On the latest episode of Milestones: Celebrating the Culture, NEA Jazz Master and GRAMMY-winning recording artist Terri Lyne Carrington joins host Angélika Beener to spotlight two under-acknowledged figures in their centennial year: trombonist, arranger and trailblazing trombonist Melba Liston, and Rock & Roll progenitor, Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton.
The founder of Berklee College of Music's Jazz and Gender Justice Institute, Carrington details Liston’s trailblazing work as arranger and mentor-supported band member, urging deeper study and programming of her music. She also examines Thornton’s exploitation and late Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, and discusses gender expression, inclusivity, and Carrington’s upcoming albums Trip The Night Fantastic and New Standards, Volume 2.
