[Dixielandjazz] Female Jazz Musicians - exceptions to the rule?

[Stephen G Barbone]

If we were to start a list of female musicians, or female jazz  
musicians we might bed surprised at the large number of them. We may  
tend to be a little near sighted in OKOM, but going to jazz in  
general. here are just a few of the wonderful women jazz musicians  
from past to present. You might google them if interested. I put this  
together 10 years ago for a jazz festival entitled "Women in Jazz"  
where my band appeared with two female players and a female vocalist.  
(except for the note about the tubist for the Philadelphia Orchestra  
at the end)

PAST HEROINES  (Virtually all female bands)

Dolly Jones (trumpet);   Sweet Emma Barrett;  Pollyanna Syncopaters;   
Bobbie Grice and the Bricktops;
Parisian Red Heads;  Gibson Navigators;  Bee Palmer Orchestra;  Lovie  
Austin and her Blue Serenaders  (a long run from  1920s to 1940s);   
Lil Armstrong's All Girl Band;  Harlem Playgirls;  Vi Burnside Combo
Dixie Sweethearts; Melody Maids (also known as Mandolin Melody  
Maids);  Rita Rio and her Mistresses of Rhythm;  Dixie Rhythm Girls:   
Ada Leonard's All American Girls;  Beryl Booker Trio;  Darlings of  
Rhythm;  Eddie Durham's All-Stars;  Hip Chicks;  international  
Sweethearts of Rhythm, Swings Rays of Rhythm

Women in male bands:

Elsie Smith, sax player with lionel Hampton;  Melba Liston trombonist  
with Geradl Wilson and then Dizzy Gillespie Band;  Jean Starr, trumpet  
in Benny Carter's Band; Billie Rogers trumpet and Marjorie Hyams  
vibes, with Woody Herman's Band.

More female bands included:

Ina Ray Hutton and her Melodears; Peggy Gilbert All Girl Orchestra;    
Thelma White All Girl Orchestra; Lorraine Page All Girl Orchestra;  
Phil Spitalny's Hour of Charm Orchestra; Prarie View Coeds

And in the 1950s- 1970s there were these female bands:

Tiny Davis's Hell Drivers; Vadel Quintet, TV Studio Bands of Ina Ray  
Hutton and Ada Leonard; Marian McPartland Trio (included men  
sometimes);  Big Apple Jazzwomen;  Fostina Dixon's Collage; The Jazz  
Sisters;  Sisters of Jazz

Last but not least in jazz was the legendary Mary Lou Williams who  
mentored Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker among  
others.


CURRENT HEROINES

Regina Carter  (who certainly is among the very top tier of jazz  
violinists);  The entire band DIVA (which swings with the best of  
them);  The band Maiden Voyage; Toshiko Akiyoshi  (she plays a very  
difficult band book and may be retired now);  Alice in Dixieland;   
Carla Bley (may be retired now) Then add the current female OKOM  
players which number quite a few.

FEMALE CLASSICAL  MUSICIANS

Check any Orchestra. Philadelphia, NY Philharmonic, etc., and you will  
find a whole bunch of female musicians who play the dots with the best  
of them. Including. the young female tubist for the Philadelphia  
Orchestra who also plays jazz.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband