Preserving Detroit’s legacy of jazz music by bringing compositions to life and promoting live and recorded performances by our musical community’s finest artists.
About Detroit Composers’ Collective
Ask any jazz enthusiast and they’ll agree, Detroit has a long history of contributing great music to the genre. Perhaps owing somewhat to its longstanding tradition of mentorship and a tight-knit music community, Detroit has produced countless globally-recognized artists, including names like Thad Jones, James Carter, Geri Allen and Betty Carter. But the waters from which these big fish sprang have also raised more than a sea’s worth of creative talent, many of whom have sadly passed with less than their due recognition.
In 2015, Detroit Composers’ Collective (DCC) was created to be a living preservation of the work of some of Detroit’s many great jazz musicians and composers.
The seeds of the project were planted after DCC founder, Mark Lipson, was granted permission to arrange, publish and produce the works of two late Detroit composers – Brad Felt and Kenn Cox. Lipson, a drummer and composer in his own right, was an admirer of Cox. He also played with Felt in the 70s and then again from 2010 until Felt’s untimely passing in 2015.
Lipson arranged several of the compositions for quintet and septet. Sourcing from the area’s rich pool of talented jazz musicians, the pieces were resurrected on a series of recordings. For Lipson, the experience of working with the compositions of Felt and Cox drew light on the need for an organization like DCC.
Through recordings, performances and interactive workshops, DCC is dedicated to showcasing the vibrant talent of the Detroit jazz community while bringing to life compositions that may otherwise go silent forever. Since its inception, DCC has grown to include collaborations with some of the area’s preeminent jazz artists, ensuring that the cultural treasures of Detroit’s composers continue to be studied, enjoyed and passed onto future generations.
Mark Lipson - DCC FOUNDER
Mark Lipson is the founding member of the Detroit Composers’ Collective. His journey to creating the organization began in the late 1970s when he played in a group that brought him together with euphonium player and composer Brad Felt. At the time, the young musicians and friends had no idea they were sowing the seeds for what would grow into a mission to preserve the magnificent musical legacy borne out of Detroit’s jazz community. Nearly half a century later, Brad’s compositions would be among the first to be featured on a DCC project.
Mark’s calling as founder of DCC stems from the distinctive background of experience he brings to the organization. In addition to being an accomplished composer and musician in his own right, Mark also has a background in ethnomusicology studies, as well as a 30-year career as a social worker. As a producer and arranger on DCC projects, he brings more than his experience and understanding of the work from the perspective of a musician – he also brings a scholarly insight and humanistic examination of the historical significance of the music and its creators.
DCC Founder, Mark Lipson
Detroit Composers’ collective
CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS
DCC is a collaboration between some of the most highly-acclaimed artists of the Detroit jazz community. They’ve performed on stages worldwide and have played with some of the biggest musicians in the industry. In addition to being accomplished recording artists and performers, many of them share their gifts as composers, arrangers, producers and educators.
FEATURED VideoS
DCC artists Cliff Monear on piano and Vincent Chandler on trombone performing Thelonious Monk’s “Bye-Ya” at the Steinway Jazz Cafe.
Brad Felt's composition "Don't Hold On" originally appeared on his CD "Exordium" (first released in 1995, re-released in 2019). This video, featuring Brad on euphonium with the fine rhythm section of Jeff Pedraz on bass and Mark Lipson on drums, dates from about 15 years later. Once again - Stellar composition and solid performance !
Click the button below to download a set of lead sheets for “The End of an Illusion” (zip fomatted file).
Composed by Brad Felt. Copyright 1994. Dartblef Music Co.
