Don Was and the Pan-Detroit Ensemble to Release New Live Album “Live Dispatch Vol. 1: Blues For Allah ’26” on Nov. 26th, 2026 | WATCH NEW VIDEO! Announces New Tour for 2026
Six-Time GRAMMY-Winning Musician, Producer & Composer,
Don Was Announces Live Dispatch Vol. 1: Blues For Allah ’26
Out November 20 via Verve
New Live Album From Don Was and the Pan-Detroit Ensemble
Honors Don’s Longtime Collaborator Bob Weir
and The Grateful Dead’s Blues for Allah
Listen to the First Single “The Music Never Stopped”
October 8, 2026: Today, six-time GRAMMY-winning musician, producer, and composer, Don Was announced Live Dispatch Vol. 1: Blues For Allah ’26, a new live album from Don Was and the Pan-Detroit Ensemble. Honoring Don’s longtime friend and collaborator Bob Weir, the album features performances captured along The Ensemble’s recent tour celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Grateful Dead’s Blues for Allah. Releasing November 20 via Verve, the album announcement comes with the first single “The Music Never Stopped.”
In 2018, Don joined Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir to form the Wolf Brothers, a band that continued to tour in the U.S. and overseas until Weir’s passing in 2026. “Playing with Bobby Weir and The Wolf Bros drew me deep into the music of the Grateful Dead,” says Don. “The songs became way more than lyrics and a chord chart – they became more like ‘friends’ that I looked forward to hanging out with night after night. We hope that this record conveys our deep respect and love for this music and for the fans who have made it such an important part of their lives.”
The Pan-Detroit Ensemble features top-tier jazz musicians from Don’s hometown, including longtime collaborator Dave McMurray on saxophone, and additional members include drummer Jeff Canady, trombonist Vincent Chandler, vocalist Steffanie Christi’an, trumpeter John Douglas, guitarist Wayne Gerard, percussionist Mahindi Masai, and keyboardist Phil Whitfield. “There’s a unique sound and feel to Detroit that permeates the music in a way that resonates all over the globe,” says Was. “There’s a rawness, a lack of pretension, and an unmistakable underlying groove that reflects the people and culture of the entire city.”
Preorder / Presave Live Dispatch Vol. 1: Blues For Allah ’26
Over the past five decades, Don 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. His honors include a BAFTA Award (Backbeat), an Emmy (The Beatles: The Night That Changed America), and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association. In addition to leading the Don Was Detroit All-Star Revue for more than 15 years, he co-hosts The Don Was Motor City Playlist on Detroit’s WDET-FM and Dinner with Don Was on SiriusXM.
Drawing on the wide-ranging influences of his five-decade career, the band’s 2025 album Groove in the Face of Adversity channeled the soul of the Motor City through a blend of steamy jazz, juke-joint blues, and loose-limbed funk—a sound both timeless and deeply personal.
Tracklisting
1. Help On The Way > Slipknot > Franklin’s Tower
2. King Solomon’s Marbles
3. The Music Never Stopped
4. Crazy Fingers
5. Sage And Spirit
6. Blues For Allah
Don Was and the Pan-Detroit Ensemble Tour Dates:
Oct 9 – Kent, OH – The Kent Stage
Oct 10 – Nelsonville, OH – Stuart’s Opera House
Oct 11 – Buffalo, NY – Asbury Hall
Oct 13 – Homer, NY – Center for the Arts of Homer
Oct 14 – New York, NY – Le Poisson Rouge
Oct 15 – Fairfield, CT – The Warehouse at FTC
Oct 16 – Boston, MA – The Sinclair
Oct 17 – Groton, MA – Groton Hill Music Center
Oct 18 – Bar Harbor, ME – Criterion Theatre
Photo Credit: Larry Marano
Follow Don Was:
Official Website – Instagram – Facebook
Missing Piece Group