Detroit Jazz Legends Share Talents with Detroit Country Day School Students for "Ain't Misbehavin'"

As part of a professional partnership initiative at Detroit Country Day School (DCDS), Detroit jazz legends Ursula Walker and Buddy Budson are bringing their unique talents and ear for jazz to student musicians and singers performing in the musical “Ain’t Misbehavin.’

For weeks leading up to the show’s opening, Walker and Budson have worked closely with the DCDS band and the cast of ten exceptional vocalists to hone the unique style, rhythm and sound of the Harlem renaissance. Named for the popular Fats Waller song, “Ain’t Misbehavin’” is a vibrant tribute to the Harlem jazz musicians of the 1920s and 30s who brought the soulful blues, jitterbug and swing to life in nightclubs and cabarets such as the Cotton Club and the Savoy Ballroom.

“The opportunity to work so closely with talented professional artists has been a remarkable experience for our student performers,” said Jeffrey Michael Nahan, Executive Director of the Fine, Performing & Communication Arts programs at DCDS. “By seeking out educational partnerships with respected performers such as Ursula and Buddy, we are engaging our students with real-world experts and providing them with a once-in-a-lifetime experience to build their craft and improve their creative abilities.

A married couple, both Walker and Budson specialize in playing and performing jazz music. Walker is a noted vocalist who has been part of the Detroit music world for decades, with a career spanning television and radio, touring with artists such as Count Basie and Tony Bennett, performing at countless clubs, concerts and festivals, and earning numerous awards. Budson has been playing jazz piano for more than 56 years, performing with artists including Henry Mancini, Sammy Davis, Jr., Marlena Shaw and touring with Buddy Rich’s big Band and the Four Tops.

“It has been a wonderful and interesting experience working with and watching these talented DCDS students digest the music, style, and underlying messages of this era in American musical history,” Walker said.

“In our estimation, “Ain’t Misbehavin’” is probably one of the most difficult musicals for high school students to handle, for its wall-to-wall musical numbers alone and its stylistic demands. These students have responded with amazing energy and effort in doing justice to these demands,” Budson continued.

“Ain’t Misbehavin’” performances are set for 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, November 4, 5, 11 and 12, and Sunday matinees will begin at 2 p.m. on November 6 and 13 at the Seligman Performing Arts Center at the DCDS Upper School. The show is rated PG-13 and is not recommended for children aged 5 and under. Tickets will be available at the DCDS box office prior to each performance and are available to purchase by clicking here.

Detroit Country Day School offers students from preschool through high school an exemplary education rooted in academic rigor and a commitment to the full development of each student’s potential. The school is an independent, coeducational, non-denominational, college preparatory school nationally recognized for excellence in academics, athletics and the fine and performing arts. Founded in 1914 by F. Alden Shaw, Detroit Country Day School today enrolls more than 1,500 students on four campuses located in Beverly Hills and Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. For additional information, please visit www.dcds.edu.