Women in Jazz

18/05/2021

THISSSSS!!!!

06/05/2021

I am SO EXCITED to share with you my guest for Episode 12 - trumpet player, legend of the music industry and long-time advocate for women in jazz, Ellen Seeling 💥🎺

A Milwaukee native, Ellen was the *first woman* to earn a degree in Jazz Studies from Indiana University. In 1975 she moved to New York City, where she worked with the likes of The Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra, Machito, the Slide Hampton Big Band, Sister Sledge, Chic, The Temptations, Martha Reeves, and her own jazz fusion band Deuce, which she formed with her now-wife, saxophonist and composer Jean Fineberg.

Ellen has also done an incredible amount of work for women in jazz: In 1998 (after relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area) Ellen founded the Montclair Women's Big Band; spent many years teaching at universities including the University of California, Berkeley, and the Jazzschool in Berkeley; founded and co-directed the United States’ first summer jazz camp for girls, the Girls’ Jazz & Blues Camp; and in 2015 co-founded Jazzwomen and Girls Advocates, along with attorney Sara Sanderson. Thus far, the organisation has consulted with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, playing a role in their adoption of new hiring processes, and also helped to encourage the Monterey Jazz Festival’s 500% increase in women instrumentalists programmed for its 2018 edition 🔥

It was an absolute pleasure talking to Ellen, and I think for anyone interested in jazz music and women's place in the industry, this interview is a *must listen*

FIND IT HERE: https://womeninjazzpodcast.buzzsprout.com/737081/8459847-episode-12-ellen-seeling

21/04/2021

Recently Women in Jazz creator and host Earanee Niedzwiecki caught up with Melbourne International Jazz Festival to chat about the podcast, artists to watch, and some of her thoughts about the difficulties faced by today.

We caught up with Earanee Niedzwiecki, creator of the Women in Jazz podcast, about amplifying the voices of female and non-binary jazz musicians, her dance roots and the common stories that women* in jazz experience.

25/03/2021

EPISODE 11 IS HERE! This month we have something a little different: Meet documentary filmmaker Kay D Ray! 🎥🎬🎶

Kay is the producer and director of the award-winning documentary "Lady Be Good: Instrumental Women in Jazz" (https://youtu.be/-phpjXJZ08s) which features interviews with artists like Marianne McPartland, Vi Redd, Carline Ray, Roz Cron and Quincy Jones. She is also the producer and director of its more recent counterpart, In Her Hands: Key Changes in Jazz, which looks at women’s experiences in jazz today in the United States, and features artists like Anat Cohen, Grace Kelly Music and Ellen Seeling. Currently based in Seattle, Washington, Kay also has decades of experience researching and producing content for museums, including her work as the senior film producer for Experience Music Project in Seattle, and as the co-curator and filmmaker for the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture’s 2010 project Jumpin' With The Big Bands.

LISTEN HERE: https://womeninjazzpodcast.buzzsprout.com/737081/8203663-episode-11-kay-d-ray (or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and wherever else you get great jazzy podcasts)

Kay and I caught up via Zoom in February to discuss what led her to filmmaking, and specifically to researching Women in Jazz; her experiences interviewing many female greats of the swing era; the similarities and differences in experience between women in jazz in the 30s, 40s and 50s versus today; and some of the other great projects she’s had a chance to work on through her filmmaking career.

03/03/2021

We’re at double digits!! EPISODE 10 HAS LANDED featuring the wonderfully talented saxophonist and composer Pureum Jin!💥✨

LISTEN HERE 🎧 https://www.buzzsprout.com/737081/episodes/8059695-episode-10-pureum-jin
(or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and wherever else you get great jazzy podcasts)

Born and raised in South Korea, Pureum is an award-winning jazz artist now based in New York City. She and I caught up online in January 2021 to discuss her discovery of saxophone and jazz music as a teen in Korea; her experience studying at Manhattan School of Music, particularly as a young immigrant to the US; the inspiration for her album ‘The Real Blue’; and what it’s been like continuing her career in music as a young mother - including touring in Spain when her baby was just 6 months old!

ENJOY! 💜

02/02/2021

Stuck in lockdown and want to feel like you have friends?? Hang out with myself and the incredible Camille Thurman Music on the LATEST episode of Women in Jazz!! 😅😉

A multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and composer, between her own incredible projects and her recent work with Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Camille is fast becoming one of the best-known Women in Jazz today!

Camille and I caught up via Zoom in December to discuss her earliest influences in music, her experiences at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School - including the gender-based bullying she endured in her later years there, and how this contributed to a loss of confidence in her musical ability - the value of mentorship in the development of young artists, her experience touring with Jazz at Lincoln Center, and some reflection on how integral representation and community outreach are in bringing more women to jazz, and in restoring jazz to black communities.

Follow the link to listen to Episode 9 directly, or to find Women in Jazz on your favourite podcast-hosting platform:

Camille Thurman grew up in Queens, New York, and developed her love for music at an early age, practising flute, piano and vocals. As a teen, Camille was accepted to Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and the Performing Arts, whe...

29/12/2020

And here it is - our last episode for 2020, featuring US vocalist and composer, RISA BRANCH!💕🎶🎉

Find links to all platforms it's hosted on (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc) here: https://womeninjazzpodcast.buzzsprout.com/737081/7035565-episode-08-risa-branch

Although currently based in New York City, Risa grew up in Dallas, Texas, and spent much of her musical career working in Vancouver. Risa and I caught up back in July, when things were opening up a little again over summer in the northern hemisphere, to discuss her musical influences growing up, her earlier work exploring R&B and soul sounds as a musician in Vancouver, what drew her back to jazz and blues in more recent years, how she views herself as an artist the skills she’s currently developing, and some of her observations of the cultural norms and dynamics of New York’s hot jazz scene.

I hope you enjoy this episode, and here's to a more connected and musical 2021 for all of us! 🥂🎈

20/11/2020

Meet our 31st (!!) featured artist on Women of Jazz History - the inimitable Valaida Snow!! 🎺💃🏾🎶

Dubbed the ‘Queen of the Trumpet’ by W.C. Handy, and "the second best trumpet player" by Louis Armstrong (after himself, of course he would argue😉), Snow trained as a musician, dancer and performer from the age of 5, and toured all over the world as a trumpeter and vocalist 🔥

06/10/2020

Just a reminder that Episodes 1-6 of Women in Jazz are available NOW for your happy listening ears. You can check it out via the website with https://www.womeninjazzpodcast.com/episodes, or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Buzzsprout, and now also Podbean, Podcast Addict, Podchaser, Deezer, and Listen Notes!!!

Episode 7 with an amazing young guest is coming soon 🥰 I'll give you a hint - she plays trumpet 🤫

19/09/2020

Check out the lovely Shake'EmUp Jazz Band who are responsible for our Podcast theme - their version of Vivien Gary's "A Woman's Place is in the Groove" - and leave them a tip!! 👏❤️

15/09/2020

And here we are! Episode 6 of Women in Jazz HAS LANDED, featuring Portland-based vocalist, Marilyn T. Keller 💥💜🎶

https://www.womeninjazzpodcast.com/episodes/episode/48b2994a/episode-06-marilyn-t-keller

Marilyn and I sat down in late June to discuss her development as a musician and how she came to a career in jazz from her roots in gospel music, what she learned about the legendary Ma Rainey when she was cast to play her in a 2011 production of August Wilson’s play “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”, her involvement in US politics and her work in support of the Democratic party, and her thoughts about black female representation both in jazz media today and elsewhere.
You can find the podcast via our website (link in bio), or via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn and other hosting platforms 🔥💜

04/08/2020

After a bit of a COVID-induced break, we’re FINALLY back with EPISODE 5 of Women in Jazz!! This month’s guest is the fabulously talented vocalist and composer, Tutu Puoane

https://www.womeninjazzpodcast.com/episodes/episode/491840e5/episode-05-tutu-puoane

Tutu was born in Atteridgeville, Pretoria, in South Africa. She started playing music professionally in 1997 in Johannesburg, and soon began studying jazz vocals at the University of Cape Town. Now based in Antwerp, Belgium, Tutu has played all over the world in countries like Italy, the United States, Germany, The Netherlands, France, and of course Belgium and her native South Africa.

Tutu and I connected in mid-July to discuss her experience growing up in South Africa and what inspired her as a young musician, what the jazz music scene is like in Belgium and how it compares to other countries, and her current work, including her own compositions based on the poetry of South African actor and writer Lebogang Mashile.

31/07/2020

Who was Miriam Makeba?

Miriam Makeba, known affectionately as Mama Africa, was a South African singer and civil rights activist. In honour of my NEXT GUEST on the Women in Jazz podcast, who is also from South Africa (no more spoilers!), I've tried to honour just SOME of Makeba's incredible story on our Instagram.

GO CHECK IT OUT!!

Part 1: https://www.instagram.com/p/CDTopJDlvkT
Part 2: https://www.instagram.com/p/CDTpCTplwTM

19/05/2020

Congratulations to this year's Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Award winners!! Lots of incredible women won titles this year, including saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin, who was named Up and Coming Musician of the Year 🔥 CONGRATS!!

You can check out more of this year's winners here: https://www.jjajazzawards.org/p/2020-winners.html

13/04/2020

Did you know that Women in Jazz has now made it to FOUR episodes!?!

To hear more about these incredible, talented women, you can check the Podcast via the website, https://www.womeninjazzpodcast.com/ , or via Spotify, TuneIn, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Buzzsprout and Stitcher.

10/04/2020

Does the lockdown have you burning through all your favourite Podcasts!? Well, I have some more material for you - Episode 4 of Women in Jazz is FINALLY HERE!! This month's guest is vocalist, composer and all-round badass Tricia Evy.

Born in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, Tricia grew up in Guadeloupe before returning to Paris as a young adult in 2006. Already a talented singer and lover of music, it was in Paris that Tricia discovered jazz, immersing herself in the music of Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong. Since then, Tricia has travelled all over the world as a professional musician, and loves to bring a varied repertoire of jazz to her audiences, inspired by both standards and music from her from her Caribbean heritage. Her most recent album, Usawa, was released in 2018, alongside pianist David Fackeure.

Tricia and I met up in Bondy in February this year to chat about her journey toward becoming a professional musician, her feelings around the culture of learning and creating jazz, and her experience discovering that swing dances like Lindy Hop were in fact a black artform (not white, as she had thought), and how this led her to create Guadeloupe's first (and for the moment, only?) swing and jazz dance festival.

You can check out the episode (and laugh at my attempts to pronounce French names) on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn, on the Women in Jazz website (link below) or via a variety of other hosting platforms. Happy listening!!

https://www.womeninjazzpodcast.com/episodes

24/03/2020

A new Women of Jazz History post is up - this week's feature is pianist Jutta Hipp 💥💜

Born in Leipzig in the Weimar Republic, Hipp developed her ear for jazz in secret - during the N**i regime, broadcast of jazz was banned in Germany. When the Russians came to occupy Leipzig following WWII, Hipp fled to the western zones of Germany where she lived as a refugee for some time, before emigrating to the US in 1955 to work as a jazz musician...

20/03/2020

13 track album

28/02/2020

Travelling somewhere this weekend and need some company on the way??🚄🛫🚗

Well - Episode 3 of Women in Jazz is finally here!! It's available on our website, as well as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, TuneIn and our host Buzzsprout.

February's guest is another Australian; none other than Parisian-based violinist and vocalist, Heather Stewart. Born in rural New South Wales, Australia, Heather fell in love with music at an early age, and studied a variety of styles over the years. Now living in Paris, Heather’s current focus is on jazz, swing, acoustic blues and folk music - all of which she gets to explore in her ensemble The Dirty Ragtimers, who will be heading on tour in Australia in March and April of 2020 to promote their new album, ‘Fairytales of Montmartre’

CHECK IT OUT!!

https://www.womeninjazzpodcast.com/

05/02/2020

This week's Women of Jazz History post about the fabulous guitarist, Mary Osborne.

Born in 1921, Osborne worked professionally - first in her father's band, and later in trios and on radio - from the age of 10. Later in life she went on to play with many jazz greats including Stuff Smith, Joe Venuti, Dizzy Gillespie, Mary Lou Williams and Billie Holiday.

Read more about her and other great women of jazz history on our Instagram!! 💜

29/01/2020

We have a new Women of Jazz History post!!

Read more about the incredible Vi Redd on our Instagram and FOLLOW us for more Women of Jazz History, plus updates on the Podcast.

16/01/2020

This week we feature the UNSTOPPABLE force that is Viola Smith!! Born in 1912, as of April 2019, Smith was STILL drumming!! 💥🥁❤️

Check out our Instagram for a snapshot of this woman's incredible story.

09/01/2020

NEW Women of Jazz History post about Hammond B3 organist, Shirley Scott 🔥🎹🎶

03/01/2020

Check out our new Instagram post about the one and only Tiny Davis!! 🎺💥💜