Vincent York's Jazzistry

05/04/2026

Thank you to all who came to Kerrytown Concert House on International Jazz Day to experience the Jazzistry presentation! We hope you had a great time.

03/23/2026

It's NOT too early to make plans for International JAZZ Day, APRIL 30! Vincent York's JAZZistry Band will be performing their unique History of JAZZ show at Kerrytown Concert House, April 30th at 7:30pm. This show, known as THE MOTHERSHIP when the band lands in schools, it Changes The Way People Hear Music Forever. Come hear the stories, see the multi-media show and hear the INCREDIBLE Music that could only happen on our multicultural land. From African work songs to the blues, from Spirituals to Harlem, from ragtime to Bebop to HipHop, its a magical musical celebration of the American Spirit & Sound!!

02/25/2026

Last Saturday's Jazzistry SILVER & SUNSHINE Rent Party was a major blast! Dancing to Lady Sunshine & The X Band kept us warm and happy as we celebrated Jazzistry non-profit's Silver Anniversary and Lady Sunshine's recent award. JAZZistry is our area's SWINGINGEST Non-profit org and Lady Sunshine is the Blues Queen of Washtenaw County. Thanks for everyone who turned out and for all our donors to our Silent Auction (see the list in comments). Can't wait to Do It ALL again!!

02/13/2026

The 23rd ANNUAL Jazzistry RENT PARTY is Sat., FEB. 21 at EMU's Grand Ballroom!! It's the BEST Dance party of the year, celebrating 25 years of JAZZistry being our area's most swinging Non-profit. COME and dance to the outstanding LADY SUNSHINE & The X BAND! Get your tickets/reserve a table NOW! Single tickets at https://www.A2Tix.com or call us to RESERVE a TABLE for 10: 734.761.6024 or email: [email protected]. You don't want to miss it!

02/08/2026

Here's one of the great stories we tell in JAZZistry: Entertainer/WW2 Spy/ Great anitfascist humanitariam: Josephine Baker! There are so many jazz heroes in our history!!

Paris, France. 1940. The lights of the City of Light were going out. The N***s had marched in. Josephine Baker was the toast of Paris. She was an American-born singer, a dancer, and a global superstar. Hermann Göring and other high-ranking N***s knew her name. They saw her as a harmless entertainer. A woman who lived for feathers, applause, and champagne.

They were wrong. Josephine Baker hated the N***s. She hated their racism. She hated their cruelty. When the French Resistance approached her, she didn't just say yes. She said: "France made me who I am. I will give her my life."

She became an "Honorable Correspondent." While other spies had to hide in the shadows, Josephine hid in the spotlight. She went to the parties the N***s threw. She mingled at the Italian and Japanese embassies. She flirted with generals. She laughed at their jokes. She poured their wine. And while they relaxed, she listened. She memorized troop locations. She learned about Mussolini’s plans.

Then, she had to get the information out. But how does a spy cross a militarized border without being searched? She simply acted like a diva. She packed her trunks with silk dresses... and secret documents. She wrote intelligence reports in invisible ink—made from lemon juice—directly onto her sheet music. To the naked eye, it looked like a symphony. Under heat, it was a map of enemy positions. She pinned photographs of German landing craft to the inside of her underwear.

When she arrived at the border checkpoints, the German guards didn't search her. They froze. "It's Josephine Baker!" They asked for autographs. They waved her through. She smiled and thanked them. And she walked right past their machine guns with the secrets that would destroy them tucked under her arm.

She smuggled this intelligence to the Allies in North Africa. She performed for the troops in the desert, standing on top of Jeeps in her couture gowns. When the war ended, France didn't just give her flowers. They gave her the Croix de Guerre and the Legion of Honor. At her funeral in 1975, the streets of Paris came to a standstill. She became the first American woman to receive full French military honors. A 21-gun salute fired for the dancer. She proved that the best cover story isn't a lie. It's just a really good show.

09/26/2025

That’s our Jazzistry Board member, Daniel Long, working to KEEP JAZZ ALIVE & ON AIR! Please help our longtime supporters WEMU 89.1 , a unique Jazz , Blues and News stay afloat! They keep us swinging everyday! LISTEN LOCAL. Donate and pass it on!!

WEMU thrives thanks to you - https://mailchi.mp/wemu.org/bumpy-roads-lead-to-excellence

08/20/2025

OOO How COOL for a HOT Summer!! It's ECHO LOCATION: Vincent York and Shigeto (Zach Saginaw) are teaming up again for a great live show, Saturday August 30th at Spot Lite in Detroit. Great gig with Keaton Royer, Josef Deas, King Sophia on cello, John Telaga on electronics, and Zach, percussion! And local DJs Turtle Bugg and saylem celeste
Tickets at https://ra.co/events/2225541/
SPOT LITE is a gallery located in Detroit featuring regular programming from local DJs and out-of-this world talent.

06/08/2025

Friday June 13, opening act for this year's TOP OF THE PARK free concerts in Ann Arbor, Vincent York will be playing with the JOSEF DEAS BAND. Josef is our own local kid and brilliant young lion of the Jazz Bass. Vincent first met when Josef attended Community High School and Vincent was Artist-In-Residence. Their close relationship creates a special synergy. Josef has progressed from student, to JAZZistry roadie and tech, to now regularly performing in area schools with the Jazzistry Band. we all enjoy Josef Deas on major Jazz gigs across the area as hear his music is thrilling. Hear what magic can happen when youth are connected to accomplished professionals and the Arts! See you at the O & W Stage at 5pm!!
Here's what Josef said about Vincent when we asked him:
"In middle school I began trying to teach myself to play jazz bass by playing along to recordings. I learned, by ear, the melody to the Duke Ellington song "Things Ain't What They Used To Be". When I met Vincent I was playing that one song all the time. As a teacher myself now I can only imagine what Vincent must have thought of this. The year was 1998 by the way. From then on he took me under his wing and showed me the rest of how to become a professional jazz musician. I owe him a huge debt, literally, teaching me this art form.
My bass student recently auditioned for CHS jazz, and won. I'm paying what Vincent gave me forward to the next generations! Vincent raised multiple generations of musicians in our community."
- Josef Deas

04/22/2025

Kerrytown Concert House is an intimate, nonprofit venue in Ann Arbor offering diverse music and art, connecting artists and audiences in unique ways.

03/19/2025

Truth