Ethnicity and gender diversity and jazz have been over recent years two significant issues. Gender, especially in Europe, has been a particularly powerful topic needing to be addressed.
Val Wilmer, in describing the scene in her book ‘As Serious As Your Life’, suggests that the barriers in New York in the 60s for an instrumentalist were near insurmountable.
Battles have been fought, such as by the Feminist Improvising Group in the 1970s, by the Guest Stars in the UK in the 80s (and subsequently by the Blow The Fuse series at the Vortex led by Deirdre Cartwright and Alison Rayner) and, nowadays, by the Keychange project and, in the UK, Women in Jazz Media and Women in Jazz. But have they been won?
At a conference last weekend in Graz, the issue was addressed across several countries. But where are the true ‘pinch points’? At schools, colleges? In contemporary jazz? Or free improv, where the scene seems more open?
Feel free to join in the discussion. Male or female, musician or audience, promoter or customer.
(The image is of the Feminist Improvising Group in the 1970s)
——————————————————————————-
Oliver Weindling is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Vortex discussion 106
Time: Jun 14, 2022 03:30 PM London
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82549096503?pwd=bXBFN2RzOVk2QkYreTdPOTVYZHF0UT09
Meeting ID: 825 4909 6503
Passcode: 350796