Calvin Cooke Sacred Steel Band | Concert of Colors

Calvin Cooke was born into a musical family that belonged to the Church of the Living God, Jewell Dominion, an African American Holiness-Pentecostal church in which the electric steel guitar has been an important part of worship services since the late 1930's.  Nashville country steel guitarists have dubbed Cooke, the "B.B. King of gospel steel guitar." 

Cooke’s music is characterized by slow tempos and boogie rhythms.   He is one of the few "sacred steel" guitarists who regularly combines singing with his guitar work.   Cooke is accompanied by a group of veteran church musicians from Detroit.  His wife Grace on vocals, guitarist Jay Caver, bass guitarist Eddie Harmon, and drummer Ivan Shaw.

Sunday's event will take place outside on the DIA Lawn.

Concert of Colors is metro Detroit’s free annual global music festival, an upbeat event celebrating diverse World music traditions-including the indigenous music of the Motor City. The festival also hosts the Forum on Community, Culture and Race, a series of conversations with artists, cultural and community leaders examining the role of the arts in overcoming social barriers.

For a complete schedule of Concert of Colors programs at the Detroit Institute of Arts and neighboring institutions visit the festival website.

Concert of Colors is produced through the partnership of  Culture Source, The Detroit Institute of Arts, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, ACCESS,  University of Michigan – Detroit Center, Michigan Science Center, Detroit Historical Museum, College For Creative Studies, Hellenic Museum of Michigan, Third Man Records, Lowriders of Detroit, Science Gallery Detroit, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Midtown Inc., University of Michigan Dearborn, University of Michigan – Detroit, Arab American National Museum, WDET, The Scarab Club, International Institute of Metro Detroit and Marx Layne & Company.