Don Was & The Pan-Detroit Ensemble reimagine The Grateful Dead classic ‘Blues for Allah’

by photojournalist Jeffrey Moellering, with great thanks to Jeffrey

and Tampa Bay Music News for story and photos

Don Was is a true musical chameleon. Widely known throughout the industry as producer to the stars, working with everyone from Bob Dylan, Elton John, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, and The Rolling Stones to the quirky B-52s, he is also president of prestigious Blue Note Records jazz label, a six-time Grammy winner, and he collaborated for years as bassist with the recently passed Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead, in their Wolf Brothers band.

On a crisp February (12) evening, Was brought together a powerhouse nine-piece lineup of slick Detroit musicians to the Capitol Theatre in Clearwater for a bold, soulful 50th anniversary tribute to The Grateful Dead’s Blues for Allah while also in support of their newly released Groove in the Face of Adversity album. Rather than replicate The Dead’s 1975 album, The Pan-Detroit Ensemble reshaped it through the city’s signature blend of jazz, funk, and groove.

The show became even more poignant with the recent death of Bob Weir, and Don Was highlighted this at the outset of the show, quoting a passage that new age Eastern spiritualist Ram Dass wrote for Jerry Garcia upon his passing in 1995, which Bob Weir read at the time and decided to go on with their scheduled show. It was with that spirit that Was vowed to carry on with his new project, much to the appreciation of the grateful Clearwater crowd.

The nine-piece band are all Detroit natives, all of whom possess serious jazz chops but are also anchored with abiding reverence for Motown soul. The first few numbers featured a Hank Williams cover along with Don Was compositions, done in a very jazz-infused fashion, allowing the band to get their jazz fingers fluidly flowing.

The Blues For Allah opener “Help on the Way / Slipknot! / Franklin’s Tower” made the group’s intentions clear: smooth improvisation, fresh arrangements, and an emphasis on interplay over imitation. Steffanie Christi’an lit up “Crazy Fingers” with gospel-charged vocals, while guitarist Wayne Gerard nodded to Garcia’s style without simple mimicry. Was’ warm, steady bass anchored the entire night.

A highlight came with an expansive, cosmic take on “King Solomon’s Marbles,” pushing into Miles Davis / Bitches Brew style territory, as John Douglas and Dave McMurray traded electrifying lines on the trumpet and sax. The closing “Blues for Allah” suite wrapped the evening in a haze of mysticism and Detroit soul grit. Each band member was given a chance to shine, including a dance off featuring the vocalist and trombone player, with alternating steps and staccato punctuations.

The band finished off the evening with a fittingly appropriate cover of funk and soul great Curtis Mayfield and his “This is My Country,” encapsulating a feeling of communion and the message that our diverse talents truly bind us together as one nation.

No simple Grateful Dead garage band nostalgia trip, the performance revived the experimental heart of Blues for Allah and revealed how alive the music still is. After the show, the lobby was jammed by enthusiastic fans waiting to give their regards to the band members and snap up the merchandise. It was like a church revival, complete with a three-piece horn section, percussionist and vocalist that would have made Mahalia Jackson beam with pride. The Pan-Detroit Ensemble presented a uniquely vibrant, joyful night and a reminder of Motown’s unmatched ability to reinvent the classics.