"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