Parts & Labor
Home Away from Home for Local Jazz Musicians
The historically blue-collar town of Melvindale, Michigan, may seem an unlikely place to find a thriving jazz community, but for almost five years running, Parts & Labor on Allen Rd. has provided a cozy home for local musicians. Since 2021, this classic dive bar has hosted a weekly jazz jam on Tuesdays, and programming expanded to include “The Workshop” jazz development session beginning in 2023. Parts & Labor has quickly become one of the most important spaces for metro Detroit musicians to meet up and make music together, while also fostering a new audience for live local music.
Pulling into the parking lot, the building looks like a typical neighborhood watering hole. Operated as The Mel Bar & Grill from 1959-2019, it passed into the hands of Justin Pullum in 2020, who reopened the space with a new name and revamped menu of affordable bar fare and craft beers. Pullum, who previously booked metal and hardcore shows at The Rockery in Wyandotte, was inspired to start programming jazz after reading Before Motown: A History of Jazz in Detroit by Lars Bjorn and Jim Gallert. Initially reaching out to musicians via social media, he eventually connected with bassist Trevor Lamb, a Wayne State University grad and regular Planet D Nonet member. Lamb enthusiastically set up a weekly trio gig with guitarist Mark Royzenblatt (now replaced by Ian Blunden) and drummer David Zwolinski, inviting musicians to sit in and join the band as special guests. He admits that he had some doubts about the sustainability of the evening at the outset, and that not all of the neighborhood regulars were interested in what the band had to offer. Lamb says “a handful of people didn't like it, you know, but a lot of people turned around like, ‘holy smokes!’ Like, especially when Dave took a drum solo, they're like, ‘what?’ We've never heard anyone play the drums like that!”
A key to the trio’s success in building a regular crowd was Pullum’s experience and patience. Lamb notes that “…he's a great club owner in the sense that he is about the art and the music and the scene. Obviously, we need money to keep the wheels on the bus, but that is maybe not his first priority a lot of the time, which I don't encounter often in a club owner.” Having the opportunity to build something over time has given Lamb space to foster a strong sense of community. The weekly jam settled into a format that starts with a set by the trio with a rotating featured special guest – which has included veterans like Wendell Harrison, Bill Heid, Ellie Martin, Dwight Adams, as well as up and comers like Josie Ala, Tariq Gardner, and Sami Blosser. After the first set, the jam session opens up, and Lamb not only ensures that everyone gets a chance to play, but that the circumstances are amenable to music.
This focus on community building and honing musicality has extended to the bi-weekly Monday sessions led by veteran bassist Jeff Pedraz, aptly entitled “The Workshop.” Pedraz provides a tune list in advance, and shares PDFs of sheet music as well as a link to a YouTube study playlist. This welcoming environment has led to the cultivation of a space where young players from Wayne State, Michigan State, Oakland University, and University of Michigan interact on a regular basis.
Visitors to Parts & Labor still experience the vibe of a neighborhood watering hole – many of the jazz regulars are clearly holdovers from the old Mel Bar & Grill days, and the menu is astonishingly affordable (I recommend the $7 Havarti Dill grilled cheese sandwich – but I hear the burgers are great too). On a recent night, a heartfelt rendition of “Body and Soul,” performed by Jake Shadik, Jaribu Shahid, and Dave Zwolinski, was accompanied by a WWF match on the TV behind the bar, near a sign pronouncing “This is not a punk house, it’s a punk home.” Pullum also brought karaoke, comedy nights, and metal shows to Parts & Labor. All these pieces — the bar, a supportive owner, the adept session facilitators, the new and old regulars, and the overall ambience — fit magically together to create one of those rare spaces where jazz musicians feel not only appreciated but feel at home.
TOP: Ian Blunden (guitar), Trevor Lamb (bass) and Alonso Umana (drums) at Parts & Labor Bar
photograph by Jeff Dunn
Parts & Labor Bar Parts & Labor Jam The Workshop
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