May 2012

WIJSF – We put women musicians to work and get their music heard by multitudes!

PLEASE NOTE: Our format has changed. The newsletter will in blog form from now on.

Purchase compilation CDs! | PAY ANNUAL DUES

Our 182 members: 84 musicians, 11 students, 40 men and three venues welcome newest members: Dr. Alston Gooding, Pamela Hart, Alfreda Upshaw, Richard Carpenito, Pamela A. Adams, William H. Roberts, Anjal, and Anita C. Havel. Our members are from five countries: U.S., Angola, Holland, Sweden and Italy.

We especially welcome our sister organization Women in Jazz Association, Inc. Thanks to our board members for their continued support. We welcome our new Treasurer Dr. Alston Golding and Vice President Stan Alston (coincidence? I think not)

Refer your friends for membership? Simply suggest that they support women musicians! Members, bring your dues current!

WEATHER REPORT:

It’s May 1st, windy and I just had to turn the heat on! Huh?

In this issue:

Jazz @ MCC
Visiting Member: Sharon Marie Cline
In Tribute: Duke Ellington
Grant News
Media
Contributors: Imogen Reed
Upcoming Events

The first concert of the Jazz @ MCC series on Saturday, April 21, 2012, at the new business and art building, Midtown Commerce Center, owned by our member Sheryl Dickey of Dickey Consulting was attended by Mistress of Ceremonies Tracy Fields (WLRN 91.3 FM), the visual artist Anjal, vocal teacher Lorna Lesperance and Priscilla Dames Blake CEO of Wingspan Seminars LCC, all members of Women in Jazz South Florida, Inc., the three winners received an original piece of art donated by Anjal to support Jazz @ MCC.

Rochelle Frederick (sax), Joan Cartwright (vocals), Robin Alexander (drums) and Sharon Marie Cline share the biographies of legendary women in jazz and blues – Amazing Musicwomen.

Robin Alexander and Yvette Norwood-Tiger

Roberta DeMuro (piano), Lindsay Johnson (bass), Rochelle Frederick (sax), Yvette Norwood-Tiger, Sharon Marie Cline, Robin Alexander (drums) - Amazing Musicwomen

VISITING MEMBER FROM LOS ANGELES

Song stylist Sharon Marie Cline shared her musical prowess with Amazing Musicwomen at Jazz @ MCC. She was the featured vocalist at Miami Shores Country Club on April 20 and 27. Her ability to serve a ballad is tremendous. She’s got pipes and orginality that is refreshing in this age of copy-cat singers. Sharon is superb! You must listen to know that!

Sharon Marie sings at Miami Shore Country Club

Sharon was joined by Paul Banman on piano and Anthony Turner on bass.

Sharon, Anthony, Paul and Joan

They really made beautiful music together. I was there to witness it.

Sharon Marie Cline, Anthony Turner and Paul Banman
Miami Shores Country Club

The atmosphere at MSCC is really conducive to jazz music. You can sing a ballad and the audience respects that by being quiet or talking in a low tone rather than screaming at each other while you are performing, which happens more than you would like it to. Then, they perk right up when you swing or sing the blues. I love working there and will be there Friday, May 4 and 11 from 7 to 10 p.m.

Diva JC and Matthew Farmer Sing HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the Arts Garage, Delray Beach, FL (Photo: A. Shapiro)

IN TRIBUTE

Happy Birthday Duke! April 29, 2012
Duke Ellington, Willie The Lion Smith and Billy Taylor
"Perdido" (Video)

Duke Ellington is the most prolific composer of the Jazz Age. His compositions were included in the repertoires of the most notable Women in Jazz, including Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Carmen McRae, Sarah Vaughan, Betty Carter, etc. It is only natural that Women in Jazz South Florida, Inc. pay tribute to this Giant of Jazz!

GRANT NEWS

The project – Conscious Inclusion of Women Musicians at www.unitedstatesartists.org did not fully fund. Joan did raise $2,062. But she didn’t get any of the money because she didn’t raise the whole $4,641. So, she will put up another project to begin sometime in May.

WIJSF was granted at $4,000 grant from Broward County Schools Student Enrichment in the Arts (SEAS) Program to organize a Community Vocal Ensemble of students and professional singers with accompaniment to perform at Dillard Performing Arts Center on November 7, 2012, for student audiences.

Mimi Johnson, Jus' Cynthia, Diva JC
Amazing Musicwomen Trio

We submitted a grant proposal to the French American Jazz Exchange. We will let you know more about the project, once we learn if we got the grant to travel to Paris to collaborate with composer, flautist and drummer U. Aldridge Hansberry in the Fall.

U. Aldridge Hansberry

MEDIA

MUSICWOMAN RADIO GUESTS:

New TV Series in Atlanta begins May 30, 2012, hosted by WIJSF Secretary Mimi Johnson, The Arts Reporter!

THE ARTS REPORTER on Blogtalkradio

Congratulations to Jus’ Cynthia for two successful stagings of her musical “Their Story is Our Story”. We are very proud to be a sponsor of this wonderful play.

ARTICLE CONTRIBUTORS

Alberta Hunter, Bessie Smith, Ethel Waters ~ Jazzwomen Directory ~

How Women In The 1920s Defined Jazz By Imogen Reed

We’re all familiar with the great band leaders of the 1920s, men like Fletcher Henderson, Paul Whiteman and Ace Brigode – all great exponents of the music they so passionately loved. They’re always associated as defining jazz and the dance music of the time – making it popular and bringing it to the masses. They did, and there’s no denying it. Very often, however, the achievement of women – and women of color in the field of jazz during that period is overlooked. Read more about Three Overlooked Greats. . .

UPCOMING EVENTS