Student musicians in the Department of Music rehearse their instruments.Young musicians can take part in the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s 2026 Jazz Summit, including a clinic with world-class bassist and producer Don Was and his band, on Friday, Feb. 6.
Students of all skill levels in grades 8 through 12 are eligible to participate in the UAB Jazz Summit, presented annually by the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Music.
The summit will take place in UAB’s Hulsey Center for the Arts and Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center.
“This is an opportunity for high school students and excellent eighth graders to immerse themselves in a collegiate jazz experience and learn from UAB jazz professors and professional jazz musicians,” said Steven Roberts, DMA. “Students will participate in master classes, clinics and jam sessions, and this year they’ll receive instruction and a performance from Don Was and the Pan-Detroit Ensemble.”
All participating students will receive a UAB Jazz T-shirt, access to concerts, workshops, clinics and master classes, and lunch and dinner the day of the summit. Registration is $60. Register here or visit www.uab.edu/cas/music and click on “eStore.” For more information, contact Roberts at
Registration begins in the Hulsey Center Lobby at 8 a.m. Feb. 6, followed by a performance/clinic with UAB Jazz faculty at 9 a.m. and master classes at 11 a.m. After lunch, performances and jam sessions, the clinic with Was and the Pan-Detroit Ensemble will be at 3 p.m., with dinner and jam sessions at 5 p.m.
Tickets to the performance are on sale now from $35. Call 205-975-2787 or visit the ASC Box Office for more information or to purchase tickets.
Don Was and the Pan Detroit Ensemble in concert
Jazz Summit participants will receive a ticket to attend the performance by Don Was and the Pan-Detroit Ensemble later that evening at 7:30 p.m., presented by the Alys Stephens Center. The band will perform the Grateful Dead’s iconic album “Blues for Allah” along with their latest music.
Tickets to the performance are on sale now from $35. Buy tickets. Discounted tickets are available for UAB students and employees. Call 205-975-2787 or visit the ASC Box Office for more information or to purchase tickets.
Was has become one of music’s most respected figures as a producer, bassist, composer and longtime head of Blue Note Records. His production credits span The Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, John Mayer, Willie Nelson and many others, with combined sales exceeding 100 million albums. Winner of a BAFTA Award (“Backbeat”), an Emmy (“The Beatles: The Night That Changed America”) and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association, he has toured worldwide with Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros, the group he co-founded with Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir, since 2018.
Formed by Was, the Pan-Detroit Ensemble unites some of Detroit’s most accomplished jazz players, including longtime collaborator Dave McMurray on saxophone and Eminem’s Oscar-winning collaborator, keyboardist Luis Resto, plus trombonist Vincent Chandler, trumpeter John Douglas, drummer Jeff Canaday, percussionist Mahindi Masai, guitarist Wayne Gerard and vocalist Steffanie Christi’an. Their new album, “Groove in the Face of Adversity,” channels the soul of the Motor City through a blend of steamy jazz, juke-joint blues and loose-limbed funk. Was and the band will feature music from “Groove in the Face of Adversity” alongside the live rendition of “Blues for Allah” in its entirety, honoring the Dead’s experimental spirit and enduring legacy of the album for its 50th anniversary.