Don Was and The Pan-Detroit Ensemble Unveil First Leg of Headline Tour Dates

Six-time Grammy winner Don Was will hit the road this fall on the first leg of an extensive tour with The Pan-Detroit Ensemble, a “nine-piece soul jazz group from Detroit,” as Was describes it.

The tour will feature songs from the band’s forthcoming debut album alongside a full performance of The Grateful Dead’s Blues For Allah, in celebration of that album’s 50th Anniversary.

Kicking off October 8 in Traverse City, MI, the run will include stops in Detroit, Louisville, Lansing and more, plus a special appearance at the immersive Golden Road Festival in Buford, GA. The Traverse City and Evanston dates will include two performances, at 7PM and 9PM. Tickets are on sale now HERE. Additional dates will be announced soon—see below for the current itinerary.

Don Was and The Pan-Detroit Ensemble’s debut album will be released this fall via Mack Avenue Records, with further details coming in the weeks ahead, and the Detroit date serving as an album release show.

A Detroit native, Don Was has spent five decades as a producer, bassist, composer, and the longtime head of Blue Note Records. He has produced landmark albums for The Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, John Mayer, Willie Nelson, and more, with combined sales approaching 100 million records. His accolades include a BAFTA Award for Best Original Score (Backbeat), an Emmy for Music Direction (The Beatles: The Night That Changed America), and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association.

Was has led the Don Was Detroit All-Star Revue for more than 15 years, co-hosts The Don Was Motor City Playlist on Detroit NPR station WDET, and hosts Dinner with Don Was on SiriusXM. Since 2018, he has toured extensively with Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros, a group he co-founded with Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir. His latest project, The Pan-Detroit Ensemble, marks a return to his Motor City roots and the raw, groove-driven spirit that has defined his career.

TOUR DATES

October 8—Traverse City, MI—The Alluvion—7PM

October 8—Traverse City, MI—The Alluvion—9PM

October 9—Lansing, MI—Grewal Hall at 224

October 10—Evanston, IL—Space—7PM

October 10—Evanston, IL—Space—9PM

October 11—Detroit, MI—The Majestic Theatre

October 15—Louisville, KY—Headliners Music Hall

October 16—Charlottesville, VA—Jefferson Theater

October 17—Saxaphahaw, NC—Haw River Ballroom

October 18—Buford, GA—Lanier Islands

ABOUT THE PAN-DETROIT ENSEMBLE

Formed by Don Was, The Pan-Detroit Ensemble unites some of Detroit’s most accomplished jazz players, including Jeff Canaday (drums), Vincent Chandler (trombone), Steffanie Christi’an (vocals) John Douglas (trumpet), Wayne Gerard (guitar), Mahindi Masai (percussion), Dave McMurray (saxophone), and Luis Resto (keyboards).