Don Was brings Motor City magic to Mass. shows

Don Was is bringing his Detroit-rooted musical perspective to Massachusetts this weekend, performing at the Sinclair in Boston on Friday and the Groton Hill Music Center on Saturday. Was, who has worked as a musician, producer, and label executive at Blue Note, says Detroit music captures “raw groove” and a stream-of-consciousness feel shaped by a one-industry town. He credits his nine-piece Pan-Detroit Ensemble for its mix of rock, jazz, funk and reggae, embodied on the album “Groove in the Face of Adversity.” The shows will include the full Grateful Dead album “Blues for Allah,” which Was calls uniquely adaptable night to night, while also touching on his work producing for artists such as Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones.