For activists, maintaining momentum in the fight for social change sometimes leads to downplaying the victories they’ve attained. Acknowledging progress can feel like permission to ease up on the struggle.
But that’s no reason not to celebrate the sea change that’s swept across the jazz scene when it comes to women instrumentalists. Recognizing the successes of female players isn’t only about acknowledging reality. It’ll likely lead to more opportunities.
The generations of women who paved the way for the thriving 21st-century scene deserve the lioness’s share of the credit. Another fundamental factor is the expansion of the pipeline from middle and high school jazz programs to universities and conservatories via initiatives like the 14th annual JazzGirls Day, a free Berkeley High School event on March 8 open to all 10- to 14-year-old girls. Trombonist Sarah Cline, co-director of the BHS jazz program, created JazzGirls Day, and she leads a similar event for the Stanford Jazz Workshop at Dinkelspiel Auditorium on March 22.
Whether or not there’s an official presidential proclamation this year declaring March as Women’s History Month, spring’s approach finds Bay Area bandstands brimming with stellar female improvisers. At Mr. Tipple’s in San Francisco, almost the entire month’s calendar is devoted to women bandleaders. What could once be cast as tokenism is now simply a reflection of the state of the art. There are far too many tantalizing gigs on tap to mention them all but these are some shows I’m particularly excited about.
Akili Bradley: Raised in Seaside and nurtured by Monterey Jazz Festival educational programs, New York City trumpeter Akili Bradley made an extremely impressive appearance at the MJF last summer as the fourth wheel for pianist Jason Moran’s Bandwagon. She’s the featured player again during a four-night, eight-show Black Cat run led by British pianist Wilfie Williams, a rising force in New York.
Details: Feb. 27-March 2 at Black Cat in San Francisco; $25.50-$65.50; www.blackcatsf.com
Naomi Moon Siegel: The Missoula, Montana,-based trombonist and composer, an Oakland resident in the mid-aughts, returns to the Bay Area for a series of gigs celebrating the release of her new Allison Miller-produced album, “Shatter the Glass Sanctuary” with a quartet featuring Barcelona-born pianist Marina Albero and San Francisco-reared New York bassist Jayla Chee.
Details: The group performs at the Palo Alto Arts Center Feb. 27; San Francisco’s Stow Lake Boathouse Feb. 28); Mr. Tipple’s on March 1 and at Wyldflowr Arts in West Oakland on March 2 (find details for the shows on naomimoonsiegel.com).
Brandee Younger: Her four-night residency at the SFJAZZ Center features the harp star and vocalist playing new compositions with the 19-piece New Century Chamber Orchestra, March 6-9 (www.sfjazz.org). She’s back in the Bay Area for concerts with her trio at the SJZ Break Room March March 27 (sanjosejazz.org) and Kuumbwa Jazz March 28 (www.kuumbwajazz.org). On April 3, she’s at Bing Concert Hall for a Stanford Live co-commission collaboration “Strings of Hope: A Song For Tomorrow” (live.stanford.edu) with groundbreaking Gambian griot Sona Jobarteh (who plays her own gigs at Kuumbwa April 1 and Herbst Theatre April 4).
Tiptons Sax Quartet: The female-centric Seattle ensemble with a three-decade history of melding jazz, funk, Balkan and other international idioms, makes a rare Bay Area foray, playing the Dharma Collective in San Francisco March 13 (sfdharmacollective.org) and the Back Room in Berkeley March 15 (backroommusic.com). The potent, longstanding front line features Jessica Lurie (soprano, alto, and tenor sax), Amy Denio (alto sax and clarinet), Sue Orfield (tenor sax), and Tina Richerson (baritone sax), with all the women contributing vocals.
Alexandra Ridout: The rising British trumpeter plays a series of gigs around the region, working as a side-woman with San Francisco-raised New York guitarist Gabriel Schillinger-Hyman at Oakland’s Piedmont Piano Company March 8 (piedmontpiano.com) and leading a trio at Maykadeh restaurant’s Persian Room in San Francisco March 11 with Gabriel and his brother, bassist Eytan Schillinger-Hyman. She’s with the Gabriel Schillinger-Hyman Quartet at Osher Marin JCC March 12 for the program Invisible Jazz Giants, and performs duo with Gabriel at Station House Café in Pt. Reyes March 13.
Details: More information is at alexandraridoutmusic.squarespace.com.
Sundra Manning: An essential creative force on the Bay Area music scene since the 1990s, the supremely soulful Oakland organist pays tribute to the late Hammond B3 organ great Shirley Scott at the SFJAZZ Joe Henderson Lab on March 21 with powerhouse tenor saxophonist Howard Wiley, bassist Steve Hogan, Fantastic Negrito drummer James Small and a surprise vocalist. Manning will pay props to Shirley Scott again on March 22 when she joins saxophonist Kasey Knudsen, an equally eloquent improviser on alto and tenor, and her quintet for a family matinee that includes trombonist Natalie Cressman. Knudsen’s Quintet also performs March 29 at Mr. Tipple’s.
Details: 7 and 8:30 p.m. March 21 at SFJAZZ; $25; 11 a.m. Saturday March 22 at SFJAZZ; $18-$25; www.sfjazz.org.
Contact Andrew Gilbert at jazzscribe@aol.com