The multi award winning artist, journalist and founder of Women in Jazz Media Fiona Ross talks to saxophonist, musical director, arranger, educator, and community-music project leader Nichola Pope
Nichola Pope is a saxophonist, musical director, arranger, educator, and community-music project leader. Nichola’s multifaceted career has earned her a reputation as one of the UK’s leading saxophonists, equally comfortable on stage in front of thousands or in an intimate jazz club.
She has spent years touring in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and has appeared at major UK festivals including Glastonbury, BST Hyde Park, Isle of Wight Festival and Bestival with Bombay Bicycle Club and London Afrobeat Collective.
Nichola regularly tours in Europe and is a visiting artist for Ashley Slater’s exciting new project HEPTET and is also a regular featured artist in Scandinavia with Jerry Carlson’s Kings of Rock & Roll Show.
Nichola has performed at packed arenas, international concert halls and London’s West End and tours with shows such as Paul Simon Gracelands LIVE! Rachael Hawnt Winner of ITV1s Starstruck series one Divalution Show and So Cher Show, Gordon Hendricks Ultimate Elvis Tribute Champion, Typically Tina, X-Factor Beyond Buble with James Williams, A New York State of Mind the Music of Billy Joel, Whitney Queen of the Night, The 80s Show, The Smooth Rock Show, The Sting Operation, A Beautiful Noise Show, Simply Dan, The Magic of Motown.
Nichola has performed at the North Sea Jazz Festival, EFG London Jazz Festival, Galway Jazz Festival, Dauphine Jazz Festival, Funk Nord, Being a Man Festival, Women in Jazz Media Festival, and renowned jazz venues including Ronnie Scott’s, the 606 Club, the Jazz Cafe, and the Vortex Jazz Club.
Nichola Pope is a Yanagisawa Artist.
The multi award winning artist, journalist and founder of Women in Jazz Media Fiona Ross talks to the award winning author, journalist and critic Jane Cornwell
Jane Cornwell is an author, journalist and critic and raconteur writing mainly about jazz and global music, arts and culture, and also about travel and luxury travel.
Jane writes for major newspapers, magazines and online platforms in the UK and Australia. She is a contributing editor of Songlines magazine and is an interviewer and onstage MC for the likes of Womad, Womadelaide and the EFG London Jazz Festival. She writes books, press releases and sleeve notes. Sometimes she goes on the radio.
In 2019 she completed a highly regarded Masters degree in Global Creative and Cultural Industries (Distinction) at SOAS, University of London – a course designed to deepen understanding of the Cultural Industries and how they are organised, financed, regulated and have been understood in theory. Her dissertation on the resurgence of jazz music in London – ‘Jazz Refreshed? A Contemporary Jazz Phenomenon’ – involved intensive research, extensive interviews, robust arguments and new ideas.
For Jane Cornwell website please click here
The multi award winning artist, journalist and founder of Women in Jazz Media Fiona Ross talks to writer, publisher, connector, artist manager, music producer and legend Tulani Bridgewater-Kowalski
Daughter of Jazz legends, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Cecil Bridgewater, Tulani Bridgewater-Kowalski was born into the business of show. She was behind-the-scenes from the start, napping as an infant in the cloakrooms of fabled New York Jazz clubs, and toddling onto television sets and concert stages. At an early age, she embraced entertainment and the arts as her home.
A precocious mind and unending search for the why and how come were nurtured when Bridgewater attended Los Angeles' Mirman School for Highly Gifted Children. An almost vagabond upbringing of countless moves across the U.S. and Europe landed Tulani in France. Paris was where she started her career as a studio vocalist in her early teens. She parlayed the skill into adventurous travels abroad and international intrigue of the non-espionage variety.
While attending the prestigious Vassar College, she tested the waters at Island Records in New York. After graduating, Bridgewater relocated to Los Angeles with legendary talent firm, Ken Fritz Management, working with GrammyAward® winning and nominated clients, George Benson, Michael Feinstein, Rebekah del Rio and Sandy Knox. She then went on to associate manage jazz artists, such as Kurt Elling and Billy Childs with Open Door Management.
Tulani expanded her experience in the world of entertainment when she transitioned into a position in television and film. At Nickeloden, Tulani helped rebuild the Talent department of the kid-cabler, handling celebrity and network talent for domestic and international projects, both on and off-air, and in print.
After several years with MTVN/Nickelodeon, Bridgewater decided to resume her career in music management and production at DDB Productions and DDB Records in partnership with mother and management client, Dee Dee Bridgewater. At DDB, she worked on projects with Dee Dee Bridgewater, Don Grusin, Kellylee Evans, SoShy and consulted for various record labels.
Tulani expanded DDB Productions' international management and production projects. Their collaboration in DDB Records, saw multiple Grammy nominated titles for Dee Dee Bridgewater. The pair also developed and released Theo Croker's critically acclaimed "AfroPhysicist," “DVRKFUNK” (EP), “Escape Velocity."
In 2015, she launched the independent management, artist development and consulting firm, Bridgewater Artists Management. Undertaking projects with emerging and established artists, as well as consulting with music industry companies, media outlets, and nonprofits, BAM has established a venerable reputation.
Concurrent with her work in music, Tulani served on the leadership team for the forward-thinking social platform: the Woolfer. She went on to serve on the advisory board for Hello Revel, an online and in-person community and educational platform. She contributed reviews, articles, and content for both.
In 2020, she established The Writer's Room, a daily online and in-person co-operative community for women writers. In 2023, she and fellow Writer's Room partner, Heartland Emmy Award winning writer and novelist, Amy Marie Turner, co-founded Fauve Press - an independent publisher of fiction and creative nonfiction. She serves on the Advisory Board for The Plain Sight Archive, which focuses on spotlighting underrepresented artists of the 20th century. This naturally dovetails with her co-leadership of The Woodshed Network, founded in 2019 with Dee Dee Bridgewater, 651 Arts and partial funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. The Woodshed Network works to build community, support and mentorship for Women in Jazz.
The multi award winning artist, journalist and founder of Women in Jazz Media Fiona Ross talks to the Professor of Chemistry and Jazz radio programmer Dr Bradley Stone
Jazz Radio Programmer/ Host/Producer of The Creative Source and Professor of Chemistry Brad Stone has been a radio programmer and music director for the past 40+ years and is the host of the brilliant ‘The Creative Source’ on www.soulandjazz.com which always features a beautifully diverse mix of progressive jazz and fusion, new jazz releases, current artists and original compositions. He is also the 2-time winner of the Bobby Jackson Award for Internet/Non-terrestrial jazz programming, 7-time winner of Jazz Programmer of the Year with Gavin and JazzWeek and winner of the Duke DuBois Humanitarian Award at JazzWeek for lifetime contributions to the jazz music and jazz radio community.
To listen to Brad’s ‘The Creative Source’ show on Soul and Jazz, click here
Brad is also a member of the Jazz Journalist Association. Jazz Journalists Association a non-profit corporation that supports the creation and dissemination of accurate, balanced, ethical and informative journalism on all of jazz’s genres and encourages the creative use of media to spur the growth, development and education of the audience for jazz. It is a membership-supported organization, providing forums for the discussion of jazz-related issues and events, fostering the development of journalistic and presentation skills among emerging journalists (writers, photographers, broadcasters, videographers, and new media users) as well as offering opportunities and encouraging the development of new skills — including knowledge of online and social media — to journalists already engaged in the field.
You can also find Brad on Facebook here
For the Medias Touch to follow these links
The multi award winning artist, journalist and founder of Women in Jazz Media Fiona Ross talks to the legendary Denise King
Artists aren’t made, they are born; born with an innate sense of wonder and a unique perspective of the
world. Denise King is no exception. Always having a love of music, it wasn’t until the age of thirteen that she was introduced to Jazz by an uncle, Herbert Tatum, who had an extensive collection of Jazz LPs. This love was further cultivated by family, when a cousin Cynthia, shared her passion for the stylings and energy of Nina Simone. Her "studies" involved hours of listening to the Jazz greats,
both vocalists and instrumentalists. Denise borrowed phrasing styles from Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat "King" Cole and Frank Sinatra. She gained an appreciation for lyrics from Lil Jimmy Scott, Nancy Wilson, Carmen
McCrae and Nina Simone. Listening as intensely to Jazz as she did R&B or music of her era, she had no idea that her listening sessions were preparing her for a career in music.
She was "discovered" by a friend who heard her singing outside of her home in Philadelphia and introduced her to the world of Jazz performance. The early gigs were difficult in that she was painfully stage shy. But with the
help of Sam Reed, sax man and leader of the legendary Uptown Theater Orchestra she overcame her stage fright. Her early performance experiences involved sharing the stage with many legends, Butch Ballard, Arthur Harper, Sam Dougherty, Cecil Payne, Jymie Merritt, Bootsie Barnes, Lex Humphries,Phil Wright, Christian McBride, Dexter Wansel, Duane Eubanks, Lonnie Plaxico, Sid
Simmons, Dr. Guy Ramsey, Derrick Hodge, Chris Beck, Billy Paul, and many, many more. They taught her the importance of having something to say every time she
stepped up to the microphone and also stressed the importance of telling a story through the words and music and not just singing the song. Their instruction paid off. One night while performing at Zanzibar Blue in Philadelphia, Denise met Dexter Wansel, writer,arranger, producer, and A&R director at Philadelphia International Records. That meeting would forge a work relationship that has spanned twenty years.
Denise King has sung at almost all of the top venues in Philadelphia, several in New York, Paris, Turkey, Brazil, Africa, Germany and Japan during the past 25 years. She
started her musical career in her thirties and has proclaimed herself a torch bearer. A keeper of the flame. She holds the preservation and presentation of the traditional style of Jazz singing close to her heart. No gimmicks, no pyrotechnics, just an intense focus on the melody and the lyrical content.
It is this philosophy that finds her in Paris, Milan, Israel and all points in between acting as the Ambassador-ess for the nostalgic sounds of Jazz. From her warm and welcoming presence on stage, the subtle nuance of a bygone days, and the recordings that speak to the natural elegance of an era that greatly influenced her life, Denise King is keeping the romance and nostalgia of all the great ladies of Jazz alive and well.
The multi award winning artist, journalist and founder of Women in Jazz Media talks to pianist and composer Charu Suri
Pianist and composer Charu Suri treads fearlessly between genres, pulling global influences that range from the mood-anchoring Indian ragas, Sufi music, to the trio. Her ground-breaking albums, The Book of Ragas, and its sequel, The Book of Ragas vol. 2 have often elicited the response, "I've never heard this type of sound before."
One of the few female composers from India to perform work at Carnegie Hall, Charu has lived in four continents, and writes music that reflect her journey as both a traveler and her training as a classical music piano prodigy. She has been playing the piano since the age of five, and performing since the age of nine, and one of her best memories is winning an international piano competition at the age of 15. What started purely as an experiment with her "Book of Ragas" has turned into a niche that she is now increasingly becoming known for. Her latest album is RAGAS & WALTZES, a first collaboration between her and Preservation Hall's jazz drummer, Joe Lastie. Recently she recorded her latest album, RAGS & RAGAS, with bassist John Patitucci, drummer Joe Lastie, drummer Steve Gadd, and pianist Kobi Arad.
Her last album, RAGAS & WALTZES has received a lot of praise from critics. JAZZIZ Magazine has praised its classic reinvention of the European waltz, and All About Jazz said, "These are all Suri originals, with which she creates a mood that is a mix, tune-by-tune, of longing and solemnity, then of a lilting and uplifting beauty, segueing into tender reverence that shifts gear into a segment of lively swing before drifting back to loving respect. And that swing is surely inspired by New Orleans' Preservation Hall Jazz Band's drummer, Joe Lastie, Jr., sitting in the recording session's drummer's chair."
But she is no stranger to the art of the Songbook too (attribute this to her listening to numerous records of Bill Evans and Billie Holiday as a kid). "The New American Songbook" has garnered many awards, including a "Band Single of the Year" crystal trophy for her song, Bluesy, awarded by the International Singer-Songwriters Association (ISSA) in 2021.
Charu has performed at Lincoln Center and other prestigious concert halls around the world, including St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. She often performs with her band, and sometimes as a soloist. Her work will be performed by New Jersey Symphony Orchestra for the first time on May 13, 2024 at NJPAC.
https://www.charusuri.com/
The multi award winning artist, journalist and founder of Women in Jazz Media talks to Mr London himself, CEO of TalentBanq, Ray Jones.
Ray Jones is often described by colleagues and friends as “Mr London”. He is a passionate advocate for live music and theatre
which can be clearly seen by his career to date. First as Head Concierge in several top London hotels before founding Centre Stage.
In 1997 he sold the business and joined the Board at Superbreak - The UK’s leading short break operators. Once again breaking new ground, the company took cultural tourism to new levels, offering
transport, ticketing, accommodation and attractions in one simple transaction. During this period Ray served as Non Executive
Director at Visit London and as Executive Director of West End Theatre Bookings, a rapidly-growing theatre ticket agency acquired by Superbreak in 2007 and sold to Encore in June 2011. In 2012 Superbreak was sold to the travel giant Cox and Kings and Ray stepped down to join Time Out as Global Business Development Director.
As well as overseeing commercial relationships Ray developed Time Out Live and launched The Time Out Card, both offering
on-brand live experiences to readers and members. This included the hugely popular Rising Stars series discovering and presenting the best in unsigned talent at iconic London venues. Ray
stepped down from his role at Time Out in August 2017 to become founding director and CEO at Talentbanq.
He also sits on the Board at The Union Chapel – one of the coolest live music venues on the planet.
For TalentBanq website and to find events click here!
In the 2nd episode since being nominated for ‘Best Podcast’ by the World Entertainment Awards, Fiona talks to the inspirational singer/songwriter/producer and legend China Moses
Singer, songwriter and producer China Moses evolves her artistry in truth. Defiantly real, her music resists what so many labels and critics desire: category. She captivates listeners with her deep pocket, sensitivity and wit, drawing inspiration from endless styles in the expansive lineage of Black American music.
Frank and fearless, China’s songs document fleeting emotional states and extended narratives, often leaning into self-reflection both in lyric and phrasing. Her voice is a satin ribbon wrapped around a crackling flame. Listeners fortunate to observe her in live performance know the depth of her song interpretation. In a moment she can revolve a world.
For more than a decade, the magnetic on-camera personality and consummate actor has appeared regularly on TV series, including national spots alongside Iggy Pop, Meryl Streep, Will Smith, Ciara, Nile Rodgers, Mariah Carey and Hugh Jackman. Provocative as her musical experiences, China’s broadcasting resumé currently features host-producer positions at celebrated radio shows “Made in China” on TSF Jazz (France) and “Late Night with China Moses” On Jazz FM (UK). She’s one of few women of color to host multiple radio shows across European and UK airwaves.
The self-dubbed high school dropout has been an artist her entire life. Daughter of legendary activist and director Gilbert Moses III and internationally acclaimed musician Dee Dee Bridgewater, China understands the music and its surrounding culture from the inside out.
In the first episode since being nominated for ‘Best Podcast’ by the World Entertainment Awards, Fiona talks to the inspirational singer/songwriter Ola Onabule
Ola Onabule’s last album, POINT LESS was listed on many international publications as one of the best albums of 2019 including Downbeat Magazine (US), All About Jazz (US) and Jazz in Europe (Europe) amongst them. The project has now been performed with quartet, quintet, big band and now symphonic orchestras.
The British-Nigerian, singer-songwriter, has performed on the main stages of many of the international jazz festivals including main stages of Montreal, Vancouver, San Sebastian, Istanbul, Washington, and Umbria, as well as at concert halls and
Jazz clubs worldwide, building and consolidating a reputation with audiences globally.
Onabulé’s music combines elements of jazz, soul, funk and African music to create a unique and distinctive sound. Ola's lyrics often address social and political issues, such as the fight against oppression and injustice. He has received acclaim from
critics and fans alike for his ability to combine a powerful message with beautiful and moving music.
Onabulé has also collaborated with some of the world’s foremost Big Bands, including the Grammy Award-winning Big Bands from Cologne (The WDR Big Band), Stuttgart (The SWR Big Band) and Frankfurt (The HR Big Band), Denmark (Danish Radio Big Band) Big Band Jazz De Mexico (Mexico) Zurich Jazz Orchestra (Switzerland), UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra (Finland), Oulu All Star Big Band (Finland) The Sicilian Jazz Orchestra (Sicily), Gotland Big Band (Sweden), Bohuslan Big Band (Sweden) Latvian Radio Big Band (Latvia), DIOC Big Band (Norway). New Wind Jazz Orchestra (Estonia) and his experience extends to symphony orchestras such as the Orquesta Liepāja Symphony (Latvia), The Symphonic Orchestra of San Luis Potosi, (Mexico), Västerås Sinfonietta (Sweden), Orchestra della Magna Grecia (Italy), The Babelsberg Film Orchestra Potsdam (Germany). Onabulé has new projects on the way with many other new ensembles including Bundeswehr Big Band (Germany), Algarve Jazz Orchestra (Portugal) amongst others which demonstrates Ola’s ability to adapt and collaborate with different artists and world class musicians.
Fiona talks to composer, lyricist and theatre maker Colin Ross Waterson.
Colin has been writing music for fifteen years in the traditional music industry space. He released three solo albums as WATERSON, but has now returned to the theatre—his first love. He started working professionally in the theatre at thirteen, performing on Broadway and the West End during his adult career—including a long stint with Matthew Bourne and his iconic Swan Lake—and has amassed over 10 million streams as an independent recording artist.
Colin Ross Waterson and Ben Hartley wrote new, British musical A Second Chance during the lockdowns, on opposite sides of the Atlantic. They have self-financed two readings, two workshops, and are crowdfunding the costs of a third and final workshop, which will take place in London next May. The final leg of development will be performed in front of an industry audience and some of their amazing Crowdfunders. The campaign is over 30% in a matter of weeks, with five more to go, and has seen support from celebrated actor, Alan Cumming; Emmerdale actor, Kevin Mathurin; and TONY-winning choreographer, Stephen Mear.
“…We had the idea to crowdfund because although we managed to raise finance privately for the bulk of the development—cash for the arts remains scarce—so we thought doing the last part this way would be a good way to both raise funds and start to get a community involved. We feel like its a great way to build an audience whilst funding your project…”
Colin created the music, lyrics, and orchestrations for the show—Ben Hartley, the book and choreography. Acclaimed director (and artistic director at NCPA), Bruce Guthrie is at helm, being instrumental in bringing the musical to life over the course of the development. The whole endeavour is based on real-life events, with Ben being able to turn a series of vignettes from Colin’s life into a brilliantly full-bodied, gripping book.
“…A new British musical about an aspiring singer who faces extraordinary circumstances on the road to fame. Set in the streets of Glasgow, in the late 90’s, and in London twenty years later, this is a story about love, family, struggle, sacrifice, identity, and the search for self-acceptance…”
Fiona talks to Jazz power couple Charlotte Keeffe and Lara De Belder.
Musician, trumpeter and flugelhorn player Charlotte Keeffe wears her love for freely improvising, free jazz and abstract music-making on her (brightly coloured) sleeve. Whether performing regularly as a soloist (Sound Brush), or leading a variety of different ensembles, including her RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW Quartet, with Ashley John Long on double bass, Ben Handysides on drums and Moss Freed on guitar, she meticulously carves out spaces for the free movement of ideas and individual expression.
Inspired by abstract painters, Keeffe refers to her instruments as ‘Sound Brushes’. Her music has been significantly featured on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 6 and Jazz FM, where she's been described as a 'prolific', 'dynamic' and 'excellent improviser!', by the likes of Corey Mwamba, Stuart Maconie and Jez Nelson. She is a Serious Artist and part of the Take Five 2022 cohort. Harnessing the power of art for social change is a crucial part of Keeffe’s musical identity: she has served as Assistant Musical Director of the London Gay Big Band, champions gender and diversity equality, as part of the Parliamentary award-winning Women in Jazz Media team, and played in Marin Alsop's Taki Concordia Orchestra at the World Economic Forum 2019, in front of world leaders and celebrities including Sir David Attenborough. From stepping on Glastonbury and Wilderness stages alongside Charlotte Church, Laura Mvula and Kate Nash, to broadcasting to an international audience live from her bathroom during the global pandemic, Keeffe understands that embracing individuality and letting go of inhibitions is the surest way to grasp the transformative power of music.
Actor, Singer & Writer Lara de Belder studied Music at the University of Leeds before training in Musical Theatre at the Royal Academy of Music in London. With a musical background spanning choral and classical music, musical theatre, jazz, blues and pop music, Lara has worked as a performer and creator in theatre, film, TV and concert and is the co-writer and creator of new British comedy musical, Bird Brigade, alongside Luka Antony Bjelis, directed by Grace Taylor (SIX) and long-listed for the Stiles and Drewe Mentorship Award 2021.
Lara's passion for an eclectic range of musical genres has influenced her as a solo artist and writer of original music fusing pop with flavours of jazz, blues, funk, soul, RnB, hip hop, folk and electronic dance styles, first launching in May 2021 with her debut Single, Turn It Over. Describing her music as 'jazzpop', Lara takes inspiration from artists such as Celeste, Jacob Collier, Melody Gardot, Jamie Cullum, Ella Fitzgerald, Erykah Badu, Lizzo, Amy Winehouse, Robyn and Jessie Ware. Her music has been featured on BBC Introducing on BBC Radio Tees with Rianne Thompson and Rachel Teate as well as other radio programmes and podcasts. This November 2023, she will be performing her first headline show as part of the London Jazz Festival in partnership with Women In Jazz Media.
Fiona talks to Mexico Woman of the year and drummer Migdalia Van Der Hoven.
Mexico’s Woman of the Year for arts and culture, Migdalia van der Hoven is an International Award winning Mexican drummer currently touring with SIX the Musical across the UK and Internationally. She is also a Vater Drumsticks, Bosphorus Cymbals and RTOM Corporation artist. A Berklee College of Music graduate (where she studied and performed with Jackie Santos, Terri Lynn Carrington, Victor Mendoza and Mark Walker), she is known for her groove, sensitivity and versatility across multiple genres such as funk, jazz, fusion, latin jazz, pop and world music.
Migdalia Van Der Hoven website
Fiona talks to the melodic maverick, saxophonist, composer and educator Hannah Horton!
Award winning, official Henri Selmer Artist, Melodic Maverick, Hannah Horton is a visionary jazz saxophonist, composer, bandleader and journalist. Hannah’s music is rooted in jazz, folk and funk and her established individual and sophisticated sound is edging through boundaries and creating waves worldwide.
An official Henri Selmer Artist, alumni of the prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Trinity Laban, and member of award winning Women In Jazz Media, Hannah works the jazz world in her own authentic way. Her most recent album ‘Inside Out’ has received critical acclaim worldwide and she continues to wow audiences with her creative, compelling, emotive and alluring playing, alongside her warm and charming personality on stage.
Today Hannah provides inspiration of her own by running ‘J Steps’ – a new band initiative designed to nurture the talent of musicians who identify as female or non-binary with it’s main aim being to balance a historic lack of representation of women in jazz.
“Hannah makes the big beast baritone sax sound like an angel” Ian Shaw
Fiona talks to Magdalene Adenaike about her incredible work with the Music Relief Foundation.
Magdalene Adenaike FRSA, Charity Founder & CEO of Music Relief Foundation. The charity was inspired by Magdalene's first-hand experiences of the hardships, isolation, and challenges faced by becoming a teenage parent. During this period, she discovered the transformative power of music and the importance of bringing other teenage mothers together to share their experiences. With these two revelations, the idea for Music Relief Foundation was born.
‘Passionate about making changes in people's lives by influencing government, businesses and educators on empowering youth and grassroots communities. My role includes vision, strategy, innovation and partnership development. I'm also our primary spokesperson, which provides briefings with the media and comments on social media. I don't see this as a job, but as a mother hen seeing her baby growing.’
Music Relief Foundation website
Fiona talks to the truly inspirational Dr Tammy L Kernodle.
Tammy L. Kernodle is University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Music, who specializes in African American music and gender studies in music. She is also an affiliate of the American Studies Program, Critical Race and Ethnic Studies Program, and the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program.
Her scholarship explores the intersection of the politics that surround gender and racial identity, performance practice and genre. Her work has appeared in major peer-reviewed journals including American Studies, Musical Quarterly, Black Music Research Journal, The Journal of the Society of American Music (JSAM), American Music Research Journal, The U.S Catholic Historian, and the Journal of the American Musicological Society (JAMS). She also was a contributor to The African American Lectionary Project, the Smithsonian Anthology of Hip Hop and Rap and the Carnegie Hall Digital Timeline of African American Music. Her scholarship also appears in numerous anthologies and reference works including Women’s Voices Across Musical Worlds, John Coltrane and Black America’s Quest for Freedom: Spirituality and the Music, and The Cambridge Companion to Women in Music Since 1900.
Tammy is the author of biography Soul on Soul: The Life and Music of Mary Lou Williams, served as Associate Editor of the three volume Encyclopedia of African American Music and was also one of the Editors for the revision of the New Grove Encyclopedia of American Music. Tammy also served as the Scholar in Residence for the Women in Jazz Initiative at the American Jazz Museum in Kansas City from 1999 until 2001. She has worked closely with a number of educational programs including the Kennedy Center’s Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival, Jazz@Lincoln Center, NPR, Canadian Public Radio, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, and BBC. Kernodle is currently serving as scholarly consultant with New World Symphony’s Harlem Renaissance initiative, which seeks to elevate the music and voices of black artisans.
From 2012-2016, Tammy served as a scholarly consultant for the exhibits entitled “Musical Crossroads” at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. She appears in a number of award-winning documentaries including Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band and Girls in the Band, Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, and How It Feels to Be Free. In 2014, she received the Effective Educator Award from the Miami University Alumni Association and in 2018 was awarded the Benjamin Harrison Medallion. The Harrison Award is the highest award given to a Miami University faculty member in recognition of their research, teaching and service. In 2021 she was promoted to the rank of University Distinguished Professor. She is the Past President of the Society for American Music.
In this very special not to be missed episode, Fiona talks to legendary Maxine Gordon live in Paris, in her first ever podcast!
Maxine Gordon is an independent scholar with a lifetime career working with jazz musicians. She is an oral historian and archivist in the fields of jazz and African American cultural history whose award-winning book Sophisticated Giant: The Life and Legacy of Dexter Gordon fulfilled the promise she made to her late husband, the jazz saxophonist and Academy Award–nominated actor Dexter Gordon, to complete his biography. Maxine also earned an MA in African diaspora history from New York University, where she received a Henry M. MacCracken Fellowship.
Maxine is currently working on her much-anticipated next book, “Quartette: Four Women in Jazz, Stories from the Lives of Maxine Sullivan, Velma Middleton, Melba Liston, and Shirley Scott.” The book will be presented in a context that is described as “jazz geography,” using a close look at the element of place as a factor in the artists’ lives. We cannot wait!
Click here for Maxine Gordon website
Very happy that this podcast series is now at number 8 in the 'Top 60 UK Music Podcasts' for Feedspot! In this episode Fiona Ross talks to Tony Barnes, Producer and lead software engineer.
Tony is currently a bedroom music producer experimenting with a unique style of music - blending various types of genres and sounds. Although a fan of almost all genres, Tony has a particular love for the 80s era, A.KA “retro”, synthwave, synth pop. Coupled with jazz, disco and funk, Tony is inspired by anything and everything. Tony loves to help others and with a hope that it creates a butterfly effect. He is a huge supporter of Women in Jazz Media and musicians in general - he has attended almost every Women in Jazz Media event and dreams that one day, every week will be a jazz festival. As an engineer, consultant and mentor, Tony has built software and led teams for over 12 years in many different industries - ensuring that clean and scalable solutions are delivered. At Women in Jazz Media, he builds and manages the website -Incrementally adding new features, improving the design and user experience.
Tony is an advocate for making the web accessible for all and this is certainly a core principle of the Women in Jazz Media website - “Anyone should be able to access information on the web and consume it”. Self-described as a creative engineer, Tony really enjoys building software for the music industry as it’s a “mix of my favourite things”. Tony is also a huge advocate for knowledge sharing and mentoring others. He also supports women in technology - a recent survey shows that in the UK alone, women make up only 16.4% of an IT workforce. Tony actively offers learning sessions, guidance, general support and opportunities for anyone who wants to learn how to code.
Heralded by the Ivor Novello Academy and Apple Music as one of the next rising stars of songwriting, Fiona Ross talks to Ashaine White.
Just when you thought every genre mash-up had been done, Ivor Novello Rising Star Nominee Ashaine White arrives with a brand new hybrid: grunge-soul. Inspired by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Lianne La Havas, D'Angelo, Radiohead and Nirvana, Ashaine’s moody, spellbinding approach to jazz harmony and melodies, wrapped with a brash garage-band sensibility and storytelling at the focus of her songwriting form a unique and exciting soundscape. Putting you right in the middle of her world.
Fiona talks to bassist Derek Daley!
Derek Daley is an accomplished musician, known for his exceptional skills on both electric and double bass. With a Bachelor's degree in music composition and arrangement as well as musical performance. Derek has been practicing music for over a decade. He has recorded on a number of studio albums, showcasing his versatility and musical range. Derek has also been on world tours, playing in major cities across the globe.
In addition to his music career, Derek is a trustee for the National Jazz Archives in the UK, where he is committed to preserving and promoting the rich history of jazz music. With his impressive background and experience, Derek is a sought-after collaborator in the music industry and continues to inspire others with his passion for music.
For this episode Fiona Ross chats to the composer, keyboardist, synth player, pianist and vocalist Jemma Freese.
Jemma Freese is a full-time musician and composer who plays keyboards/synth/piano and vocals. She is a graduate of Leeds
Conservatoire where she studied Pop Composition and Jazz vocals and graduated with First BA Honours and received The Directors Prize. Jemma is involved in; J Frisco (punk jazz electronic); Maximo Park (indie/art-pop); j2oh (synthjazz duo) and her own solo projects (trap rap jazz electronica and contemporary jazz math). She has received places on the following schemes; Manchester Jazz Festival Hothouse; Jazz North Introduces; Jazz North northernline; Music:Leeds Launchpad; arts council DYCP; Serious Take Five and Brighter Sounds.
