WBGO celebrates Women’s History Month with the women of jazz…from the women of jazz.
Join hosts Pat Prescott, Monifa Brown, CJ Benson, Awilda Rivera, Lezlie Harrison, and Sheila Anderson as well as newscaster Janice Kirkel as we present Women Wednesdays - the music of women jazz greats, every Wednesday through the remainder of March.
This Wednesday's lineup (3/12) is:
Daybreak (8a-noon): Lezlie Harrison in for Gary Walker
Pat Prescott on Favorite Things as always, but this Wednesday her show spotlights the women of jazz with theme shows as follows: Women's History & The Name Game, Ladies Only
Drivetime (4p-8p): CJ Benson in for Brian Delp
Lights Out 8p-midnight: Monifa Brown
Next week Wednesday (3/19), Lezlie Harrison and Janis Siegel present a special 4-hr highlight show of Singers Unlimited during Daybreak.
Drivetime: CJ Benson hosts
Lights Out: Awilda Rivera and Sheila Anderson bring the fun to the nights!
Then on 3/26 Lezlie jumps back in on Daybreak, CJ Benson on Drivetime and on Lights Out it's Awilda & Sheila together again!
All hosts will be curating special playlists for their shows, consisting of...you guessed it! - a playlist of exclusively female artists!
Monifa Brown's Top Five Women Artists (@globaljazzqueen)
Betty Carter
Visionary Betty Carter personifies the generosity, fearless exploration and unyielding excellence that makes jazz the unique and dynamic art that it is. She was always ushering the music forward, paving the way for the next generation. She led the baddest trios, and her performances always had you hanging onto the edge of your set. In a male dominated business, she was a boss on every level, even running her own record label. Instantly identifiable, you know it is Betty Carter when she sings those notes in between the notes, summons the hardest swinging grooves, and then stretches them into a slow dragging theatrical performance. Always sublime.
Geri Allen
She was brilliant, bold, and beautiful. Geri Allen was a powerhouse in every way, yet gentle, kind, and soft-spoken. A towering giant whose genius knew no bounds, her music was cerebral but simultaneously emotional and soulful. It was transformative, always taking you to unknown places. Geri could play anything from Eric Dolphy to Motown. One of my favorite visuals of Geri was seeing her perform at the Village Vanguard and watching her children listen to the set form underneath her piano on stage. Geri Allen was a dedicated teacher and a master who left us too soon. If you only do one more thing today - listen to Geri Allen's “Feed The Fire” with Ron Carter and Tony Williams.
Dee Dee Bridgewater
Dee Dee Bridgewater is a force of nature. When she enters a room, let alone gets on a stage, you can feel the ether shift. The NEA Jazz Master, Grammy and Tony Award winner can tell a story like nobody else. Her phrasing, bluesy cadences, flawless diction and intonation and sheer vocal beauty put her in a class by herself. Dee Dee's repertoire is as dynamic as she is. She's recorded Ella, Billie, Ellington, the music of Mali, an ode to 60s soul and more. As much as I love her for her music, I am equally grateful to Dee Dee for her unrelenting drive to mentor young women through her Woodshed Network. And if I did not mention, when Dee Dee is on the scene, you know it’s going to be a good time!
Alice Coltrane
I fell in love with "Journey Into Satchidananda" when I was in college and never looked back. Alice Coltrane's music for me is like a healing balm. It’s hypnotic, ethereal and invigorating. She once said, "The music is within your heart, your soul, your spirit, and this is all I did when I sat at piano. I just go within.' Her music is the epitome of grace, spirit, and fire. One of the best concerts I ever attended was when she released her anticipated album "Translinear Light," after a twenty-six-year recording hiatus. She performed with son Ravi on a double bill with Ravi Shankar and his daughter Anoushka. I left feeling like I could float home.
Sarah Vaughan
I discovered Sarah Vaughan’s 1955 album “Sarah Vaughan With Clifford Brown” at a street fair in Brooklyn when I was in high school. I paid $2 for a piece of plastic that literally changed my life. I spent many hours alone in my room playing and rewinding this cassette as I learned all of Sassy's solos. In fact, I played it until my tape player ate it up and spat it out. George Shearing "Lullaby Of Birdland" was my jam and Sassy’s jubilant solo made my heart sing. I had this dream that I would meet Sarah Vaughan and she would take me under her wings. Sassy's unrivaled range, the emotional depth in her operatic upper register, and velvety rich lower octaves are the stuff that dreams are made of.
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