Detroit Sound Conservancy

“Preserving history is an act of love for the next generation of artists.” — Naima Shamborguer

As we celebrate 14 years of preserving Detroit’s musical heritage, Naima’s story reminds us why this work matters.

Naima Shamborguer is a Detroit Jazz musician whose music journey has spanned over 4 decades. A Detroit native, Naima Shamborguer honed her exceptional vocal talent through in-depth training in both classical and jazz traditions. Over a career spanning more than 50 years, she has performed and recorded with notable jazz artists locally, nationally, and internationally.

Through DSC’s archival stewardship, Naima’s recordings, videos, and musical legacy are being preserved so future artists can study, learn, and create something new.

Explore the Women in Jazz Oral History Collection through the link in our bio.

Will you help preserve artist legacies like Naima’s?
Click the link below to make a gift to Detroit Sound Conservancy!

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=CYMU4TV9PKVYE

📸Photos
Photos from Naima Shamborguers archival collection at Detroit Sound Conservancy

The Countess of Detroit

Alma Smith, known as Detroit’s “Countess of the Keys,” was a gifted vibraphonist, arranger, singer, record label owner, pianist, and bandleader whose career spanned more than seven decades.

Born Mary Alma Foster in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1922, and raised in Detroit, she began performing at a young age and went on to tour nationally with her trio, The Counts and Countess, earning acclaim for her versatility and dynamic performances.

A beloved fixture of Detroit’s jazz scene, Smith remained dedicated to both performance and education, mentoring younger musicians and inspiring generations of artists.

This interview, conducted by Larry Gabriel for the Graystone International Jazz Museum, is a segment of a fourteen-part oral history series that includes many other important musical figures from Detroit. Her love for the city of Detroit, personal philosophy on life, and many talents she possessed made her a treasured figure to be interviewed for this collection.

Alma Smith died May 6th, 2012. Her talent, leadership, and commitment to jazz left a lasting mark on the city’s musical legacy, securing her place as one of Detroit’s most influential and celebrated musicians.

Visit our website to watch the full interview and learn more about Alma Smith’s enduring legacy.

📹 Alma Smith: Community Jazz History Interview, 1989. Interview conducted by Larry Gabriel. Graystone International Jazz Museum Collection at Detroit Sound Conservancy.

Women Who Shaped the History of Sound!

We’re celebrating Women’s History Month by highlighting women artists from the DSC archive through historic headshots from the Graystone International Jazz Museum. These images are a powerful reminder that music history is shaped by groundbreaking female artists and voices.

✨ Take a moment to explore their legacies.

1. Dolores Parker (1920–2018). (year and photographer unknown)
Detroit jazz pianist, composer, and educator whose career spanned decades. By 1947, she joined Duke Ellington’s Orchestra, recording many songs, her favorite being “Take Love Easy.” Parker mentored young musicians and taught at Kent State University, helping shape Metro Detroit’s jazz community.

2. Betty Joplin. (Photograph by Charles Mass, 1989)
A Detroit jazz vocalist known for her powerful voice and commanding stage presence. Joplin became a staple of the city’s jazz scene, performing with Arthur Prysock and touring with Duke Ellington’s Orchestra. She earned a Grammy nod for “This Guy’s In Love With You” and released standout albums like "Blinded By Love" and "Visions of The Moment”.

3. Betty Carter (1929–1998). (year and photographer unknown)
A groundbreaking jazz vocalist celebrated for fearless improvisation and distinctive phrasing. Carter also founded Bet-Car Records, championing artistic independence while mentoring generations of musicians.

4. Alma Smith (1922–2012). (year and photographer unknown)
Detroit jazz musician, composer, and bandleader whose career spanned more than 70 years. Known as the “Countess of Detroit,” she was a pianist, vibraphonist, vocalist, and beloved mentor in the jazz community.

📸 Photos from the Graystone International Jazz Museum Collection.
Visit our website to explore the collection further!

⚾Blue Bird Black History!⚾

Did you know the Blue Bird Inn had a baseball team?

This little-known fact came to light thanks to Detroit historian Adam Stanfel, who stumbled upon it in the most unexpected way: through a family photo album found at a coworker’s estate sale.

In a recent oral history conversation with DSC Director Michelle McKinney, Stanfel shared how the album made its way to him. After inheriting a family home and its debts, his coworker began holding estate sales to make ends meet. One of those sales led Adam to purchase a photo album, not knowing it contained rare photographs of the Blue Bird Inn baseball team from the 1950s, alongside candid images of neighbors and friends from Detroit’s old West Side.

This collection opens a window into the West Side and Tireman neighborhood as it once was; baseball games by day, jazz at the Blue Bird by night. A thriving community rooted in connection, creativity, and Black excellence.

The Blue Bird Inn wasn’t just a music venue, in many ways it was the heart of the old West Side Detroit. And as we look toward the building’s reopening, we’re excited to help resurrect that energy, honoring the soulful legacy of this cultural landmark and the community that made it legendary.

🔗 Want to support the Blue Bird and other collections like it? Click the link in our bio to support the preservation of Detroit’s musical heritage!

📸Photos
Photos of the Blue Bird Inn Baseball Team. Adam Stanfel Collection 2025-011