Winner of a 2016 Kresge Arts Fellowship and numerous honors, Marion Hayden became best known internationally as a founding member of the all-female Grammy-nominated group Straight Ahead, who recorded for Atlantic Records.
and numerous jazz greats, make her one of Detroit’s most in-demand bassists and composers. The top choice for Marcus Belgrave, Charlie Gabriel, Kenn Cox, Donald Walden, Roy Brooks, Harold McKinney, Regina carter, Alvin Waddles, Kamau Kenyatta, and many others. She also has worked with Kirk Lightsey, Ralph Peterson, Jr., Terry Callier, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Fortune, Kenny Burrell, Steve Turre, Cecil Bridgewater, Geri Allen, and countless others.
A respected educator, Marion’s been on the Jazz Studies faculty at the University of Michigan School of Music for 16 years. She has numerous recordings as a bassist and band leader, and is a featured artist on the BlueNote Records release “Detroit Jazz City.” She has performed and recorded internationally extensively including a recent tour of Japan with the Detroit Jazz Festival All Stars.
-Words by Marion Hayden