Music In Homes: Straight Ahead
Tickets available at palmerwoodsmusicinhomes2022.eventbrite.com
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June 25, 2022
Garden Concert
Marion Hayden, bass • Gayelynne McKinney, drums • Alina Morr, piano • Kymberli Wright, vocals • Ingrid Racine, trumpet
Out of Detroit’s explosive jazz scene, which has produced some of the best musicians in the world, comes the ground-breaking jazz group Straight Ahead. A group of strong, inventive instrumentalists and vocalists, they are powerful and imaginative composers and arrangers.
Grammy-nominated and award-winning, they are Detroit’s premiere all-female jazz ensemble (with the current addition of Yancyy on sax). The ensemble celebrates a 30-year legacy creating fantastic music over the course of four albums — three for Atlantic records. Together and individually they’ve played with many musical legends, including Aretha Franklin, Clark Terry, Geri Allen, Marcus Belgrave, Charlie Gabriel, Roy Brooks, Regina Carter and many others.
Widely recognized for their eclectic and soulful approach to creating music, the Straight Ahead sound ranges comfortably from mainstream jazz, contemporary jazz, latin and jazzy hip-hop. Their live performances are a dynamic celebration of power and joy with a wide range of musical textures, moods and tempos.
Straight Ahead was introduced to the world as finalist in the “Sony Innovators” competition, a national competition recognizing exceptional performers in the jazz field. They received international exposure when they were invited to open for the legendary Nina Simone at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland. They were the first all-woman jazz ensemble signed to Atlantic Records. The ensemble has shared the concert stage with a who’s who of the music world including: Kem, Jean Luc Ponty, Nancy Wilson, Roy Ayers, Tony Bennett, George Duke, Stanley Clarke, Max Roach, the Yellowjackets and Dianne Reeves.
Recognized for its creativity, musicianship and dedication to making great music, the band was inducted into the Detroit Music Awards Hall of Fame.
