Women Instrumentalists
By: Jessica Perkins
Women were traditionally in the role of homemaker and
delegated to housework, as well as, raising the children. The era of Jazz
changed all the traditional roles of women. Women challenged the social norms
thanks to the opportunity jazz created for them. New Orleans was a hot spot for
jazz and for women as performers. Emma Barrett, a New Orleans jazz pianist and
singer, got her start locally by playing in small New Orleans clubs. She became
known as “bell gal” for her habit of wearing red garters with bells that
jingled.”* Sweet Emma, as she was also known, was a prominent member of the
popular Preservation Hall Jazz band and toured internationally. Women like pianist
Mary Lou Williams blazed the trail for women instrumentalists. She was so
influential that “one year after Williams played “Zodiac Suite” at Town Hall,
the New York Philharmonic performed three movements of it at Carnegie Hall, one
of the first times a major symphony orchestra recognized a jazz composer’s
work.”* She played in big bands as well as composed songs for male jazz bands.
“A superb pianist, Mary Lou Williams was among Jazz’s more progressive and
forward- looking stylists.”* During World War II, many men left for war and this
opened up the opportunity for all-girl bands to dominate. One important drummer
of the era, Viola Smith, was referred to by many as the female Gene Krupa
because of the way “she would her hurl her drumstick onto her drum, then jump
up in the air and catch it as it bounced.” Other notable girl band
instrumentalists were Clora Bryant “who dazzled them with her trumpet solos”
and “Roz Cron was known for the beautiful, clear tone and distinct phrasing of
her alto sax and clarinet.”** Three important girl bands included the
International Sweethearts of Rhythm, All American Girls, and Prairie View
Coeds. Now, assistant Professor of Women’s studies at Hobart and Williams
Colleges, has written a book called “Swing Shift” that delves into the history
of these bands. “It is a study of how women negotiated boundaries of gender and
race to play jazz and adapted their dress and music to be accepted.”** Women
instrumentalists changed the face of jazz music and advanced the social
position of women in every day life.
Media Sources
http://youtu.be/OYfP2ylrq3A -Girls in the Band Trailer- Girl Swing Bands
http://youtu.be/N4l7GKWGqLg -Clora Bryant- Trumpeter
http://youtu.be/x9WJ7b_uc-U -International Sweethearts of Rhythm - girl band
Primary Sources
*Erlewine,
Michael, Vladimir Bogdanov, Chirs Woodstra, and Scott Yanow, eds. All Music
Guide to Jazz. 2nd ed. San Francisco: Miller Freeman, 1996. Print.
**Smith, Dinitia, and John Epland. "When Women Called
the Tunes: Rediscovering the Women Who Called the Tunes After the Men Went to
War." New York Times 10 Aug. 2011, 1st ed.: 30-35. Print.
