The Girls in the Band

When it comes to jazz history, female instrumentalists are rarely mentioned, but director Judy Chaikin here gives them their belated due. Most of the interviewees hail from musical families that encouraged their efforts. Several all-girl bands sprung up during the vaudeville era—including the Fayettes and the Ingenues—and women jazz musicians backed up entertainers like Ada Leonard and Ina Ray Hutton, but mixed-gender groups weren't much of an option. Saxophone player Peggy Gilbert recalls that a band leader offered to hire her until his all-male ensemble talked him out of it. Exceptions to the rule included pianist Marian McPartland, who appears in Art Kane's famous A Great Day in Harlem group photo; pianist Mary Lou Williams, who wrote for Tommy Dorsey and Benny Goodman; and trumpeter Billie Rogers, who played with Woody Herman. But even women with famous husbands, such as Louis Armstrong's wife, Lil Hardin—who founded the Hot Five—had a hard time receiving recognition for their achievements. While genders rarely performed together, the International Sweethearts of Rhythm featured a mixed-race lineup, which experienced few problems in the North or Europe, but met with difficulties touring the South. Regardless of the music, women's reality differed markedly from their male counterparts, especially since looks were a big part of the package. Flouncy dresses were in, saddle shoes were out, but no matter how well they played, some people still thought of them as a novelty. Things began to change in the 1970s, and Chaikin ends by profiling contemporary players such as drummer Terri Lyne Carrington and bassist Esperanza Spalding, who found a more welcoming reception thanks to the pioneers who came before them. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)