Although, right now, Blue Be aware’s roster is assorted, in the course of the 50s, when it gained recognition, the label was synonymous with one explicit type of jazz: arduous bop, the propulsive, blues- and gospel-infused bebop offshoot that the label’s co-founders, Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff, helped to convey to the eye of the broader world. At that time in its historical past, the musicians on the corporate’s books mirrored the truth that jazz, significantly the instrumental type, was a male-dominated atmosphere. There have been loads of feminine jazz singers, after all, however Lion and Wolff didn’t appear significantly enamoured with vocal jazz. In 1954, nevertheless, they found a younger German pianist referred to as Jutta Hipp, who has the excellence of being the primary of what would change into many feminine Blue Be aware musicians.
It was, nevertheless, one other eight years earlier than the pair introduced one other feminine to the label. Her title was Dodo Greene, the primary ever vocalist signed to Blue Be aware. Singing in an R&B-style, she made a solitary album for the label in 1962. That very same 12 months, the label acquired jazz singer Sheila Jordan, who additionally made a one-off LP for the imprint. But it surely wasn’t till the 70s, when arduous bop was effectively previous its sell-by date, that Blue Be aware introduced in soul jazz singer Marlena Shaw, who made an unprecedented 5 LPs for the label and stays some of the notable feminine Blue Be aware musicians within the label’s illustrious historical past. Throughout the identical timeframe, veteran chanteuse Carmen McRae additionally joined the label, recording three albums throughout her tenure there.
When Blue Be aware was revived within the 80s, with Bruce Lundvall on the helm, the label grew to become extra inclusive. From 1984 to 2010, Lundvall label constructed a formidable roster of feminine Blue Be aware Musicians that included a number of redoubtable singers (Dianne Reeves, Cassandra Wilson, Lena Horne, Norah Jones) and pianists (Geri Allen, Renee Rosnes, Eliane Elias).
Right this moment, the long-serving Norah Jones – who joined the label in 2001 – is taken into account the undisputed queen of Blue Be aware, although the label’s present president, Don Was, lately signed an thrilling new singer/pianist referred to as Kandace Springs, whose seamless and alluring mix of soul, jazz and R&B has ushered in a brand new age for feminine Blue Be aware musicians.
Right here, then, are the label’s most vital main women: ten feminine Blue Be aware musicians you actually ought to know.
Take heed to Blue Be aware’s Girls In Jazz playlist on Apple Music and Spotify.
Jutta Hipp
Rising up in Nazi Germany, the place jazz was banned, Hipp needed to conceal her attraction for the American music that shortly grew to become her abiding ardour (she typically listened to it throughout bombing raids throughout World Struggle II). When the struggle ended, Hipp grew to become a jazz pianist and phrase of her expertise finally reached jazz critic Leonard Feather, who took her to the US. Hipp appeared on the Blue Be aware compilation New Faces – New Sounds From Germany in 1954, after which made two reside albums, At The Hickory Home Volumes 1 & 2, in 1956. Later the identical 12 months, Blue Be aware launched her solely studio session, Jutta Hipp With Zoot Sims. After that, nevertheless, Hipp, who was shy and suffered from stage fright, give up jazz to work in a clothes manufacturing facility. As Blue Be aware’s first ever feminine signing, although, she is going to by no means be forgotten.
Important observe: “Don’t Worry ’Bout Me”
Dodo Greene
A singer from Buffalo, New York, Dodo Greene was blessed with clear diction and an emotive, declamatory type that drew comparisons with Dinah Washington. She was additionally the very first feminine vocalist that Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff dropped at Blue Be aware. She made only one album for the corporate, My Hour Of Want, recorded in 1962 alongside such luminaries as tenor saxophonist Ike Quebec and guitarist Grant Inexperienced. Earlier than arriving at Blue Be aware, in 1959 Greene had recorded an album, Ain’t What You Do, for the Time label. Blue Be aware pitched her as an R&B-inflected singer, although, evidently, My Hour Of Want wasn’t a business success, ensuing within the label’s reluctance to signal vocalists in the course of the the rest of the last decade. Although long-forgotten, as the primary ever vocalist to grace the Blue Be aware label, Dodo Greene has an indeniable place in jazz’s historical past books and rightly takes her place among the many feminine Blue Be aware musicians it’s best to know.
Important observe: “Not One Tear”
Sheila Jordan
The identical 12 months that Blue Be aware signed Dodo Greene, additionally they added 35-year-old Detroit-born Jordan to their roster. Like Greene, she solely recorded a solitary LP for the label (1963’s A Portrait Of Sheila), although over time its popularity has grown and the album is now thought-about among the best jazz vocal albums of the 60s. Jordan (who was married to pianist Duke Jordan) had been performing lengthy earlier than she made her debut for Blue Be aware and was tremendously admired for her assimilation of the bebop type into jazz singing. Charlie Parker was a pal and fan, describing her as “the singer with the million-dollar ears.” Jordan joined Blue Be aware after Alfred Lion, who was intrigued by her demo tape, went to see her carry out reside. Sadly, regardless of favorable opinions for her first album, she slipped into obscurity for over a decade, finally re-emerging within the 70s. Even so, A Portrait Of Sheila stays her pièce de résistance.
Important observe: “Dat Dere”
Marlena Shaw
Hailing from La Rochelle, New York, Shaw joined Blue Be aware within the post-Alfred Lion period. Delivered to the label by its then head of A&R, Dr. George Butler, in 1972, Shaw had sung jazz with Rely Basie’s band and in addition recorded two R&B-oriented albums for Chess Information’ Cadet imprint within the late 60s. Her distinctive vocals – a synthesis of jazz, soul and gospel types – had been showcased on 4 studio albums and one reside LP for Blue Be aware within the 70s, the latter together with her tune “Woman Of The Ghetto,” which later grew to become a preferred pattern supply for hip-hop producers. Shaw’s later albums for Blue Be aware confirmed the singer transferring to a extra business, disco-influenced type, although as some of the notable feminine Blue Be aware musicians, her music by no means misplaced its soulfulness and credibility.
Important observe: “Me And Mr Jones”
Bobbi Humphrey
The primary feminine African-American instrumentalist to signal with Blue Be aware, this Dallas-born flautist joined the label in 1971 on the behest of label president and producer Dr George Butler. Pioneering an accessible model of funky fusion, Humphrey (who was born with the forenames Barbara Ann) joined forces with rising producers/writers The Mizell Brothers for her third album, Blacks And Blues, and instantly reaped business dividends within the form of the R&B hits “Chicago, Damn” and “Harlem River Drive” (each of which have been ceaselessly sampled). In all, Humphrey delivered six albums for Blue Be aware, the largest of which was 1974’s Satin Doll. Extra importantly, Humphrey’s legacy amongst feminine Blue Be aware musicians is as a task mannequin for black feminine musicians in an age when feminine instrumentalists had been poorly represented within the jazz world.
Important observe: “Virtue”
Dianne Reeves
Born in Detroit and raised in Denver, Colorado, Dianne Reeves was a protégé of legendary jazz trumpeter Clark Terry and had already recorded two indie-label albums earlier than touchdown at Blue Be aware in 1987. Helmed by her cousin George Duke, her self-titled debut for the label confirmed off Reeves’ multi-octave voice in settings that ranged from fusion-esque funk to R&B-inflected pop and straight-ahead jazz. Over the course of 15 albums for Blue Be aware, recorded between 1987 and 2009, Reeves all the time displayed a panoramic versatility with out straying too removed from her sturdy jazz and soul roots. Arguably the best jazz singer of her technology, Reeves picked up three Grammy awards throughout her lengthy tenure with Blue Be aware.
Important observe: “Company”
Cassandra Wilson
From Jackson, Mississippi, Wilson’s recording profession started in 1986 and, by the point she joined Blue Be aware, seven years later, in 1993, she had already made eight albums. At Blue Be aware, although, starting together with her debut, Blue Mild ’Til Daybreak, she took her music to a different degree by patenting a piquant marinade of jazz, blues and folks flavours. Uniquely amongst feminine Blue Be aware musicians, this singular type, mixed together with her trademark vocals – without delay smoky, seductive and languorous – allowed Wilson to create a brand new class of music. In addition to being a singer who is ready to make different individuals’s songs sound like her personal, Wilson is a more-than-capable songwriter. She picked up her first Grammy for her second Blue Be aware album, New Moon Daughter, in 1995, and gained one other with 2009’s Loverly. Despite the fact that she left the corporate in 2009, her Blue Be aware albums are probably the most spectacular in her canon.
Important observe: “Skylark”
Eliane Elias
One other signing of the Bruce Lundvall period, São Paolo-born Elias was a baby piano prodigy who has recorded a gradual stream of albums since she debuted in 1985. In addition to being a technically dazzling pianist influenced by Invoice Evans, Elias can also be a hypnotic vocalist who is ready to channel the fragile, wispy supply of her Brazilian compatriot Astrud Gilberto. Elias made her Blue Be aware debut in 1989 and stayed with the label till 2000, although she returned in 2008 for a shorter stint. Arguably her most highly-regarded album for Blue Be aware is 1994’s Solos And Duets, which included some fascinating piano duels with Herbie Hancock. The rest of her output for the label is extremely assorted, starting from bop-inflected jazz to Brazilian bossa nova excursions.
Important observe: “I Love You”
Norah Jones
Armed with the alluring voice of a siren, Jones was born in New York and raised in Texas. She was dropped at Blue Be aware by the label’s then-president, Bruce Lundvall, again in 2001. Put within the studio with veteran producer Arif Mardin, Jones’ debut album, Come Away With Me – that includes the hit single “Don’t Know Why” – immediately established the younger singer/pianist, together with her intimate, understated, type, as the brand new face of jazz. As her profession progressed, Jones blossomed as a songwriter and in addition loved a number of excursions to discover totally different musical terrains. In 2016, Jones returned to the piano and a extra overt jazz method on Day Breaks, which included cameos from jazz legends Wayne Shorter, Lonnie Smith and Brian Blade. Although she’s been with Blue Be aware for 18 years, Jones continues to shine as an inspiration to aspiring feminine jazz singers.
Important observe: “Don’t Know Why”
Kandace Springs
Blessed with a wholesome disregard for conference – whether or not by way of trend, music or hobbies (she likes to fix vehicles in her spare time) – Kandace Springs represents a brand new technology of feminine Blue Be aware musicians. Initially impressed by one other singer/pianist, Norah Jones, she has emerged with a sound that’s fully unique and beholden to nobody. Whether or not she’s singing a jazz commonplace, re-interpreting a soul basic, or delivering freshly-written self-penned materials, this Nashville vocalist by no means resorts to cliché. Her two albums for Blue Be aware, Soul Eyes and the more moderen Indigo, present that she whereas she acknowledges the traditions of jazz and soul music, she can also be fiercely modern, including components of hip-hop and R&B to her music.
Important observe: “Don’t Need The Real Thing”
ARTEMIS
Named after the Greek goddess of looking, ARTEMIS isn’t a single individual. It’s an all-women jazz supergroup led by pianist Renee Rosnes. Initially comprised of trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, clarinetist Anat Cohen, tenor saxophonist Melissa Aldana, bassist Noriko Ueda, and drummer Allison Miller, the group started in 2016 when Rosnes was requested to place a band collectively for some European gigs. They loved enjoying collectively a lot that they grew to become a bonafide group and joined Blue Be aware after impressing the label’s boss Don Was with their high-octane efficiency on the 2018 Newport Jazz Pageant. Two years later, they launched their self-titled debut album, that includes vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant, to a lot acclaim; distinguished by elegant compositions and energetic musical interaction, it gained them the Greatest New Artist gong within the 2020 JazzTimes Readers’ Ballot. In 2023, the group unveiled their second album, In Actual Time, introducing two new members; tenor saxophonist Nicole Glover and alto saxophonist Alexa Tarantino.
Important observe: “Song For Abdullah”
Melissa Aldana
This younger tenor saxophonist hails from Santiago, Chile, and launched her Blue Be aware debut album 12 Stars in 2022 to a lot vital acclaim. Famend for her gleaming lyricism, imaginative compositions, and the fearlessly fluid nature of her improvisations, Aldana was a founder member of the all-female jazz supergroup ARTEMIS, showing on the sextet’s self-titled Blue Be aware debut in 2020. Previous to becoming a member of Blue Be aware, Aldana had recorded 5 albums, together with two with a bunch referred to as Crash Trio, and in 2016, obtained a GRAMMY nomination for Greatest Improvised Jazz Solo. She started enjoying alto saxophone on the age of six, taught by her father Marcos Aldana, a famous Chilean saxophonist. Switching to tenor sax after listening to Sonny Rollins play (with whom she later studied), Aldana gained a scholarship to review on the Berklee Faculty of Music. In 2013, she had the excellence of being each the primary feminine and South American musician to win the distinguished Thelonious Monk Worldwide Jazz Saxophone Competitors.
Important observe: “Falling”
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