Motown and the Empire on West Grand Boulevard
Motown and the Empire on West Grand Boulevard, by Rod Arroyo, FAICP The story of the Motown Record Company and its empire on West Grand Boulevard is complex and rooted…
The Real Story Behind Henry Ford’s Famous Five Dollar Wage
The Real Story Behind Henry Ford's Famous Five Dollar Per Day Wage and Its Availability to Black Workers, by Rod Arroyo, FAICP On January 5, 1914, Henry Ford made headlines…
Jason Moran and the Jazz Ancestors
Jason Moran and the Jazz Ancestors by Rod Arroyo, FAICP The 2025 Detroit Jazz Festival Artist-in-Residence is Jason Moran. Not only is he a great choice due to his musical…
Bird in the D: Charlie Parker’s Detroit Story
By Rod Arroyo The legendary Charlie "Yardbird" Parker didn't just revolutionize jazz—he left an indelible mark on Detroit's music scene. From helping to discover future stars like Betty Carter to…
When Bebop Came to Detroit: The Story of a Jazz Revolution
When Bebop Came to Detroit: The Story of a Jazz Revolution, by Rod Arroyo, FAICP As World War II raged across the globe in the early 1940s, something also explosive—though…
Jazz Clubs and Black-Owned Businesses in Detroit’s Lower Paradise Valley
By Rod Arroyo, FAICP The lower Paradise Valley area, north of Gratiot and south of I-75, was an entertainment and business hub with a concentration of Black-owned businesses and jazz…
Detroit’s Black-Owned Businesses in 1952 – Map
By Rod Arroyo, FAICP In the early 1950s, Detroit’s population reached its all-time high of over 1.8 million people, and Black-owned businesses thrived. The Booker T. Washington Trade Association, an…
Freeway Impacts on Black Communities: The Story of Miami’s Overtown
By Rod Arroyo, FAICP As part of my ongoing research of Detroit's Paradise Valley and Black Bottom, both areas severely impacted by freeway construction and urban renewal, I have been…
Dave McMurray and His Grateful Deadication Band
Detroit saxophonist Dave McMurray and his band performed at the Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan in late August 2022. Dave brought the talented band from his…
Chucho Valdés, Afro-Cuban Jazz Legend
Chucho Valdés has been named the Artist-in-Residence for the 2022 Detroit Jazz Festival. He gave a stirring solo piano performance at the Jazz Fest preview event on April 30, 2022.…