Women making jazz inroads

Although it might not have seemed like it a couple of weeks ago, there are, in fact, many other things in this city for a hip, happening woman and her friends to do besides going to a certain movie and drinking cosmos. They can go see jazz and drink cosmos. Or have a beer, for that matter.

They can also, of course, play jazz. A review of the line-ups of the three major jazz festivals in this city would suggest that women are up to their bra straps in this once male-dominated art form.

So when I noticed that the Art of Jazz — a five-day celebration held at the Distillery District in the beginning of June — was devoting two afternoons to “Women in Jazz,” my first reaction was a tongue-in-cheek “Right on, sisters!” But then I got to thinking: This is 2008. So why are we still making the distinction between male and female musicians? It’s true that women have long been accepted as singers and, occasionally, piano players, but are they still struggling to carve a place for themselves as drummers, saxophonists, and bass players?

When it comes to playing jazz, are women still the odd man out? (Sorry, couldn't resist at least one Sex and the City pun.)

Jane Bunnett is one of the founders of the Art of Jazz and a well-established sax player and bandleader, so I asked her what it’s like to be a woman in jazz these days, and if she finds herself being treated any differently from men. “Not really,” says Bunnett. “It’s all in the way you present and carry yourself. Jazz is a difficult music to learn, and if you’re a proficient player, you easily earn respect from your colleagues.”

When it comes to breaking out of the chick singer/piano player ghetto, Bunnett offers some success stories: “Take Cindy Blackman — she was Lenny Kravitz’s drummer for 11 years, but she is extremely well-respected in the jazz world. It’s one thing to see a woman playing the piano, but there’s something extremely riveting about seeing a female powerhouse like Cindy behind a drum set, propelling and leading a band.” (See my blog at womenspost.ca for a review of the Blackman show.)

A look through the TD Canada Trust Toronto Jazz Festival line-up tells me that women will be a strong presence during the 10-day extravaganza that takes over the city at the end of June. Although women are by no means as common as men, the ones who are appearing promise to be doing some really interesting stuff. Sliding Hammers, two trombone-playing sisters from Sweden, are innovating both by being female trombonists and by having two trombonists as lead instruments (and doing it in high heels!) I will personally be front and centre to see that. Jazz cellist Kye Marshall is another unusual feature of the festival, largely because cello is a rarity in jazz, but also because she straddles both classical and jazz genres.

“It’s interesting; in classical there used to be a predominance of men, but now it seems about 50/50,” says Marshall. “But in jazz the performers are almost all men. Women can do anything men can, musically, but musicians hire their friends, the guys they hang out with.”

So why aren’t more women going into jazz? “One of the main reasons is that there have been very few female role models,” Marshall says. “It helps to have a man to help you break into the business. I was lucky to have a mentor — Don Thompson — who made me realize that I could actually do this, play jazz!”

For a male perspective, I asked Bill King, musician, producer, journalist, and artistic director of the Beaches International Jazz Festival for his thoughts: “It’s a non-issue. Men have embraced the women players. Look at [bass players] Jodi Proznick and Brandi Disterheft. They just cleaned up at the National Jazz Awards and the Junos,” says King. “When a disc comes out with strong composition, good production, and great playing, it doesn’t matter whose face is on it. It’s what’s in the grooves that counts.”

Cathy Riches is a Toronto-based writer and reviewer who is in training for the upcoming music festival marathon.