
Trumpeter Dwight Adams' early musical training didn't begin until he joined his high school band during his junior year. A quick study, he landed a gig as a member of fellow Detroiter Teddy Harris' New Breed BeBop Society at the age of 16, and is now one of the brightest stars on the Detroit jazz scene.
Adams earned a full scholarship to Kentucky State University, where he majored in music education and performance. He has since played and recorded with musicians including Marcus Belgrave, Rodney Whitaker, James Carter, Shawn Wallace and Donald Walden; he tours with the Motown's own Stevie Wonder. He has served as a jazz trumpet instructor at both Ohio State University and Michigan State University.
