Jazz music is one of those genres that permeates the skin and reaches into one’s soul. How does one describe the feelings that arise from listening to this music, let alone try to paint it?
During my undergraduate studies, I recall wanting to “paint music”. This was what I had told my professor when he asked what my 3rd year project would be. He looked at me with an empathetic eye, knowing I wasn’t the first to want to master this artistic endeavor. In the end, some of my most treasured pieces to date came from this project. They were my series on Jazz Music.
A Very Short HiStory
Jazz music was born in the early 19th century in New Orleans. It emerged from “a rich blend of African American, Creole, and European influences”. Its predecessors were derived from Ragtime, Blues, and Brass Band traditions. Many storytelling spirituals come from the blues and ragtime traditions of the African American diaspora. These spirituals have given Jazz its musical heart. Another reason I chose Jazz over the other genres was its lightness in lyrics and instrumentals.
One point is true, though: Jazz, like the Blues, was a genre of music of the oppressed. It became the voice for the voiceless. Examples of this still resonate with Billy Holiday’s “Strange Fruit”, symbolizing the death and degradation of African/American slaves.
In the 1920’s and 30’s, the world was recovering from the First World War. It was also the height of the American Depression. Jazz became a way for people to elevate themselves out of the darkness. Coming from the intimate private dance clubs, the genre was adopted into the posh elegance of high culture speakeasies. Everyone wanted to taste the spirit of Jazz during prohibition, no matter the cost.
HerStory in Jazz
On August 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment was ratified. It granted women the right to vote and moved the scale on women’s appearance in Jazz music. Women were being seen as part of the musical scene that North Americans desired. It’s not that they weren’t there; it was that they were now being acknowledged. Suddenly, women such as Lil Hardin Armstrong and Corie “Lovie” Austin, both pianists, singers, composers, arrangers, and bandleaders, were being seen for their contributions.
As time moved forward, the needle did not move much for the number of women in Jazz. However, the impact of some women made a huge impression on the whole genre. For example, in this Golden Era of Jazz, one woman in particular rose to the top. Mary Lou Williams, known as the “mother of Jazz”, started her career early. She became a full-time working Jazz musician at the age of 15 in 1925. Her piano playing was said to have “kept the bills paid and the racists at bay.” One of her major contributions was her astute mentorship. She guided innovators like Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Thelonious Monk.
Numbers Matter
Over the decades, many women have left their mark on the Jazz scene. Singers like Ella Fitzgerald were known for her extraordinary vocal range and perfect pitch. Meanwhile, Billie Holiday captivated the audience with her deeply personal interpretations of the genre’s vocalizations. Then there is Sarah Vaughn, crowned “the divine one,” who combines the aspects of the previous two singers. This helps her to rise to her namesake.
Behind these voices were the instrumentalists, arrangers, and composers. One such pianist and composer was Alice Coltrane, who “created cosmic soundscapes that expanded jazz’s spiritual and sonic boundaries.” Then, there was Carly Bley, an avant-garde composer, band leader, and label owner. She freely crossed genre boundaries to create new and innovative Jazz sounds. Meanwhile, Toshiko Akiyoshi is a multiple Grammy-nominated pianist and composer. Toshiko has made her mark as one of the few women who have mastered large ensemble writing.
Leadership in the 21st Century
In the current era women in jazz are elevating the genre to whole new levels. For instance, Esperanza Spalding is a bassist, vocalist, and composer. She melds “jazz, soul, classical, Brazilian, and experimental elements into distinctive artistic statements.” She won the Grammy for best new artist back in 2011. One of her current projects outside of teaching and mentoring at Berklee College of Music is the Songwriter’s Apothecary Lab. The lab promotes the composition of musical collaborations designed to offer enhanced therapeutic benefit to listeners/participants.
Meanwhile, here on the West Coast of Canada, Jodi Proznik, bassist, composer, educator, and label owner, achieved a significant milestone. She became a recipient of the Lieutenant Governor’s Arts and Music Award in 2022. This was in recognition of her contribution to music education in British Columbia. Currently, her life is filled with teaching and playing with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) School of Music.
Sister’s in Jazz Day
To mark International Women’s Day, Jodi is part of an all-day workshop at Argyle Secondary in North Vancouver, BC. She will be joined by other female musicians from the award-winning all-women jazz group, “The Ostara Project”. The annual event is called the “Sisters in Jazz Day”. It is a day to celebrate women in music through education. The underlying theme focuses on rhythm, improvisation, and composition. The event also highlights stories of women who have shaped the jazz tradition.
SeeChangemakers had the privilege of interviewing Jodi Proznik back in July 2025. She talked in detail about her life as a musician and educator. She also talked about The Ostara Project and other aspects of her life. Check it out here.
All in all, Jazz as a musical genre has evolved much like the rest of society. In less than 200 years, women in this musical genre have gone from a whisper to a roar. I look forward to seeing what the next couple of decades will provide. I wonder how I will imagine painting this next picture. Let’s see.