Things to do this week

WHAT’S GOING ON

Billy Davis, a guitar legend and bonafide badass who lives in Southfield.

COURTESY PHOTO

Select events happening in metro Detroit this week. See venue websites for information on COVID-19 policies.

WED, 10/19

The Billy Davis Rhythm Machine Band

It’s true: the m an cred ited w ith tea ch ing Jim i H en drix how to play the guitar lives right in South eld. is name is B illy D avis, and at 84 yea rs old he’s a bona de rock and blues legend who s still amming after all these years. You’ve seen video s of Jim i H en drix playing the guitar beh ind his hea d, right That was Davis s signature move. H ow about playing the guitar w ith his teeth eah, that was Davis s am, too. D avis, w ho w as born in M ississippi and m oved to D et roit in 1951, w ill be performing at the South eld ibrary w ith his group the B illy D avis R hythm achine and.

In the late 1950s, D avis w as the lead guitar player for ank allard and the M idnighters, w ho w rote and perform ed the original version of “T he Tw ist,” inspired by the popular dance craze. D avis and H endrix m et at a M idnight ers show in 1959. ntranced by Davis s guitar feedback which was unusual at the tim e) and w ild stage antics, H endrix w as determ ined to m eet him after the gig. e can t guarantee that Davis will pull out all his tricks and start doing backflips on stage this time, though. I kinda let that go because I see other peo ple doing it now ,” he tel ls M etro T im es see our full interview online . I was the originator of that, but I en joy seei ng the younger peo ple doing it. Playing with my teeth and be hind my back, and getting on the floor making love with the guitar, that ust came to my mind at the time. I ust felt it and that s what I did. I put my heart and soul in it. I get a little carried away som et im es , and I m ight do anything on stage but not so much these days.

—R andiah C amille G reen

Jazz & Blues at Your Library featuring the Billy D avis R hythm M achine Band is from 6-8 p.m . on W ednesday, O ct. 19 at the outhfield Public ibrary Meeting oom, 300 vergreen d., outhfield. T ickets are $8 in advance or $5 for Friends of the outhfield Public ibrary m em bers. A lim ited num ber of tickets w ill be available at the door. For m ore information, see southfieldlibrary.org.

TUES, 10/25

Jamon Jordan 1967 Lecture

amon ordan, the uno cial Detroit historian who became the city s rst o cial historian last year, will give his rst annual lecture on Tuesday. The date marks one year to the day that amon w as appointed city historian, after nearly nine years of working as an educator who shared the city s hidden lack his tory through the lack Scroll etwork. is upcoming lecture will take place at ordon Park, at the corner of osa Parks and lairmont, where the Detroit ebellion of 19 began. Instead of fo cusing on the violen ce of the uprising, how ev er , Jordan w ill det ail how D et roit recovered and continues to thrive. The history you read in books is often tim es not the history that is the lived ex per ien ce of the peo ple, ” ayor ike Duggan said in a state ment. hen ochelle iley told me we needed a ity istorian, I agreed and told her she need sic to nd a historian w ho w ould tel l the story of longtime Detroiters. amon ordan is doing ust that. e is lling a huge hole in the fabric of our com m unity, and I couldn t be more proud of his work.

R iley , the city’s direc tor of arts and culture, said ordan s work is a tribute to his lifel ong passion for history — Detroit s, merica s and the world s. e are blessed to have him offer constant rem inder s of how rich our history and culture are.

—R andiah C amille G reen

Starts at noon on Tuesday, O ct. 25 at Detroit’s ordon Park (corner of osa Parks and lairmont). vent is free and open to the public.

WED, 10/26

DSO with Marvin Winans

Through its Detroit eighborhood Initiative,” the D etroit Sym phony Orchestra is taking its show out of O rchestra H all and into the com m unity, w ith a concert announced at the city’s Perfecting hurch. The event which features the church’s founder and pastor and rammy ward-winning gospel vocalist arvin inans and the Per fected Praise hoir, led by DSO assistant conductor a ir cFadden will feature the m usic of Jessie M ontgom ery, illiam rant Still, Duke llington, and olland-Dozier- olland.

“It’s an honor to bring the D etroit Symphony Orchestra, arvin inans, and the Perfecting Praise hoir together in a celebration of the brilliant G ospel and lassical musical traditions in De troit,” D SO director of social innovation arisa ntonio said in a statement. The last several years have been a di cult time lled with the loss of life, time, and connection. ith this concert, we hope to represent hope, joy, and resilience, and unite in celebration of all the things that bring meaning to our lives.

T he fam ily-frien dly ev en t is open to the public, part of the D SO ’s m ission to be “the m ost acces sible orches tra on the planet. efore the event starts, the DSO will also offer free music educa tion activities for studen ts of all ages through its D et roit H arm ony initiative, w hich “aim s to put an instrum en t in the hand of ev er y K -12 studen t in the city of D et roit w ho w ants to lea rn to play. arvin inans is a member of Detroit s renowned inans family of gospel singers and is also known for appearing in Tyler Perry s lms and T work.

—L ee D eV ito

Event starts at 7 p.m . on W ednesday, O ct. at Perfecting hurch 1 Nevada Ave., Detroit 313.3 5.3 perfectingchurch.org. D oors open at 6 p.m . Event is free and open to the public.