19-02-2025
DSO celebrates first album in nearly a decade with Third Man bash — and vinyl records
The Detroit Symphony's big return to the album game got a triumphant hometown celebration Tuesday night.
Ahead of the March 14 release of Wynton Marsalis' 'Blues Symphony' — the DSO's first new recording project in nearly a decade — a crowd of orchestra officials, musicians and guests gathered for a party at Detroit's Third Man Pressing as vinyl copies rolled hot off off the line.
For those in the thick of the project since its conception, the sight of glistening new records emerging inside Third Man's colorful plant was a satisfying, tangible moment.
'To come here now and see them pressed in the back, seeing the final cover, seeing that shrink wrap on it — there's no better feeling,' said DSO President and CEO Erik Rönmark. 'It's been a long work in progress, and I'm so happy and so proud of the whole team.'
The evening included a video message from jazz great Marsalis, who composed the evocative, history-sweeping piece and worked closely with DSO music director Jader Bignamini to finesse the performances, which were captured at Orchestra Hall in December 2023.
'I truly believe it's possible for an orchestra to do all the things that jazz and American vernacular music has done to excite people all over the world for so long — play the music with authenticity and feeling,' Marsalis said. 'And after hearing this recording, I truly believe this more firmly than ever.'
More: Detroit Symphony Orchestra cuts jazz groove on Wynton Marsalis 'Blues Symphony' album
As previously reported by the Free Press, 'Blues Symphony' is part of a renewed effort by the DSO to reclaim its storied recording legacy, a history that stretches back nearly a century. Bignamini and the orchestra have already captured recent performances of Mahler's Fifth Symphony, and more recording sessions are planned for the soon-to-be-announced 2025-26 season.
Bignamini was among those on hand for Tuesday's festivities at Third Man, the retail and manufacturing complex founded by Detroit musician Jack White just down the road from Orchestra Hall in Midtown.
Also attending were producer Blanton Alspaugh and engineer Mark Donahue, the multi-Grammy-winning team from the Boston firm Soundmirror, which oversaw the 'Blues Symphony' recording with 50-plus microphones and a makeshift control room.
Artist Judy Bowman manned a table to sign copies of the LP, featuring her bright, Detroit-inspired cover design.
Tuesday's event also served as a launch party for the Gold Record Collective, a DSO subscription service aimed at supporting the institution's ongoing album projects. The club will offer special-edition versions of Detroit Symphony releases — such as the new $25,000 framed copy of 'Blues Symphony,' pressed on gold vinyl and signed by Bignamini and Marsalis.
'Blues Symphony,' which will be submitted for Grammy Awards consideration, marks a proud moment for the DSO team and supporters — a chance to show off the orchestra's chops while paying tribute to the institution's prominent history in the world of jazz.
DSO concertmaster Robyn Bollinger described Marsalis' symphony as a challenging though ultimately rewarding work.
'This piece is so virtuosic for the orchestra, and it's so dense as a musician. There are just pages and pages of black dots,' she said with a laugh.
But more than anything, Bollinger said, the 'Blues Symphony' sessions were a chance for the Detroit Symphony to rise to the moment.
'It's heightened excitement,' she said of the recording. 'Everyone wants to give it their all.'
"Blues Symphony" will be released by Pentatone on March 14. Along with the vinyl edition, the album will be available on CD, surround formats and digital services.
Contact Detroit Free Press music writer Brian McCollum: 313-223-4450 or bmccollum@
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: DSO celebrates first album in nearly a decade at Third Man
