Women in Jazz.
The first of a series of seminars/informal chit chats (or whatever else you want to call them) while we aren’t open.
The topic of Women in Jazz is an ongoing subject of debate as to how it is best ‘resolved’ (if it’s soluble at all?). At the Vortex, we have always attempted to support a broad range of musicians, even though it’s not easy to resolve in a club where one has to be so flexible in how programming takes place. Nevertheless Alison Rayner and Deirdre Cartwright have been organising their Blow The Fuse nights from almost the very beginnings of the club in Church Street in late 80s. And we set up the all-female Vortex Foundation Big Band in 2002 with Annie Whitehead as the original musical director (photo above). It performed at the last night of the Vortex in Church Street and on the first of its present location in Gillett Square in Dalston. There is an album on Babel (Charybdis)
As well as Alison and Deirdre, we hope for some of those involved to include Sammy Stein, who wrote book Women In Jazz’, Kim Macari (who is an artist, activist and has been programming at the Vortex for the past 18 months) and also Ragnar Berthing from Musikcentrum in Sweden. He has been one of the original instigators of the Keychange project and in Sweden there is a strong policy of positive discrimination.
Is that the right route? Or is it something where we just encourage more subtly? Is it a problem of not enough students in higher education?
So, pour yourself a glass of wine, or a beer, and do join us. It’ll be very informal, and we can’t say how it’ll work out. If you want to take part, contact oliver@vortexjazz.co.uk for an invitation.
Women in Jazz – an informal online event
