Coming to The Green Room on Dec 3, the groundbreaking group DDAT has been featured on NPR as one of the Top Ten Finalists in 2019’s Tiny Desk Competition, Blending national touring artist DEF-I’s intelligent, poetic lyrics and hip hop style with the hard-driving instrumental fire of trumpet player Delbert Anderson, the deep funk of drummer Nicholas Lucero, and the intellectually explorative and expanding groove of Mike McCluhan on bass, DDAT has carved its own path with high desert-forged influences and world-class musicianship.

Delbert speaks about the ways DDAT has expanded their activities beyond just playing shows as a band, to incorporate a number of interdisciplinary ventures including dance, symphonic projects, film production, cultural exploration, and musical theatre through the creation of D’DAT Management Inc.

Delbert speaks about the educational outreach that DDAT engages in from classrooms to detention centers. They focus on delivering two main programs. One of which teaches the fundamentals of music while diving into the history of jazz, while the other delves into the benefits of music to mental well-being. He also elaborates on how this work has continued virtually during the pandemic.