Tariq Gardner grew up in Detroit surrounded by music. His mother is renowned bassist Marion Hayden. Jazz was in the house and his hands from an early age.

He studied jazz and contemporary improvisation at the University of Michigan. Gardner has played everything from straight-ahead jazz to neo-soul, hip-hop, gospel, and Afro-Cuban. He’s performed at the Detroit Jazz Festival, the Cape May Jazz Festival, and with artists across the country.

He leads Evening Star, a band of longtime collaborators who blend Detroit’s jazz tradition with global rhythms and modern grooves.

The band is a featured artist in WDET’s 2025 Sounds Like Detroit Music Showcase.

Tariq Gardner joined the show to discuss his musical journey.

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The LOVE Building’s monthly LOVE@Nite creative showcase series has helped to shine a light on some of the city’s top up-and-coming artists and creatives.

This summer, the organization launched CONTAINER, a homegrown creative residency platform that nurtures and spotlights Detroit-based artists across music, food, fashion, and visual art through performances, mentorship, and a citywide tour this fall.

The goal of the project is to retain creative talent in the city while giving local artists the tools and space to grow. 

The LOVE Building will host its fourth and final LOVE@Nite: CONTAINER Takeover event this Thursday, July 10, showcasing the 12 local artists in the 2025 CONTAINER cohort. The event will also be a part of the closing festivities for the Global Citizen NOW conference in Detroit.

Kwaku Osei, executive director of The LOVE Building, joined The Metro on Tuesday to talk about the final CONTAINER Takeover and what to expect.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

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