Orange Lake Driving Again

[Gannon]

Curious.

While clearing the walk early this morning, I found myself remembering a great fusion jazz group who graced stages like Galligan's and Alexander's downtown during the eighties named after an obscure street up in Bloomfield...Orange Lake Drive.

At a time when Jeff Lorber Fusion [[back when Kenny G could spell his whole name), Weather Report, the Yellowjackets, and Chick Corea's Return to Forever...and even studio power-sax maven David Sanborn...were turning the energy up on stages nationwide...we had our own collection of fine young musicians pushing the envelope with jazz fusion in Motown.

To hear Ed Love tell it, some dyed-in-the-wool jazzionadoes still haven't recovered!


I saw Sanborn kick Al Jarreau's butt off the stage twice at Pine Knob during that time, as well as a memorable Yellowjackets show at a refurbished theater down in Orlando...and OLD were easily on par with them, if not slightly eclipsing 'em with their honest Detroit grit and grind. But they were never signed to the national distribution every one of their devotees KNEW they deserved, and fell by the wayside after too many disappointing years of bar playing in this town.

So, I searched the name, and found a Facebook page with some discussion of these amazing cats reforming the band and playing a few gigs up in the lakes area...Wixom and the like. Sure would love to hear them back down in the city.


Just wanted to share, and see if this jogs anyone's memories.


My favorite was the night down at Alexanders when a fellow named Marcus walked a young violin player named Regina Carter onto the stage...and she proceeded to melt us all to puddles.


Cheers on this chill winter morning...