MACK AVENUE SUPERBAND - LIVE FROM THE 33RD ANNUAL DETROIT JAZZ FESTIVAL

Mack Avenue SuperBand is an all-star ensemble comprising many of the label's most acclaimed artists. Live From The Detroit Jazz Festival - 2012, documents the SuperBand's unveiling at the 33rd annual edition of the Motor City label's hometown jazz festival during 2012's Labor Day weekend.The brainchild of Mack Avenue president Denny Stilwell, the SuperBand is a fiery, celebratory conglomeration, the sort of chemistry experiment whose success is predicated on its combustibility. 

The group brings together legends and label mainstays including vibraphonist Gary Burton, guitarist Kevin Eubanks, alto saxophonist Tia Fuller, trumpeter Sean Jones, and guitarist Evan Perri, with rising stars like pianist Alfredo Rodríguez and vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant. The band is anchored by the house rhythm section of pianist Aaron Diehl, drummer Carl Allen, and bassist Rodney Whitaker (who also serves as musical director). Al Pryor, Mack Avenue EVP of A&R and the record's producer, acknowledges the challenge inherent in bringing such a loaded roster together on one stage, calling the impressive result "a team effort." 

Emphasizing the tight-knit dynamic and Detroit pride of the Mack Avenue team and the experience of the Detroit Jazz Festival's skilled crew, Pryor says that the concert's ultimate success was due to the musicians' passion. "The artists were all enthusiastic when we first approached them," he says, "and all brought something special to the table." The diversity of the material reflects the equally wide-ranging Mack Avenue roster, but this cohesive and captivating live recording is representative of the label's ambitions, the vitality of its artists, and the electricity of one September evening in Detroit.