The New Orleans Jazz Commission, for the first year, undertook the task of highlighting the female talent that exists in Jazz.  Too often women jazz artists are excluded or overlooked. It was decided to present two public concerts showcasing the jazzy side of the female artists of New Orleans.

Performances by vocalists Wanda Rouzan, Germaine Bazzle, Betty Shirley, and Topsy Chapman were the centerpieces for the first event.  These vocalists were accompanied by the equally talented Doreen Ketchens on clarinet and Rebecca Barry on tenor saxophone.  The performances were well received by an appreciative audience.  Besides the music, the audience was regaled with vignettes from the artists relative to the life in music.  All in all, it was a successful and entertaining event.

Additionally, the following day, students from the local public and parochial school systems were invited to a workshop at Southern University where they were informed and entertained by the same artists.

The second event focused on jazz and women with a slant toward swing.  Those featured were Sharon Martin, Kim Prevost, Cookie Gabriel and Barbara Shorts. Local musicians playing in the traditional and contemporary jazz idioms accompanied the performers.  An appreciative audience soaked up the performances as if they were a single song.  It too, was a memorable and fun-filled occasion in recognition of March as Women's History Month.


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Celebrating Women in Jazz