90-year-old Cass Tech alum Gerald Wilson to pen piece titled ‘Detroit’ for Jazz fest

Cass Tech alum Gerald Wilson, 90, has been selected to write the piece “Detroit” for the Detroit International Jazz Festival in September.Excerpt:The Detroit International Jazz Festival has commissioned indefatigable 90-year-old composer and bandleader Gerald Wilson, who trained at Detroit’s Cass Tech in the ’30s, to write a big band piece entitled “Detroit” in honor of the festival’s 30th anniversary. The premiere will take place at the Labor Day weekend event, Sept. 4-7 in downtown Detroit.The commission was among the latest details announced today, including the complete slate of national headliners.Wilson, who wrote for Jimmie Lunceford, Count Basie and Duke Ellington early in his career, has led his own Los Angeles-based big band for 45 years and is a leading voice in post-World War II big band jazz. He’ll lead a band of Michigan musicians at the festival.Read the entire article here.