The John E. Lawrence Summer Jazz Series: Duane Parham and John E. Lawrence

The John E. Lawrence Summer Jazz Series will be closing out the summer at Ford Lake Park in Ypsilanti Township with a fabulous double bill beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday, September 2 at the start of Labor Day weekend. Renowned jazz artist and Detroit native Duane Parham will be the featured co-headliner in this final show of the 2023 season. Parham was originally scheduled to perform on August 25 but the show had to be cancelled due to flooding. Following Parham’s performance, Jazz Series founder John E. Lawrence will take the stage with his Power Band together with special guests Yancyy and Daryl Beebe.

Duane Parham is one of the Motor City’s most beloved jazz artists. He is recognized as an innovator and top performer in Smooth Jazz, R&B and Gospel Music. Parham was inducted into the “Detroit Legends of Jazz Hall of Fame” and holds the distinction of being the youngest person to join this elite fraternity at the time of his induction. As a performer, Parham has opened for noted Motivational Speakers Les Brown and Iyanla Vanzant, R&B and Soul singers Anita Baker, Martha Reeves, Freda Payne and Spider Turner. Duane has also performed alongside gospel greats Michael Matthews, The Clark Sisters, Shirley Caesar and Rance Allen.

John E. Lawrence is the festival creator and one of the most respected guitarists and musicians in Michigan and the midwestern region. He is back with a new dynamic show and will be performing songs from his greatest hits CD as well as his new release entitled “Velocity.” Lawrence is also admired for his skills as a music educator and producer who taught for years at Washtenaw Community College, and whose instructional books and videos are distributed nationally by Mel Bay, one of the largest music publishing companies in the country.