"It's A Woman's World: Six Jazz Trailblazers"

NPR lists the following 6 artists as "trailblazers" in the Jazz world. Some I have already discussed and others should be mentioned before the semester is over!

Mary Lou Williams (See March 26th post)

Shirley Scott
Shirley Scott studied piano as a child and then took up trumpet in high school. She began playing the organ after Jimmy Smith made the Hammond organ popular and a club owner in Philadelphia rented one for her. Over the years she played often with and recorded with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Turrentine (who she married and then divorced after 10 years). After her divorce she made commercial recordings with the Chess label and led/played in a few other trios. She began concentrating more on piano in the late 1980s and led a trio with Arthur Harper and Mickey Roker. Her sextet (with her on organ) played on the Bill Cosby Show. She toured in the United States as well as Europe. She has taught at Cheyney University, led the music program at a church in Pennsylvania and ran a production company.

A few clips of her playing live in San Francisco:

Marian McPartland
McPartland began playing at an early age and learned mostly by ear. She learned jazz much the same way; attempting to copy jazz pianists she heard. She attended the Guildhall School of Music for a short time but then left to pursue a career in professional ensembles. She married Jimmy McPartland in 1944 after meeting him in Belgium. She eventually moved to America but retained her citizenship in England. She led her own trio which debuted in 1950 at the Embers Club in New York. Members included Bill Crow, Joe Morello, Mousie Alexander, Bob Carter and Vinnie Burke. She also played with Bud Powell in 1954.  Since she has devoted time to introducing jazz to schoolchildren, writing essays on jazz musicians for several magazines/newspapers and even founded her own record company, Halcyon. She hosted several radio shows including a piano jazz show on WBAI in New York and "Piano Jazz" on NPR. In her "Piano Jazz" show she invites both jazz pianists and other jazz artists. She often plays with them as well along with the interview. She continues performing and teaching at school and colleges.

Her performance of "In a Mist"

Geri Allen
Geri Allen is another impressive piano player. She began playing piano when she was seven and was exposed to jazz from an early age. She studied with Marcus Belgrave and John Malachi. She played in a trio in Pittsburgh led by Cecil Brooks III while receiving her MA from the University of Pittsburgh. After graduation with a degree in ethnomusicology she fully began her recording and performing career.  She worked with many well known jazz artists (too many to begin naming here) and toured in Europe with her own quartet in 1984. She recorded her first album as a leader the same year. She played in a rhythm section with Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette on tour with Betty Carter. She recorded Ornette Coleman and performed with Coleman's New Quartet at the San Francisco Jazz Festival as well as on a couple albums. She has worked in jazz education at Howard University and the New England Conservatory. She played Mary Lou Williams in Kansas City (a film by Robert Altman) and won the Jazzpar award in Denmark the same year (first women to win this award).

Geri Allen Trio-"Dark Prince"

Regina Carter
A jazz violinst, she began playing violin at four and later studied jazz with Marcus Belgrave. She studied classical music as well as jazz at the New England Conservatory and later at Oakland University. In 1987 she joined Straight Ahead a pop-jazz quintet. In 1991 she joined the String Trio of New York and then Steve Turre's sextet in 1996. She tours with various groups and continues playing.

Tiny Desk Concert

I especially enjoy how she pulls in inspiration from so many different cultures and adds such variety to her bands. There are parts in the Tiny Desk Concert from NPR that just amaze me. She creates such a unique and personal sound. Who would have though a kora, accordion, and violin could work so well together!


Maria Schneider
A composer, arranger and big band leader. I talked about her a bit in one of my first posts. Her albums have been nominated for Grammys. Another fantastic role model for aspiring jazz artists.

References:
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.er.lib.k-state.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/J401000?q=shirley+scott&search=quick&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.er.lib.k-state.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/J283500?q=marian+mcpartland&search=quick&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.er.lib.k-state.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/J501100?q=geri+allen&search=quick&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.er.lib.k-state.edu/subscriber/article/epm/70431?q=maria+schneider&search=quick&pos=2&_start=1#firsthit
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.er.lib.k-state.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/J534100?q=regina+carter&search=quick&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit

A few modern jazz pianists: Kait Dunton, Hiromi, Roberta Piket

Roberta Piket is from Queens, NY. She grew up in musical family and first received piano lessons from her composer father at age seven. She received a BA in computer science from Tufts University and a BA in Jazz Studies at the New England Conservatory of Music. She studied with Fred Hersch, Stanley Cowell, Jim McNeely, Bob Moses, Richie Beirach and Sophia Rosoff. She has her own trio which has toured in the US, Japan and Spain. She also performs on the B3 organ. She is also a composer and was finalist in the Thelonious Monk BMI Composers' Competition. A look at her recent album, Sides, Colors:

Her trio in action:

Kait Dunton graduated from the University of North Texas with a degree in Jazz Studies. Her album, Real & Imagined, consists of her trio playing pieces she composed. Not only did she write the track but released it, produced it and arranged the album. She is from and still lives in Southern California. A few live recordings:

Hiromi Uehara is from Shizuoka, Japan. She has released five albums that she lead. In addition she recently played with Chick Corea in Duet  and appeared in the Stanley Clarke Trio's Jazz In the Garden. She attended school at Berklee School of Music and released her first album while studying there.

and with Chick Corea:

in Spain:

References:
http://www.jazz.com/features-and-interviews/2009/8/18/the-young-lionesses-10-future-female-jazz-stars
http://robertajazz.com/biography/

Critical Listening:


Kait Dunton
"While the City Sleeps"
Piano, Bass Drums
Piano is main solo instrument. The bass and drums provide the background rhythm.
The longer phrases form an A section (beginning to 1:30) followed by a 30s B section and then back to the A idea. This is followed by a C section marked by more runs on the piano and a more upbeat feel to the solo. She works her way back to the A section after entering into a section that feels similar to the B idea.

Matano Roberts and Julie Tippetts

I find that I really enjoy avant-garde jazz music, so I decided to explore some of the music for my blog post this week. Female avant-garde jazz artists are few and far between. But there are several who excel in the field. Here I will discuss Matano Roberts and Julie Tippetts.

Matano Roberts is from Chicago and grew up surrounded by musical mentors. She tries to speak through her music to address the issues int the world today.

Here is how her website describes her:

Matana (m(a)-ta-na\) Roberts; internationally documented, chicago born saxophonist/improviser/ composer/sound conceptualist; working in various mediums of performance inquiry; has created alongside visionary experimentalists of this time period in various areas of improvisation, dance, poetry, visual art, theater; as a saxophonist, documented on sound recordings as collaborator, side woman and leader. some recent work focused on the place/problem of memory/tradition as recognized, deciphered, deconstructed, interrogated through radical modes of sound communication, alternative styles of musical notation, and multi genres of improvisation; based in new york city.


To me this sounds pretty accurate for one who wants to pursue avant-garde jazz. She is also a member of the Association for the Advance of Creative Musicians.

Julie Tippets was born in London. She was initially a 60s pop diva but then became interested in jazz. I find it hard to really characterize avant-garde jazz, or define what makes it avant-garde or if a piece falls within the genre. That said I find this piece really cool whether its avant-arde or not!

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php?id=14076
http://www.matanaroberts.com/who-0
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/julie-driscoll-p17141/biography
http://www.allmusic.com/explore/style/avant-garde-jazz-d7725


Critical Listening:
Keith Tippet, Julie Tippetts with Louis Moholo and Minafric Orchestra
"Viva La Black"
Video above
Form ABA

Begins with bass then drums enter. Trumpet comes in with screeching notes and the rhythm section fills out. Vocals begin while the trumpet continues with its solo. The rest of the horn section comes in backing up the trumpet and contributing to the rhythm section The vocals become more prominent and flowing. They begin to flow with the trumpet. Following the chorus played by whole ensemble section, the trombone takes a solo. The horns reenter with accents part way through the trombone solo then the vocals reenter. The main melody is restated. I enjoyed the whole piece. The solos were interesting and I liked the latin infusion.

Carla Bley

Carla Bley was born in 1938 and began learning piano at very young age. She moved to New York when she was a teenager after dropping out of school after the tenth grade. There she worked as cigarette girl at the Birdland jazz club and was exposed to jazz nightly. She also met Paul Bley while working there and moved with him to Los Angeles where she began writing music. When she and Paul moved back to New York, others such as George Russell, Jimmy Giuffre, and Tony Williams began playing and recording her music. She also met Michael Mantler and founded the Jazz Composer's Orchestra with him (she also left Paul for him, they later had a daughter: Karen). Since she has continued composing major jazz works, has founded a music label with Michael Mantler, WATT, the Carla Bley Band, the Carla Bley Sextet. After duetting with Steve Swallow just for fun after awhile they began to do so professional. She moved with him after she and Mantler separated in 1991. She has toured all over Europe and has continued recording with her Big Band and Steve Swallow. 

The Very Big Carla Bley Band: "Who Will Rescue You"

Carla Bley and Steve Swallow: "Sing Me Softly of the Blues"

References
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php?id=5082

Critical Listening:

Carla Bley / Steve Swallow: Utviklingssang

Instruments: Piano and Guitar
Form: AABA
Begins with solo guitar then piano enters after first statement of A section. The piano and guitar sound disharmonious with each other when they hit chords together but each part by itself is beautifully played and the dissonance is quite effective. The interplay between the two instruments is very moving and gives the piece a distant and almost surreal feel.