Music In Homes: Planet D Nonet Salute to Strayhorn

Planet D Nonet‘s tribute to Billy Strayhorn pays homage to one of the jazz and swing giants of the 20th Century. Composer-arranger Strayhorn’s (1915-67) brilliance was shadowed by his collaboration with Duke Ellington until recent years. Now, Strayhorn’s genius is more widely recognized and is featured front and center in PD9’s newest recording on the Detroit Music Factory label, A Salute to Strayhorn, which is moving up to the top of the Billboard jazz charts.

The Detroit Free Press describes PD9 as “a vibrant little-big band with an expansive repertoire…Led together by drummer RJ Spangler and trumpeter James O’Donnell, the band plays this music with affection, balancing the spirit of the past with the pop of the present tense.”

Musicians include saxophonists/clarinetists Justin Jozwiak, Jim Holden and Goode Wyche III, trumpeter/vocalist/co-leader James O’Donnell, trumpeter Ken Ferry, trombonist/vocalist John Paxton, double bassist Shannon Wade, pianist Michael Zaporski, drummer/bandleader RJ Spangler, and special guest vocalist Camille Price.

Highly respected on the Detroit jazz scene, Spangler earned his first Motor City Music Award in 1982 with a band he co-founded, the Sun Messengers. After 15 years as a Messenger, RJ directed Detroit blues guitar master Johnnie Bassett’s band and travelled worldwide with him. Winners of the Detroit Music Award in 2016 for Outstanding Traditional Jazz Artist/Group, PD9 is widely celebrated for playing swing, blues, space-age jazz and classic American songs with spirit, soul and a generous dose of spunk. 

Tickets: $50; VIP seating in front rows with additional leg room: $60.