sundays at the carpet house
It has been dubbed "Detroit's most unusual blues venue," "a magical place of soulful music and BBQ," "a weekly display of vibrant, thriving life in an otherwise desolate area." John's Carpet House is many things to many Detroiters, and curiously, a secret to others.
Thirty years ago, blues drummer, John Estes, began inviting blues musicians to his home for weekly concerts, lining the walls with carpet to insulate the sound, hence the name of the jam. In 2006, Estes passed away and Albert "Big Pete" Barrow (a lifelong Detroiter and former 43-year General Motos employee) took over, moving the concert to the empty lots he owns across the street.
The concert, which occurs every Sunday from May to September, has become a time-honored community gathering, a reunion of sorts, a speakeasy for old friends to enjoy the blues. But it is also a tradition that has been threatened closure on a variety of occasions.
In the summer of 2015, Barrow was forced to shut down the jam temporarily due to disputes with the city over licensing and permits. He was able to reopen and the weekly concert persists today. In 2015, as part of Framed by WDET: a Detroit public radio audio-visual storytelling experience, Amy, along with audio story producer, Laura Herberg, documented the event, exploring the tradition, character, people and sounds that make John's Carpet House one of Detroit's most vital and enduring cultural traditions.
Thirty years ago, blues drummer, John Estes, began inviting blues musicians to his home for weekly concerts, lining the walls with carpet to insulate the sound, hence the name of the jam. In 2006, Estes passed away and Albert "Big Pete" Barrow (a lifelong Detroiter and former 43-year General Motos employee) took over, moving the concert to the empty lots he owns across the street.
The concert, which occurs every Sunday from May to September, has become a time-honored community gathering, a reunion of sorts, a speakeasy for old friends to enjoy the blues. But it is also a tradition that has been threatened closure on a variety of occasions.
In the summer of 2015, Barrow was forced to shut down the jam temporarily due to disputes with the city over licensing and permits. He was able to reopen and the weekly concert persists today. In 2015, as part of Framed by WDET: a Detroit public radio audio-visual storytelling experience, Amy, along with audio story producer, Laura Herberg, documented the event, exploring the tradition, character, people and sounds that make John's Carpet House one of Detroit's most vital and enduring cultural traditions.
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