We are going to celebrate John Lee Hooker’s 99th birthday this coming Monday, August 22nd, while also imagining his centennial next year in 2017. In that spirit, come witness a John Lee Hooker-inspired jam session and video shoot for ONE MILE / Detroit Afrikan Music Institution / Detroit Sound Conservancy featuring: Efe Bes Tino G […]
Detroit Sound Conference III Call for Papers 10 am – 8 pm October 15, 2016 Detroit, MI Keynote Speaker: Melvin Davis (pictured above) This event is free and open to the public. The Detroit Sound Conservancy (DSC), a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the region’s sonic heritage, will host its 3rd annual conference […]
Herman “Uncle Herm” Hayes, James “Dilla” Yancey‘s uncle, knows how to move forward without slipping into amnesia. We are honored to be a small part of his entrepreneurial efforts at Dilla’s Delights to create possibilities for his nephew’s daughters by lending him our Paradise Valley model from the Graystone International Jazz Museum Collection. The model […]
To our advisers and supporters: we have some important new developments to share with you. As our collections continue to surface and grow, we have commenced the search for a more suitable space for our archives. While this is a good problem to have, we regret that it meant moving out of United Sound Systems […]
Celebrate Detroit’s 313th birthday with this recording of the Electrifying Mojo circa 1983 from my personal collection. The tape is a compilation made from three other tapes all originally recorded off the radio by my dear friend, George Ryder, in the early 1980s. I have been listening to this tape for twenty years. It never […]
An open letter to Detroit Mayor Duggan on the need for a true “music city” strategy for Detroit’s living musical legacies.
Photo above: DSC Vice Presidents LaVell Williams and Denise Dalphond in front of the Blue Bird Inn, Detroit. Conferences are not just for talking heads and academic circles. The conference can be a primary method of telling musical stories and documenting oral histories. The conference is also an effective tool for public exploration of themes […]
We are pleased to announce the First Annual Detroit Sound Conservancy Conference on Detroit Music. CONSERVING SOUNDS: TELLING STORIES Friday May 23, 2014 at the Detroit Public Library. Our goal is to increase knowledge of Detroit’s vast musical legacy through education and reflection. The presenters and panelists are encouraged to explore a wide range of […]
One of our advisers and future contributors, Veronica Grandison, wrote a great article this week exploring the current state of musical mentoring in Detroit. At one point she says: “Whether it’s breaking out the sax to help a student practice scales, conducting private lessons, or leading a band, musicians play an important role in music […]
United Sound Systems (USS) was the site of numerous well-known recordings, including those by the most popular artists of many genres. Jazz greats like Charlie Parker and Miles Davis, blues legends like John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters, Motown stars such as Jackie Wilson and Smokey Robinson, soul singers such as Aretha Franklin and Isaac […]