Sonic Solidarity features oral history interviews with musicians, preservationists, and activists that explore Detroit through its music.

Sonic Solidarity Interviews

What is DSC?

Detroit Jazz Alive was an on-air program featuring live in-studio performances by Detroit musicians broadcast on Detroit public radio station WDET. http://detroitsound.org/artifact/detroit-jazz-alive/

Detroit Jazz Alive: Broadcast Performances

#RecordDet was a podcast and oral history interview public program conducted by Detroit Sound Conservancy from 2014-2016.

#RecordDET Interviews

http://detroitsound.org/artifact/magda-servito/ ‎

Magda and Mike Servito: M & M Mix

http://detroitsound.org/artifact/electrifying-mojo/

Electrifying Mojo: WJLB Radio Broadcast, Side B

http://detroitsound.org/artifact/electrifying-mojo/

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Electrifying Mojo: WJLB Radio Broadcast, Side A

http://detroitsound.org/artifact/denise-dalphond/

Denise Dalphond: Historical Society of Michigan Lecture

Ken Collier, legendary Detroit club DJ, discusses his career in music, the underground sound he presents, and his goals to the Black LGBT magazine Kick! http://detroitsound.org/artifact/ken-collier/

Ken Collier: Kick! Interview

Greg Collier, longtime resident DJ at Todd's on Detroit's East Side, is a pioneer of DJ-culture in Detroit. http://detroitsound.org/artifact/greg-collier/

Greg Collier: #RecordDET Interview

http://detroitsound.org/artifact/tom-mallia/

Tom Mallia: #RecordDET Intervew

Larry Gabriel, journalist, musician, and author, discusses experience in Detroit music, his musical family, and working with the Graystone Jazz Museum. http://detroitsound.org/artifact/larry-gabriel/

Larry Gabriel: #RecordDET Interview

http://detroitsound.org/artifact/fred-reif/

Fred Reif: #RecordDET Interview

http://detroitsound.org/artifact/barbara-martin/

Barbara Martin: #RecordDET Interview

http://detroitsound.org/artifact/greg-baise/

Greg Baise: #RecordDet Interview

From the album (Excerpts). Used with permission. 

Bear Witness 
By Carleton S. Gholz
From Metro Times, 21 February 2001

Right now, in the downstairs apartment, across the street in that seemingly abandoned building, while you are sleeping, while you are making love, people are making music. Neil Ollivierra, aka Detroit Escalator Co., is one of those people. When you drove past the corner of Gratiot and Russell trying to bypass westbound traffic on I-94 into downtown, Mr. Ollivierra was biking through the city recording the life-sound tracks of Detroit. In Ollivierra’s electronic music, these found sounds bring the power of physical presence to the potentially austere world of techno, filled with synthetic strings, keyboard vamps and programmed drum machines, to make a musical gesture so much more than the sum of its multilayered parts.

In this environment, the influences of techno’s first wave (Derrick May et al) seem perfectly at home. On tracks such as “Force,” electric strings follow the gentle ebb and flow of programmed drums and languid keyboard impressions. In “Fate (as a chasm)” and “The Inverted Man (falling),” synthesizers glance off drums and each other, simulating the imaginary music of science fiction that marks the Toffler-driven desires of the early techno pioneers.

But these comparisons dissolve as Ollivierra’s own perspective on a nondance dance music take over. Instead of the persistence of bass riffs or heavy four-on-the-floor rhythms, Ollivierra concentrates on allowing repetition and space to dictate the actions of his expert percussion programming. It is here, where “Shifting Gears” divides Ollivierra’s music from the rest, the ricocheting beats and sudden snare rattles — gunshots? A stranger at the door? It hints to an all-too-earthy real underneath his creative synthetic licenses.

Ollivierra’s music, like the Heidelberg dots that seep into the building walls along Gratiot on the back cover of his recording, bear witness to the city by being present while others are absent. While we were sleeping, Neil Ollivierra was creating, translating a city that we can only now glimpse.

The Detroit Escalator Company "Shifting Gears"

http://detroitsound.org/artifact/ken-collier-heavenly/

Ken Collier: Heavenly Master Mix 1 Mixtape, Side A

Ken Collier: Heavenly Master Mix 1 Mixtape, Side B

http://detroitsound.org/artifact/scott-gordon-dance-detroit/

Scott Gordon: Dance Detroit Reunion Performance

http://detroitsound.org/artifact/hale-collins/

Stacey Hale &  John Collins: Dance Detroit Reunion Performance

https://detroitsound.org/artifact/wij-april-tini/

April Tini: Women in Jazz Interview

detroitsound.org/artifact/wij-carol-mckinney

Carol McKinney: Women in Jazz

detroitsound.org/artifact/wij-miche-braden

Miche Braden: Women In Jazz Interview

detroitsound.org/artifact/wij-naima-shamborguer

Naima Shamborguer: Women In Jazz Interview

detroitsound.org/artifact/wij-pamela-wise

Pamela Wise: Women In Jazz Interview

detroitsound.org/artifact/wij-penny-wells

Penny Wells: Women In Jazz Interview

detroitsound.org/artifact/wij-taslimah-bey

Taslimah Bey: Women In Jazz Interview

Tia Hanna: Women In Jazz Interview

Carleton Gholz, founder and director of the Detroit Sound Conservancy, spoke about the importance of preserving Detroit's musical heritage and the work of this project.

Recorded June 25th for June 28, 2015 broadcast.

http://peterwerbe.com/

Carleton Gholz: Nightcall with Peter Werbe Interview

http://detroitsound.org/artifact/david-blair/

David Blair (1967-2011): "Detroit (While I Was Away)" Performance

Sky Covington: Women In Jazz Interview

Michelle McKinney: Women In Jazz Interview

Carleton Gholz, Detroit Sound Conservancy founder, discusses the mission of the organization at the annual Michigan Archival Association Conference. http://detroitsound.org/artifact/carleton-gholz-michigan-archival/

Carleton Gholz: Michigan Archival Association Presentation

http://detroitsound.org/artifact/roy-brooks-detroit-jazz-alive/

Roy Brooks: Detroit Jazz Alive Peformance

Samantha Moore Quartet: Detroit Jazz Alive Performance

http://detroitsound.org/artifact/jazz-gets-around/

Jazz Gets Around: Detroit Jazz Alive Performance

http://detroitsound.org/artifact/corcovado/

Corcovado: Detroit Jazz Alive Performance

http://detroitsound.org/artifact/rayse-biggs/

Rayse Biggs: Detroit Jazz Alive Performance

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Orquestra K'che, Detroit Jazz Alive, 1993

De'Sean Jones: #DetroitSound5 Performance

Carleton Gholz: Michigan Radio Interview

http://detroitsound.org/artifact/carleton-gholz-rob-reinhart/

Carleton Gholz: Rob Reinhart Interview

Marion Hayden, bass violinist and activist, discusses her relationship to Detroit music, the music scene that mentored her, and the impact of COVID-19. http://detroitsound.org/artifact/marion-hayden

Marion Hayden: Sonic Solidarity Interview

Melvin "Detroit Soul Ambassador" Davis, musician, singer, and activist, discusses his relationship to Detroit music, his career, and the impact of COVID-19. http://detroitsound.org/artifact/melvin-davis

Melvin Davis: Sonic Solidarity Interview

Pamela Wise, pianist, educator, and "cultural warrior," discusses her relationship to Detroit music, music education, and the impact of COVID-19. http://detroitsound.org/artifact/pamela-wise/

Pamela Wise: Sonic Solidarity Interview

Dr. Khalid el-Hakim, historian, educator, and archivist, discusses his relationship to Detroit music and how he came to found the Michigan Hip Hop Archive. http://detroitsound.org/artifact/khalid-el-hakim/

Khalid el-Hakim: Sonic Solidarity Interview

Rodney Whitaker, bassist and educator, discusses his relationship to Detroit music, the legacy of the Blue Bird Inn, and the impact of COVID-19. http://detroitsound.org/artifact/rodney-whitaker

Rodney Whitaker: Sonic Solidarity Interview

Elizabeth Cawein, Memphian, music policy activist, and educator, discusses music's relationship to urbanism and her City's efforts to confront COVID-19. http://detroitsound.org/artifact/elizabeth-cawein

Elizabeth Cawein: Sonic Solidarity Interview

http://detroitsound.org/artifact/ken-collier-mixtape/

Ken Collier: 82 83 84 Mixtape

A nonprofit community-based archive documenting Detroit music through preservation, education, performance, and placekeeping. Future home = The Legendary Blue Bird Inn

Detroit Sound Conservancy

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