Detroit native Robert Hurst III premieres D3, featuring Detroit's own Karriem Riggins, drums, and Ian Finkelstein, piano
Brooklyn-based vibraphonist Joel Ross and harpist Brandee Younger make their Paradise Jazz Series debut
Tickets on sale now at dso.org
Detroit, (June 14, 2022) – The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) closes its 2021-22 Paradise Jazz Series with a concert featuring Detroit native bassist Robert Hurst III joined by drummer Karriem Riggins and pianist Ian Finkelstein with duo Joel Ross, vibraphone, and Brandee Younger, harp.
On Saturday, June 25 at 8 p.m., Detroit native Robert Hurst III returns to Orchestra Hall stage to premiere D3, which has been described by critic Mark Stryker as "compelling compositions that distill an encyclopedia’s worth of African American music, including swinging post-bop, African and Caribbean influences, contemporary beats from hip hop, and more.” Hurst has enjoyed a stellar 30-year career becoming one of the most in-demand bassists in music, performing alongside the likes of Sir Paul McCartney, Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Dave Brubeck, Yo-Yo Ma, Diana Krall, and countless others.
This program will also feature Brooklyn-based vibraphonist Joel Ross and recently awarded Rising Star Harpist in Downbeat Magazine’s 2020 Critics Poll Brandee Younger make their Paradise Jazz Series debut with a unique duo set.
“When you talk about the energy of live jazz concerts, you can’t beat it. There’s this connection between the audience and the musicians that’s very special, and with certain artists it goes into the realm of just being magical” said Fred A. Erb Jazz Creative Director Chair Terence Blanchard about the DSO’s Paradise Jazz Series.
The June 25 performance will also be webcast at dso.org as a DSO Digital Concert. Subscribers and donors above $125 receive access to all DSO Digital Concerts, with single tickets available to purchase for $12. Concerts can be viewed exclusively on dso.org or the DSO app via computer, mobile device, or smart TV both live and on-demand for two weeks following the original concert performance. For more information, and to purchase tickets, visit dso.org/digitalconcerts. Ticketholders with questions may contact the DSO Box Office by calling 313.576.5111 or emailing digitaltickets@dso.org.
Please note: the DSO will not be featured on this performance.
DSO safety policies: Masks are strongly recommended for all patrons attending events at The Max and other DSO venues. The current CDC COVID-19 community level in our area is HIGH. The CDC strongly recommends wearing a mask in all public indoor areas regardless of vaccination status. Proof of full vaccination for COVID-19 or a negative COVID-19 test for all guests is still required upon entry. Safety policies are regularly assessed and subject to change. Patrons should visit dso.org/safetyplan for the latest information ahead of their event.
Robert Hurst III Presents D3 | Joel Ross + Brandee Younger will take place Saturday, June 25 at 8 p.m. in Orchestra Hall.
Tickets for this performance start at $19. Tickets can be purchased at dso.org or by calling the Box Office at 313.576.5111, open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Paradise Jazz Series is made possible with support from Huntington and MGM Grand Detroit. DSO Live is presented by Ford Motor Company Fund and made possible by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Digital programming is produced from the Al Glancy Control Room.
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ROBERT HURST PRESENTS D3 | JOEL ROSS + BRANDEE YOUNGER
Paradise Jazz Series
Saturday, June 25 at 8 p.m.
Robert Hurst III, bass
Ian Finkelstein, piano
Karriem Riggins, drums
Joel Ross, vibraphone
Brandee Younger, harp
Robert Hurst III Presents D3
Detroit native Robert Hurst III returns to Orchestra Hall stage to premiere D3, featuring Detroit's own Karriem Riggins (drums) and Ian Finkelstein (piano), which has been described by critic Mark Stryker as "compelling compositions that distill an encyclopedia’s worth of African American music, including swinging post-bop, African and Caribbean influences, contemporary beats from hip hop, and more.” Hurst has enjoyed a stellar 30-year career becoming one of the most in-demand bassists in music, performing alongside the likes of Sir Paul McCartney, Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Dave Brubeck, Yo-Yo Ma, Diana Krall, and countless others.
Joel Ross + Brandee Younger
Brooklyn-based and vibraphonist Joel Ross and recently awarded Rising Star Harpist in Downbeat Magazine’s 2020 Critics Poll Brandee Younger make their Paradise Jazz Series debut with a unique duo set.
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About Robert Hurst III
A Detroit native, Hurst has enjoyed a stellar career spanning 30 years, and is a highly respected and well recognized composer, electric and acoustic bassist, educator, recording artist, and business man. His cultivation into a membership of talented musicians from around the world was fostered by lengthy tours and Grammy Award-winning recordings featuring: Sir Paul McCartney, Charles Lloyd, Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Dave Brubeck, Harry Connick Jr., Terrence Blanchard, Tony Williams, Nicholas Payton, Sting, Carl Allen, the legendary Pharaoh Sanders, Barbara Streisand, Willie Nelson, Yo-Yo Ma, Ravi Coltrane, Chris Botti, and Diana Krall. Hurst has performed on over 150 diverse and critically acclaimed recordings. A select group of these productions have garnered him performances yielding seven Grammy Awards, several RIAA ® certified-Multi-Platinum and Gold recordings whilst his own seven recordings as a Bandleader have all generated Top Ten and Five Star recognition around the Globe. It is probable that you have identified Hurst amongst the jazz world’s most promising new groups and established artists; however, you may also recognize Robert Hurst as the inaugural bassist in the house band of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno for eight seasons, from 1992 to 1999. His work in performing, directing, arranging, and composing on the NBC program were highlighted with four Emmy Awards in 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1999.
About Brandee Younger
A leading voice of the harp today, performer, composer, educator, and concert curator, Brandee Younger defies genres and labels. She has performed and recorded with artists including Pharoah Sanders, Ravi Coltrane, Jack DeJohnette, Charlie Haden, Common, John Legend, The Roots, Stevie Wonder, and Lauryn Hill. In 2019, she released her fourth solo album, Soul Awakening, and her original composition “Hortense” was featured in the Netflix Concert-Documentary, Beyoncé: Homecoming. This same year, Younger was selected to perform her original music as a featured performer for Quincy Jones and Steve McQueen's “Soundtrack of America.” Younger’s ability to seamlessly inject the harp into arrangements and venues where it has historically been overlooked is a testament to her deep love for and exemplary command of the instrument.
About Joel Ross
Ross has topped the DownBeat Critics Poll Rising Star category for vibraphone — graduating beyond the Rising Star to well-honed artist in 2021 — as well as the Jazz Journalists Association Critics Poll for Mallet Instrumentalist of the Year in 2020 and 2021. He recently became one of the youngest artists to earn a coveted Residency Commission from The Jazz Gallery and a spot in The Jazz Gallery All Stars band through which he performed live at The Kennedy Center. In 2020, he received a Jazz Coalition Commission for Praise in the Midst of The Storm, a performance suite featuring Brandee Younger, Marquis Hill, Craig Weinrib, Dezron Douglas, and longtime friend and collaborator Immanuel Wilkins, with whom he recently performed a three-night duo program live at The Village Vanguard as part of the storied venue’s streaming series. In 2021, Ross enjoyed a residency at Roulette Intermedium for Jazzfest Berlin, premiering original work She Walks in the Spirit alongside Gabrielle Garo, Brandee Younger, Mimi Jones, Savannah Harris and Nappy Nina, and 4nette alongside Immanuel Wilkins, Thomas Morgan, and Craig Weinrib, in January and May, respectively. He has performed multiple residencies at Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn.
About Ian Finkelstein
Ian Finkelstein began studying classical piano at age four, focusing solely on jazz from age 12 and gigging professionally from age 14. He received mentorship from many of Detroit’s jazz luminaries including Rodney Whitaker, Marcus Belgrave, and Tad Weed. Finkelstein went on to study with Geri Allen at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, graduating in 2013 with BFAs in jazz piano performance and performing arts technology. Upon returning to the Detroit area, he began performing and recording regularly while continuing to advance his studies in piano and music production. In 2018, he founded a record label called Freak Press. Finkelstein’s playing can be heard on projects by artists such as Black Milk, Robert Hurst, Omar-S, Waajeed, and Shigeto. He has performed with artists such as Esperanza Spalding, Terri Lyne Carrington, Benny Golson, Karriem Riggins, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Savion Glover.
About Karriem Riggins
Karriem Riggins is best known as a jazz drummer and hip-hop producer for artists like Common, Slum Village, Talib Kweli, and The Roots, but he doesn’t categorize himself as anything but an artist. “You don’t have to put yourself in a box…there’s so many different ways to go,” Riggins says. A student of late jazz bassist Ray Brown, he tours with another Brown protégé, Grammy Award-winner Diana Krall. In 2011, he collaborated with former Beatle Paul McCartney in concert and on Kisses on the Bottom, McCartney’s first studio release in five years. Names of some of the jazz artists he’s backed reads like the genre’s hall of fame - Hank Jones, Oscar Peterson, Milt Jackson, Donald Byrd, and Ron Carter. For his solo debut Alone Together on Stones Throw Records, Riggins plants himself firmly as a hip-hop producer with a 34-track instrumental odyssey through nearly every influence on his career thus far.
About the DSO
The most accessible orchestra on the planet, the acclaimed Detroit Symphony Orchestra is known for trailblazing performances, collaborations with the world’s foremost musical artists, and a deep connection to its city. As a community-supported orchestra, generous giving by individuals and institutions at all levels drives the continued success and growth of the organization. In January 2020, Italian conductor Jader Bignamini was named the DSO’s next music director to commence with the 2020-2021 season. Celebrated conductor, arranger, and trumpeter Jeff Tyzik is the orchestra’s Principal Pops Conductor, while Oscar-nominated trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard holds the Fred A. Erb Jazz Creative Director Chair.
Making its home at historic Orchestra Hall within the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center, the DSO offers a performance schedule that features PVS Classical, PNC Pops, Paradise Jazz, and Young People’s Family Concert series. One of the world’s most acoustically perfect concert halls, Orchestra Hall celebrated its centennial in 2019-2020. In addition, the DSO presents the William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series in seven metro area venues, as well as a robust schedule of eclectic multi-genre performances in its mid-size venue The Cube, constructed and curated with support from Peter D. & Julie F. Cummings.
A dedication to broadcast innovation began in 1922, when the DSO became the first orchestra in the world to present a live radio broadcast of a concert and continues today with the groundbreaking Live from Orchestra Hall series of free webcasts, which also reaches tens of thousands of children with the Classroom Edition expansion. With growing attendance and unwavering philanthropic support from the people of Detroit, the DSO actively pursues a mission to embrace and inspire individuals, families, and communities through unsurpassed musical experiences.