Women in Jazz

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

says it all really ... the rest is noise eh ...?

today

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Good call Calum, International Womens Day....Men have the other 364 stitched up.

Only thing to do....play some Mary Lou.

Zodiac

BN.

[MrGongGong]

I used be oddly keen on this album

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

thanks for that MrGongGong ... it is entrancing innit ....

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

I was reading a thing from Laurie Pepper where Frank Morgan asked her to manage his career...she said "Sorry Frank, you really have to be in love to cope with all that. Art was demanding 24/7"

Sometimes we forget.

BN.

[MrGongGong]

NOt Jazz (so move to a new thread if necessary ? )
but some good things here

http://johnsonsrambler.wordpress.com/2013/03/08/radio-rambler-celebrates-international-womens-day-2013/

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

NOt Jazz (so move to a new thread if necessary ? )
but some good things here

http://johnsonsrambler.wordpress.com/2013/03/08/radio-rambler-celebrates-international-womens-day-2013/

jazz is a very broad church mrGG .... ahem

[Byas'd Opinion]

Joanne Brackeen's early 80s album "Special Identity" (with Eddie Gomez and Jack DeJohnette) has long been a favourite of mine. Here she is a few years later, blowing up a storm with a Joe Henderson Quartet. The band's got a female bass player too, Kim Clarke, who I've previously only ever come across playing funk bass guitar in Joseph Bowie's Defunkt.

[Flyposter]

Joanne Brackeen's early 80s album "Special Identity" (with Eddie Gomez and Jack DeJohnette) has long been a favourite of mine. Here she is a few years later, blowing up a storm with a Joe Henderson Quartet. The band's got a female bass player too, Kim Clarke, who I've previously only ever come across playing funk bass guitar in Joseph Bowie's Defunkt.

The only female Messenger, I think

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Well, unless you include Melinda?

I'll get my coooooooooawt...

BN.

[Quarky]

Interesting thread Calum.
I assume that life with a travelling jazz band must be really rough and tough for a young female, which may be one reason why there are not a lot more female jazzers. But I feel that the time may be right for females to take a lead in pointing a way ahead for the Jazz movement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7_sqdkaAfo

[Ian Thumwood]

I caught Terri Lynne Carrington's Mosaic group last year and whilst they were very good (and featured another jazz heroine of mine, Dianne Reeves) I saw so much great jazz in 2012 that this group didn't quite register as t should. I think there were a few blokes in the band too. Carrington is a tremendous drummer and Calum / bluesnik might be curious to have followed the link through to this youtube posting which I found staggering. The drummer dominates this version of a standard that had been done to death even in the 80's but it is quite amazing just how her playing still seems so contemporary whereas the other players still remain rooted in bebop and running the changes . I don't think I can recall hearing such an apparent generation gap on a record since Horace Silver made an album with Mike Brecker in the 1990's. The gap between Getz and TLC couldn't have been greater if he had had Gene Krupa playing behind him and demonstrakes just how much her concept had already developed beyond bop. Seeing and hearing somthing like this reinforces just how significant the changes in jazz have been over the last 30 years.

I'm almost inclinded to throw a spanner in the workings of this thread as I don't really believe that women are quite as insignificant in jazz as Bluesnik would suggest. Whilst I would applaud the talents of the great Mary Lou Williams being championed the situation in 2013 is vastly different. For my money some of the best music in jazz is now being made by women as opposed to men. You just have to rattle off names such as Esperanza Spalding, Maria Schneider, Geri Allen, Mary Holvorsen, Gretchen Parlato, Eri Yamamoto, Nicole Mitcheell to see just how significant women are in all the spheres of jazz. When I buy records these days it doesn't matter whether a player is male or female as long as the music is happening. Women might not be involved in jazz in such numbers but as an aggregate it might be worthwhile arguing that they are more significant.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Would that was true Ian, but jazz still carries the macho lifestlye b/shit and people pay for that image and ad. package even as a memory.

There's a long way to go yet.

BN.

Btw, interesting that the blues seemed perhaps more open, even back to the classic day. Memphis Minnie to Koko Taylor et al.

[gurnemanz]

Only thing to do....play some Mary Lou.

As well as Mary Lou W:

Ragtimers Amanda Randolph and the lovely Edythe Baker

Later, Barbara Carroll - 88 and still going (relevant article here) I have her Lullaby of Birdland from 1954 with her husband Joe Shulman on bass.

Jazz vocalists are mostly women (my favourite jazz genre).

[Serial_Apologist]

Would that was true Ian, but jazz still carries the macho lifestlye b/shit and people pay for that image and ad. package even as a memory.

There's a long way to go yet.

BN.

I'm happy to dispute that that is still the case among the younger generation in this country, at any rate - I see no sign of it whatever.