Women in jazz/improv

[Steve Reynolds]

Tomeka Reid - maybe my favorite cellist along with Fred Lonberg-Holm

Sara Schoenbeck - never heard bassoon played so great live

Mette Rasmussen - blustering alto saxophone player

Lotte Anker - extraordinary reed player - soprano & tenor

Huge fan of Lady Joelle - as great a bassist as exists in this world

long time fan of Mary Halvorson & Ingrid Laubrock - I’ve seen them live many many times and Mary is especially awesome live.

Kate Gentile - wonderful drummer who plays with Matt Mitchell

big thumbs up to the great duo recording with Tyshawn & Marilyn - nothing else remotely like it. 

 

 

[Rabshakeh]

34 minutes ago, Steve Reynolds said:

Mette Rasmussen - blustering alto saxophone player

Lotte Anker - extraordinary reed player - soprano & tenor

Any suggested recordings for these two?

[mjazzg]

I know you didn't ask me but if I may, for Anker I enjoy. 

This band also have a very good Leo release called 'Triptych'

I think I've only heard Rasmussen with the Fire! Orchestra and possibly PN-L's Large Orchestra

[Steve Reynolds]

Rasmussen on the fairly recent Ken Vandermark 7 CD box Unexpected Alchemy on Not Two records 

[Rabshakeh]

Thank you both!!

[Pim]

How bout Barbara Donald? The first time I heard her play on a Simmons I was really blown away. I was surprised when I learned she’s not really well recorded. 

[Jason Bivins]

Great topic! I'd add:

 

Silke Eberhard

Liz Albee

Jen Shyu

[Д.Д.]

What a strange discussion to have in 2021. There are more excellent female jazz musicians than ever before. There is nothing exotic or particularly distinctive about being a female player anymore. Are we going to have a thread for tall jazz musicians next? 

Grumbling aside, I like Ikue Mori and Shayna Dulberger (an excellent bassist, not sure if she's active anymore: https://chriswelcome.bandcamp.com/album/wound-unwound-and-within).     

Edited October 14, 2021 by Д.Д.

[mjazzg]

10 minutes ago, Д.Д. said:

What a strange discussion to have in 2021. There are more excellent female jazz musicians than ever before. There is nothing exotic or particularly distinctive about being a female player anymore. Are we going to have a thread for tall jazz musicians next? 

Grumbling aside, I like Ikue Mori and Shayna Dulberger (an excellent bassist, not sure if she's active anymore: https://chriswelcome.bandcamp.com/album/wound-unwound-and-within).     

I'll admit to thinking similarly when it appeared but folk seem to be getting something from it

[Rabshakeh]

It's another way to get some good recommendations, I guess.

[Ken Dryden]

Ed Palermo has two female musicians in his big band, Barbara Cifelli (baritone sax) and Katie Jacoby (violin).

Claire Daly has won the Jazz Journalist Association's baritone sax of the year in past years.

 

[JSngry]

The same conversation can be had about  "classical" composers.

If nothing else, it should illuminate that greater opportunity leads to a bigger talent pool, which in turn opens up the chances of new/different perspectives.

[Peter Friedman]

Terri Lynn Carrington - Drums

Renee Rosnes - Piano

Holly Hoffman - Flute

[T.D.]

I just recently discovered Satoko Fujii and have been impressed.

She records prolifically (big band, solo, small group) and I've only heard a few, so can't give reliable recommendations. There's a lot to explore.

[David Ayers]

7 hours ago, Д.Д. said:

What a strange discussion to have in 2021. There are more excellent female jazz musicians than ever before. There is nothing exotic or particularly distinctive about being a female player anymore. Are we going to have a thread for tall jazz musicians next? 

Grumbling aside, I like Ikue Mori and Shayna Dulberger (an excellent bassist, not sure if she's active anymore: https://chriswelcome.bandcamp.com/album/wound-unwound-and-within).     

In all the years of this board, have we ever discussed this topic? In fact something does happen when we bring these names together. Compare and contrast e.g. the history of modern jazz in the fifties and sixties, or the  treatment by their contemporaries and by jazz historians of last century of the female territory bands. And in fact I’d be surprised if anybody here knew all of these names - I’m surprised how many are new to me. I see Wynton is still holding back the tide at LCJO - I’d like to see their diversity policy. 

[Rabshakeh]

1 hour ago, David Ayers said:

I see Wynton is still holding back the tide at LCJO - I’d like to see their diversity policy. 

LCJO and contemporary Steeplechase etc. The only area of jazz that remains heavily male. 

1 hour ago, David Ayers said:

 the  treatment by their contemporaries and by jazz historians of last century of the female territory bands. 

This is the first that I have heard of this. What is the background to this comment? I had no idea that there were female territory bands.

Finally: Yass Ahmed and Nubya Garcia. It feels a bit absurd to include them in a thread with the likes of Mary Halvorsen or Tomeka Reid, but the mainstream press is very impressed by them at the moment.

[David Ayers]

17 minutes ago, Rabshakeh said:

 

This is the first that I have heard of this. What is the background to this comment? I had no idea that there were female territory bands.

 

There’s a 2000 monograph on the topic by Sherrie Tucker. There’s a helpful discussion in the Wikipedia page on territory bands (in “History” section - scroll down). 

[Rabshakeh]

Thanks!

[Д.Д.]

1 hour ago, David Ayers said:

In all the years of this board, have we ever discussed this topic? In fact something does happen when we bring these names together. Compare and contrast e.g. the history of modern jazz in the fifties and sixties, or the  treatment by their contemporaries and by jazz historians of last century of the female territory bands. And in fact I’d be surprised if anybody here knew all of these names - I’m surprised how many are new to me. I see Wynton is still holding back the tide at LCJO - I’d like to see their diversity policy. 

First of all, this definitely has been discussed multiple times:

 

 

Second, developing a career as a female jazz musician is an interesting subject when it comes to earlier generations (I am sure that somebody like Irène Schweizer has a few stories to tell), but I am fairly certain that younger female musicians would not appreciate or even understand why they are being talked about as "female musicians".    

[EKE BBB]

Along these 18 years, we have discussed many topics many times. So, I see no problem here.

Moreover, in my view, discussing about female jazz artists is just like discussing about left-handed trumpet players, Texas tenors or unfairly unknown European pianists... Do you also have problems with these topics?

Edited October 15, 2021 by EKE BBB

[Rabshakeh]

I took the thread in a different way: promoting the new wave. 

Despite how heavy with young talent jazz is at the moment (to a large part female), you would never know it from the Listening To thread. 

[David Ayers]

Here's how Nicole Mitchell sees it.

"So yes, there was definitely women stuff, because first of all, there’s never enough. There’s never enough gender balance, and that’s the real issue. And that’s what I work to solve in my own projects. There’s a lot of great male musicians that talk a lot of stuff about being progressive and supportive of women. But if you look at it, what are the projects they put together? Who do they hire? Who do they bring in to do their music? Have they actually brought in anyone except other white dudes? That’s, to me, what I think people don’t take seriously enough, and that’s really where the change happens."

https://nationalsawdust.org/thelog/2018/01/15/nicole-mitchell-science-fiction-and-sound-strategies/

[Д.Д.]

29 minutes ago, David Ayers said:

Here's how Nicole Mitchell sees it.

"[...]  Who do they hire? Who do they bring in to do their music? Have they actually brought in anyone except other white dudes? [...]"

Seriously? 

[David Ayers]

Women in Jazz: Music Publishing and Marketing

Seems some people think there might be issues.

[mjazzg]

My only surprise really was that I couldn't believe that anyone who has followed jazz/improv at all closely in the last ten years wasn't aware of so many female artists that have had high profiles in that time. 

I'm absolutely all for highlighting them and redressing the balance but I just feel there must have been some blinkers in place to have missed them all in the first place.

I think Nicole Mitchell speaks a lot of sense and walks that talk. All power to her.