Saturday, September 23, 2023 7:30 PM
Ypsilanti Freighthouse
Sonic Contributions:
Honoring the Past, Present, and Future of the African American Community in Ypsilanti, MI
Tickets may be available at the door.
Detroit-based saxophonist Marcus Elliot leads a seven-piece band of musicians and artists in this special collaboration with the African American Cultural and Historical Museum of Washtenaw County that celebrates the history of Ypsilanti as a refuge for Black Americans dating back to the 1830s.
Stories from this time, and other significant moments in the history of Ypsilanti, will inspire original music compositions that celebrate the bravery of those who sought freedom on the Underground Railroad, and honor the resilience that the African American community in Ypsilanti has shown throughout time.
This work was commissioned to celebrate Ypsilanti’s bicentennial and features saxophone, bass, drums, piano, trumpet, cello, and narrator.
Presented in partnership with the African American Cultural & Historical Museum of Washtenaw County.
Marcus Elliot is a saxophonist, composer, improviser, and educator based in Detroit, Michigan. Marcus is a 2020 Kresge Artist Fellow, awarded by Kresge Arts in Detroit. He is the current director of the University of Michigan’s Creative Arts Orchestra and Instructor of Jazz Saxophone at Wayne State University. His compositions and improvisations have been described by the New York Times as “convincing and confident, evolved in touch and tone…”, and the Detroit Free Press has said, “Marcus Elliot represents next generation of jazz”. Elliot leads and co-leads many different Detroit-based bands including the Marcus Elliot Quintet, Clockwork, Balance, and the Beyond Rebellious Ensemble. Elliot performs in the Shigeto Live Ensemble. He is a Fellow of the Geri Allen Gathering Orchestra. He is the founder of Creation Code Records.
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