music
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Detroit’s Jazz Legacy
Detroit’s Jazz Legacy How a Midwest auto town became one of the most important cities in American jazz. Detroit rarely gets top billing in the story of American jazz, yet the city was a working laboratory for the music at nearly every turn, from the swing era through bebop and into Motown. Its jazz legacy…
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Why Does Detroit’s Paradise Valley Still Matter Today?
Why Does Detroit’s Paradise Valley Still Matter Today? A look at the neighborhood’s history, its removal, and why its story is still being told. Every spring, thousands of fans stream into Comerica Park for Detroit Tigers’ Opening Day, filling seats, parking lots, and nearby bars without a second thought for what stood on that ground…
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The Hidden History of Black Bottom
The Hidden History of Black Bottom Long before it became synonymous with Detroit’s Black community, Black Bottom is believed to have gotten its name from French colonial farmers, who used the term to describe the area’s rich, dark soil along the Detroit River. By the 20th century, the name had taken on new meaning, attached…