Strike up the band: Gretchen C. Valade Jazz Center sets tone for new era of music at WSU and beyond

Chris Collins recalls a time he visited Japan to play a concert, greeted by fans wearing homemade T-shirts with Gretchen C. Valade's face emblazoned upon them.

"They gave me buttons with the Detroit Jazz Festival and her picture on it," said Collins, professor and director of jazz studies at Wayne State University's Department of Music and president and artistic director of the Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation. "Her name is recognized around the world. And once people see what we did in respect to Gretchen, they will want to be a part of this."

That's because Wayne State University's Department of Music's new state-of-the-art performance venue opens this fall with the Gretchen C. Valade Jazz Center. A grand opening reception will be held Aug. 29 from 5:30 to 9 p.m., with special performances from 7 to 9 p.m. simulcast on screen in Campus Martius Park for a community watch party.

Scheduled performers include the Brandee Younger Trio with a Tribute to Wayne State alumna Dorothy Ashby, Dee Dee Bridgewater with the Wayne State Jazz Legacy Big Band, the Alvin Waddles Trio, Cliff Monear Duo, and the Wayne State Jazz Vocal Quartet.

"The Gretchen C. Valade Jazz Center will enhance Wayne State's Department of Music and local community, while welcoming national and international jazz artists to a state-of-the-art facility designed for music performances, livestreaming and recording," said Hasan Elahi, dean of the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts. "This will provide a unique opportunity for the university to continue its contribution to the rich musical legacy of our city and widen its impact for current and future generations."

As jazz's fiercest guardian and advocate in Detroit, Valade, who passed away at 97 years old on Dec. 30, 2022, grew her lifelong passion into an enormous investment in the city's jazz culture. Up until her passing, Valade chaired the Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation Board of Directors, and was the owner of Grosse Pointe's Dirty Dog Jazz Café and the national Mack Avenue Music Group record label.

Valade also promoted the musical careers of many Detroit and international jazz musicians and wrote songs herself, which have been recorded by Shirley Horn and others. And with her leadership gifts totaling $9.5 million to Wayne State University, Valade has ensured a future for jazz in Detroit.

"The Gretchen C. Valade Jazz Center will supercharge Wayne State's ability to recruit talented students interested in an array of musical fields, including jazz performance, music business, and music technology," said Dr. Jeffrey Sposato, Department of Music chair. "And this wonderful new performance space will contribute greatly to our mission of serving as Detroit's Music Department by providing our community with access to professional-quality performances not only in jazz, but also everything from classical to hip-hop."

Located at the corner of Cass Avenue and Hancock Street on Wayne State's campus, the Gretchen C. Valade Jazz Center houses two venues - the Detroit Jazz Hall and Dee Dee Bridgewater's. The Detroit Jazz Hall, a 325-seat venue with VIP seating options, is specifically designed acoustically and logistically for jazz in all its forms and well-suited for other creative and interdisciplinary activations.

The second venue is Dee Dee Bridgewater's - a hip, jazz club style venue that embodies the intimacy, vibe and unparalleled listening experience of the traditional environment in which the jazz language has evolved and continues to be propagated. The 120-seat space wraps around the stage, said Collins, "creating an enviable connectivity between artists and the audience in a cool, vibrant and creative space reflective of the spirit of its legendary namesake."

"It's a huge honor that our beloved Gretchen Valade saw a specialness in me, in my work championing young musicians, and elevating the importance and stature of women in jazz," Bridgewater said. "She is our angel and heroine, bringing harmony to all things jazz-related, including heralding the Detroit Jazz Festival through her sponsorship and creating the jazz label Mack Avenue Records, my new musical home. May Dee Dee Bridgewater's be a space that fosters creativity and equality, with abundant spirituality - a safe space for all who enter its domain."

The venue will also be adorned with historic memorabilia from the Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation and includes overflow capacity, along with the Detroit Jazz Festival Café that will immerse visitors in the jazz world.

But Collins is quick to point out that Valade's philanthropy spans much more than a building.

"It is an investment in jazz, music education and the future of jazz at Wayne State, and forever links the Jazz Festival Foundation with a home on campus," said Collins, who is also the Valade Endowed Chair in Jazz at WSU. "Due to her singular commitment, Gretchen has rightfully been dubbed the 'Angel of Jazz' by the global jazz community. Her passion, commitment and vision are, in and of itself, a legacy."

CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Shawn Wright, Wayne State University, [email protected]

Shaun Wilson, Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation, [email protected]

About Wayne State University

Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution offering approximately 375 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 24,000 students.

About the Department of Music

Wayne State University's Department of Music cultivates music as a contemporary and global art, grounded in a long historical tradition, by combining higher education with professional training and experience for its undergraduate and graduate/professional students.

The Department offers students of music opportunities to learn, grow, and develop their skills and disciplines in an urban cultural setting. With close proximity to Detroit's cultural center, students have access to the resources of such premiere institutions as the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit Public Library, the Detroit Opera House, and Orchestra Hall. The long historical relationship between the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the Department allows students to study and coach with exceptional guest artists and resident artist-faculty who are specialists in all musical styles and media.

Building on the strengths of its geographic and cultural setting, the Department maintains public access to its performances and degree programs, offers high-level professional and academic standards and unique creative and scholarly opportunities appropriate to a large research university, and cultivates a deep aesthetic understanding of music in our students and the larger urban arts community.

About the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts

The College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts is home to today's aspiring artists, performers, technicians, scholars, dancers, debaters, entrepreneurs, and communication professionals who all represent the college's legacy of excellence in our respective fields.

The college serves students majoring in 17 undergraduate programs, 10 graduate programs and three graduate certificates through its departments: the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art, Art History and Design, the Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance, and the departments of communication and music.

From debate to dance, jazz to journalism, and fashion design to center stage, our students create captivating performances, inspire artistic and academic excellence, and conduct innovative research on behalf of our Detroit community.

About the Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation

Under the leadership of President and Artistic Director Chris Collins, the Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization that presents jazz and educational workshops throughout the year. The Foundation produces the Detroit Jazz Festival, which is the signature event for the Foundation and the largest free jazz festival in the world. The Festival is also a major tourist attraction for the City of Detroit, with 26 percent of its audience coming from out of state. For more information, visit detroitjazzfest.org.

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