Yesterday I Realized I Play Zero Pieces By Women Composers

Pianist, author and overall dingus Jeremy Siskind realizes he's been excluding pieces by women composers. He shows two pieces he's using to try to fix the problem, written by Marian McPartland and Hiromi Uehara.

[grantkondo]

Very excited for your concert!! As a person also of Japanese heritage, glad you included Hiromi :)
Although you meant to highlight women (as opposed to men) in this video, this also got me thinking about "jazz" vs. "not jazz." Like, Hiromi I'd definitely consider a jazz pianist, but I'd consider "Places to Be" more as an idiomatically-jazzy contemporary piece, if that makes sense. Anyway, the piece really makes me feel at home because sometimes I try too hard to really make something sound like jazz rather than simply expressing myself in my own way.

Or maybe a future video idea -- "jazz" vs. "jazzy" or something along those lines. Playing a fully-notated "Rhapsody in Blue" or "The Entertainer" or an arrangement of "Misty" or "All the Things You Are" -- not jazz simply because there is no improv? Certainly many people would call it jazzy!

[javilalima]

Three gigantic female jazz artists that deserve much wider recognition are Maria Schneider, Jane Ira Bloom and Jane Bunnet. I am male, but I recognize that jazz has been a very unfair field with respect to opportunities for female artístic careers and public recognition.

[deprospero]

Thanks for calling this out. I wish Open Studios would have a separate space for all of us amateur female jazz musicians. I appreciate all of your OS lessons, your books, and these videos. I can never have just one favorite female jazz musician, Anat Cohen popped into my brain first. ❤

[fresamouse]

6:29 - I absolutely LOVE that kind of chord change. The other notable examples are in Wayne Shorter's Infant Eyes(A7 - Gbmaj7) and Stevie Wonder's "Summer Soft" (Bm7- E7 - Dbmaj7)

[Anossov]

Going to see Hiromi tomorrow for the third time!

[luciusblackmail]

Hi Jeremy, Aki Takase comes to my mind, Erika Stucky, Diane Krall, Carla Bley, and even though she is more like indie pop I’d like to mention Madison Cunningham. Anyway, you made a point which I think is very important. I was very astonished how long it took me to figure some female jazz musicians out, apart from singers

[ts]

Two lovely pieces. You have made me more aware of the contributions of women to jazz.

[guscox]

Im now obsessed with the first one...also you are an improv beast

[brw]

Jazz is very concerned with its own history, which has had its injustices. Seems there is always some controversy—where, when, who, can play it, how is it played, analyzed. I am sure this, and chance, has played a part in who is remembered and recognized.

Shout out to my former piano teacher, Cecelia Coleman, a great pianist, composer, and teacher.

[MusicWithSol]

Hazel Scott has the best and most epic version of the tune taking a chance of love.

There are plenty of underrated female composers accross different genres.

I recently came accross Mel Bonis who is a french classical pianist who has written amazing pieces.

[tomaspa]

Marian McPartland representing the classic jazz and Chihiro Yamanaka for straight ahead jazz (btw she played with Terry Lyn and the Japan live recording is memorable)

[nickrees]

Talking of Disney songs, his first hit, Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf was written by Ann Ronell as was Willow Weep for Me ( rumored by some to have been donated by George Gershwin, but I don’t buy that) Another big standard by a Gershwin associate is Fine and Dandy by Kay Swift.Too many female jazz performers to single one out but favorites are Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Mary-Lou Williams, Nina Simone, Cleo Laine, Diana Krall, Amy Winehouse. But one who I only recently discovered and deserves greater prominence in my opinion, is Dorothy Donegan

[km]

Might be interesting to check out Blossom Dearie? She wrote songs.(One for John Lennon even.) I think I remember that Bills Evans said that he got his fourthy voicings ideas from Dearie. The McPartland tune is super cool. Thanks. That part of the Hiromi song reminds of stuff in Japanese TV shows and (some) Japanese pop music. Speaking of the Satie influence, I have always thought that the 2nd movement of Paul Creston's saxophone sonata (+ piano) would be perfect for a jazz interpretation – lots of dominants & major seven sounds in a nonfunctional harmony kind of way with beautiful melody.

[pavjazzy]

There’s a book called “Portraits “ . Pieces that Marian McPartland wrote for the guests on her show “Piano Jazz”!Lots of fun!

[christopherparnis]

Man, looking through some of these comments I’m sorry to see this kind of thing brings the ‘all lives matter’ types out of the woodworks.

Incredibly happy to see the video though! I’d throw in a list of names but a different commenter already highlighted most of the women I was thinking of with the exception of the great Geri Allen who I can’t not bring up! Just finished possibly the toughest transcription of my life learning her ‘83 composition Printmakers. Part of that is of course just bass ears trying to get used to lifting piano voicings that aren’t just A/B, but still, what a genius.

[constantineefantis]

I think it’s wonderful that you had the consideration to include some women composers, Jeremy. Two of my favorites jazz tunes by women composers are “God Bless the Child, ” by Billie Holiday, and “Bird Alone, ” by Abby Lincoln.

[mcrumph]

I recently bought albums (CDs, that is) by Dorothy Donegan & Mary Lou Williams. Hazel Scott is another one. I know these are older, more traditional, but the older I get the farther back in time I go.

[dave_manley]

Carla Bley has so many great compositions.

[flober]

There is a beautiful Paul Bley album of his ex wife’s compositions: Hommage to Carla.

[donm]

Excellent choices and discussion. Add 2 to zero! Favorite female jazz musician could be Marian McPartland; always enjoyed her interviews and playing on Piano Jazz.