This compilation of early female jazz singers and musicians contains those who will be familiar and those, perhaps, who will be less so. The recordings have been previously issued, mainly on 78 rpm records since the performances span 1924-1948, but some may have been issued or reissued on LP and not all are readily available. What this CD does is conveniently assemble them all in one place and, perhaps, provide an introduction to some of the artists.
It is a wonderful collection that helps dispel some long-held myths about women’s not being capable jazz musicians, other perhaps than piano players and singers. These are certainly well represented here, but also included are other fine talents, some playing instruments less-often encountered in jazz such as Adele Girard on harp and Marjie [more often given as “Margie,” but she insisted on the “j”] Hyams on vibes. Female jazz drummers are often given short shrift, but one has only to listen to Pauline Braddy on drums with the International Sweethearts of Rhythm here in “Honeysuckle Rose” to hear how mistaken (if not misogynistic) such dismissal is. Indeed, one could say the same about the entire band—they could have fared very well in any cutting contest.
While a majority of the tracks have a woman at the eighty-eight, all showcase different kinds of configuration from solo instrument/singer to full blown orchestra. John Petters’ six-page booklet provides some very useful information on each of the performers and/or cuts, particularly those that are not so familiar, such as the Adele Girard Trio or the Cleo Brown Quartet. However, there are a couple of minor faux pas that escaped proofreading: the personnel given for track 1 leaves out “Lonnie Johnson, guitar.” That for track 22 does not name or note any rhythm, which can be heard: the players are listed on the website Jazzarcheology as “unknown (g), most probably Lee Norman (b). Film Boarding House Blues.”
In his notes, Petters names several contemporary female musicians who play New Orleans style jazz from the U.K. and the U.S., the latter including Shaye Cohn, cornet and leader, and Erika Lewis, bass drum of the Tuba Skinny Jazz Band. Others not mentioned by Petters would include Marla Dixon, trumpet and leader of the Shotgun Jazz Band. In another New Orleans band, the Shake ‘em Up Jazz Band, all of the members are women: Haruka Kikuchi – trombone, leader; Chloe Feoranzo – clarinet and sax; Marla Dixon – trumpet; Molly Reeves – guitar; Julie Schexnayder – bass; Defne “Dizzy” Incirlioglu – washboard.
Also well-known on the streets of New Orleans is the busker Doreen Ketchens on clarinet. Arizona has Cheryl Thurston who plays trumpet and melodica with her Vintage Jazz Band. Here in California, Katie Cavera can be found playing banjo, guitar, and/or string bass with several bands, including leading her own Katie and the Lost Boys Jazz Band, and there are others scattered around the U.S. Europe has, among others, the flamboyant Swedish blonde bombshell Gunhild Carling, who plays about every instrument known to man—even the bagpipes—her primary one being, perhaps, trombone, and leads her own band; and from France is Marie Dandrieux, who leads and plays drums with the Sweet Mary Cat Jazz Band. In addition, many traditional jazz bands of recent vintage worldwide have or had ladies at the keyboards. Clearly the First Ladies of Jazz and Swing were not the last!
The wide-ranging collection of artists on this CD, with its generous playing time of some 72 minutes, will appeal to all early jazz lovers, I believe, even introducing just a touch—but only a touch—of incipient bop here and there. Like all Upbeat CD’s, it is available on the Upbeat Recordings web site www.upbeat.co.uk as well as on-line from Amazon.
Great Jazz: The First Ladies of Jazz and Swing
Various
Upbeat URCD342
1. *Hotter Than That – Lil Hardin Armstrong with Louis Armstrong’s Hot Five
2. Willie the Weeper – Lil Hardin Armstrong with Louis Armstrong’s Hot Seven
3. Steppin’ on the Blues – Lovie Austin’s Blues Serenaders
4. Travelling Blues – Lovie Austin’s Blues Serenaders
5. *Crazy People – Martha Boswell with the Boswell Sisters
6. Night Life – Mary Lou Williams, Piano
7. The Pearls – Mary Lou Williams Trio
8. Boogie Mysterioso – Mary Lou Williams Girl Stars
9. *This Train – Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Vocal, Guitar
10. * I Looked Down the Line – Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Vocal Guitar
11. With a Twist if the Wrist – Adele Girard with Joe Marsala (Airshot)
12. Harp Boogie – Adele Girard Trio
13. *My Butcher Man – Memphis Minnie, Vocal, Guitar
14. Honeysuckle Rose – The International Sweethearts of Rhythm (Airshot)
15. *Even Steven – Billie Rogers with the Woody Herman Orchestra
16. 1-2-3-4 Jump – Marjie Hyams with Woody Herman’s Woodchoppers
17. Valse in D Flat Major, Opus 84, No 1 (Minute Waltz) – Hazel Scott, Piano; J C Heard, Drums
18. Hungarian Rhapsody No 2 in C Sharp Minor – Hazel Scott, Piano; J C Heard, Drums
19. Hazel’s Boogie Woogie – Hazel Scott, Piano; Unknown, Drums
20. C Jam Blues – Hazel Scott, Piano; Big Sid Catlett, Drums
21. *Caravan – Valaida Snow with the Lulle Ellboy Orchestra
22. *It Ain’t Like That – Una Mae Carlisle, Piano
23. *(Lookie, Lookie, Lookie) Here Comes Cookie – Cleo Brown Quartet
24. *The Stuff Is Here and It’s Mellow – Cleo Brown Quartet
25. *Fine Brown Frame – Nellie Lutcher and Her Rhythm
26. *He’s a Real Gone Guy – Nellie Lutcher and Her Rhythm
*Vocal
Personnel for each group or band is given in the jewel case inlay, as well as recording date and location. (Caveat: One might find it useful to have a good magnifying glass to hand to read the inlay. To accommodate all of the data on that page—twenty-six tracks, the tune titles, all the personnel, dates, locations, and timing for each cut, together with the Upbeat data at the bottom—the font used is very small.)
