Strut taps John Sinclair's jazz archives for Detroit Artists Workshop comp

The Detroit Artists Workshop 2LP set boasts rare gems from Yusef Lateef, Donald Byrd, Bennie Maupin, Lyman Woodard, etc.

Here's the scoop...

Strut and Art Yard present the culmination of a 5-year project researching the archives of author, DJ and activist John Sinclair with the first ever retrospective of the influential Detroit Artists Workshop spanning 1965 to 1981. 

“In the mid-‘60s, Detroit was nowhere,” explains Sinclair. “A decaying jazz scene, no community of poets, painters or writers so a group of young Detroit artists, most of us students at Wayne State University, got together in the late Summer of 1964.” Led by Sinclair and trumpeter Charles Moore, the Artists Workshop Society was formed as a co-operative community, drawing upon the resources of every participating individual in order to perpetuate itself. They began to provide spaces in Detroit for musicians to rehearse and to promote live concerts showcasing a range progressive jazz artists across the city. 

Between the mid-‘60s and the early ‘80s, Sinclair amassed a huge archive of recordings from the Workshop concerts featuring Detroit residents like Moore’s Contemporary 5, Ron English and Lyman Woodard alongside many other US jazz luminaries including Donald Byrd, Sun Ra Arkestra and Herbie Hancock. Dormant in the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Brooklyn for many years, Strut and Art Yard began their research into the archives in 2017. 

This first compilation of Detroit Artists Workshop is a revelation for any fan of jazz, featuring previously unreleased recordings by Byrd, Moore, English, Woodard, Bennie Maupin and Teddy Harris accompanied by extensive sleeve notes from John Sinclair, Robin Eichele and Herb Boyd. All tracks are remastered from the original tapes by Technology Works. 

Get a copy of the Detroit Artists Workshop compilation via Bandcamp right here. Listen to the Bennie Maupin Quartet perform "Water Torture" and Lyman Woodard's "Déjà Vu" below. 

Detroit Artists Workshop: Community, Jazz and Art in the Motor City, 1965-1981

A1. YUSEF LATEEF – HAPPYOLOGY 4.04 

A2. DONALD BYRD – CHRISTO REDENTOR 05:43

A3. DONALD BYRD – BLACKJACK 04:30

B1. DETROIT CONTEMPORARY 4 – EFFI 08:46 

B2. DETROIT CONTEMPORARY 4 – THE PROMISE 08:40

C1. BENNIE MAUPIN QUARTET – WATER TORTURE 08:52 

C2. RON ENGLISH - BEES 10:21

D1. TEDDY HARRIS – PASSION DANCE 07:55 

D2 LYMAN WOODARD – DÉJÀ VU 05:54 

D3. LYMAN WOODARD ORGANISATION – HELP ME GET AWAY 5.30

Happy Birthday Lyman Woodard

Remembering Detroit jazz keyboardist/bandleader Lyman Woodard with "Saturday Night Special" 

Dennis Coffey's smokin' performance with Lyman Woodard Trio to be released

Dennis Coffey's rare recording from Morey Baker's Showplace Lounge is being released by Omnivore on June 1. 

A previously unissued live set from Detroit in 1968!

Dennis Coffey is a guitar legend. From his early work with The Royaltones (who also backed other artists like Del Shannon) — to his run through the Motor City’s independent labels as a session ace — to his pioneering and legendary work with The Funk Brothers, backing band to massive Motown hits like “Just My Imagination,” “Ball Of Confusion (That’s What The World Is Today),” “War,” “Cloud Nine,” “Someday We’ll Be Together” and “Band Of Gold” among many others — he's one of the most important six-string slingers on the Detroit scene during the 60s.

And Dennis didn't slow down for one second during the 70s either as he struck out on his own and had a million selling hit with “Scorpio,” in 1971. He continued his studio session work (notably appearing on “Boogie Fever” by The Sylvers), scored films and produced other artists’ albums like Gallery’s Nice To Be With You and Rodriguez’ cult classic Cold Fact.

The 2000s have found Dennis appearing on the big screen including the 2002 film Standing In The Shadows Of Motown and the 2012’s Searching For Sugarman. And to this very day you can find him playing every Tuesday night in Detroit.

One Night At Morey’s: 1968 is drawn from the residency at Morey Baker’s Showplace Lounge in Detroit by the Lyman Woodard Trio. The trio consisted of Coffey on guitar, brilliant organist, Lyman Woodard, and drummer Melvin Davis, and could be found at Morey’s once a week. They played to a dedicated, often repeat, audience so the band kept the repertoire fresh and changing. One Night At Morey’s: 1968 follows last year’s Hot Coffey In The D: Burnin’ At Morey Baker’s Showplace Lounge released by Resonance Records, also drawn from the Morey’s residency, but with an entirely different track list.

All tracks on One Night At Morey’s: 1968 are previously unissued and come directly from the vaults of Dennis Coffey and producer partner, Mike Theodore. Tracks include original compositions, “Big City Lights,” “Mindbender,” and “Union Station,” as well as surprising and funky covers of “Billie’s Bounce” by Charlie Parker, “Burning Spear” by The Soulful Strings (written and arranged by Richard Evans), “Cissy Strut” by The Meters, “Eleanor Rigby” by The Beatles, “Groovin’” by The Young Rascals, and “I’m A Midnight Mover” by Wilson Pickett co-written by Pickett and Bobby Womack. Check the track list followed by a preview trailer below.

One Night At Morey's: 1968
I’M A MIDNIGHT MOVER
ELEANOR RIGBY
CISSY STRUT
GROOVIN’
BURNING SPEAR
IT’S YOUR THING/UNION STATION
MINDBENDER
BIG CITY LIGHTS
BILLIE’S BOUNCE

Happy Birthday Lyman Woodard!

Remembering the late great Detroit keyboardist with his Saturday Night Special. 

Happy Birthday Lyman Woodard

Saturday Night Special by Lyman Woodard Organization



On Your Mind



It's Your Thing by Dennis Coffey w/Lyman Woodard Trio



LINKS
label Wax Poetics
iTunes Saturday Night Special