Cost: $35 – $85
No matter what kind of music you’re into, is there anything more thrilling than a five-piece group of musical virtuosos pushing the boundaries to their collective limit? That’s precisely what’s contained on The South Detroit Connection, the debut recording by trumpeter Russ Macklem. The album exudes all the intimate energy of classic recordings from Birdland and the Village Vanguard, but with a modern flair.
Originally from Kelowna B.C., Russ lived and performed in many major North American cities before making his current home base in the Detroit/Windsor area. He has performed with a wide range of artists, from Cecil McBee and Dave Holland to the Marley Brothers, Amp Fiddler, De’Sean Jones and Royce da 5’9”, but with The South Detroit Connection, Macklem makes a powerful case to be included among the most exciting new voices on the North American jazz scene.
“My sound lives on the outskirts of the contemporary jazz scene, secluded from the safety of those playing to the crowd, but maybe familiar to those who have ears for mid ’60s and beyond Miles Davis, Marcus Belgrave, Wayne Shorter, Andrew Hill, Elvin Jones, late Coltrane, Kenny Wheeler, Woody Shaw, and the Avant Garde.” – Russ Macklem
THE BAND:
Russ Macklem: trumpet, compositions
Kasan Belgrave: saxophones
Brendon Davis: piano
Jonathon Muir-Cotton: bass
Michael J. Reed: drums