Extraordinary Women in Jazz
Harp, guitar, piano, flute, voice — jazz wouldn’t be the same without these instruments and the women who played them.
Take a moment to learn more about some of the women in jazz who revolutionized instrumentation and performance during the height of the genre’s popularity.
Mary Osborne
Mary Osborne (1921-1992) is a celebrated guitarist who regularly performed and recorded with her fellow jazz greats of the era. She would go on to co-found the Osborne Guitar Company.
Toshiko Akiyoshi
Toshiko Akiyoshi (b. 1929) is a jazz composer, bandleader, and pianist. Although her classic big band works have received the most accolades, she also incorporated her Japanese heritage into some of her music.
Terry Pollard
Terry Pollard (1931-2009) is a pianist who, although often overlooked, was a major player in the mid-century jazz scene of Detroit. She performed often with Terry Gibbs.
Dorothy Ashby
Dorothy Ashby (1932-1986) is a composer and jazz harpist, one of few who have carved a space out in the genre for the unique instrument. She blended several unique musical influences in her work, scored several plays, and helped popularize improv jazz on the harp.
International Sweethearts of Rhythm
The International Sweethearts of Rhythm (1937-1949) is a swing and jazz band from the 1940s and the first integrated group in the United States. While popular in the 1940s, they received a resurgence of recognition in the 1960s-1970s due to feminist movements of the time.
Alice Coltrane
Alice Coltrane (1937-2007) is a bandleader, pianist, harpist, and experimental musician. She is a massively influential figure in the jazz of the 1960s-1970s and wove her Hindu philosophies into her work, resulting in more spiritual work later in her career.
Bobbi Humphrey
Bobbi Humphrey (b. 1950) is a flutist and singer who explored jazz fusion, specifically funk and soul. She has recorded alongside her fellow greats as well as laid down some truly improvisational tracks on her own albums.
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