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Jazz Musicians - why are they all men?

38 replies

ageingdisgracefully · 12/05/2011 19:08

I'm not sure if this is a silly question or not, so apologies if so.

I've just taken up jazz piano. I took piano as a child, as did many of my (girl) friends. Most of DD's (girl) friends are learning whilst the boys seem to be doing other things.

I do a lot of background research, listening to and watching music on youtube. With the exception of Diana Krall and maybe one or two others, they are all men. There's Duke, Louie, Benny, Oscar, Jelly Roll, Fats, Jamie, Jules, Keith etc but hardly any women at this level. Why do you think this is, given the amount of girls learning music?

I'm not talking about singers here, incidentally, but musicians, and particularly pianists.

OP posts:
Bumperlicioso · 13/05/2011 14:42

Clare Teal

Bumperlicioso · 13/05/2011 14:40

There was someone lovely on women's hour the other day who is a jazz musician (though I don't think she defines herself that way). She is releasing an album of reinterpreted covers.

Thomas1969 · 13/05/2011 14:07

Excuse me but Ms Holiday, even though i dont like her voice that much, was a fine woman who was at liberty to frequent any place she wanted; colour-bar permitting, seedy or otherwise. Her talent for interpretation outstripes her fondness for coke any day in my book. Too much is said about her drug taking.

CogitoErgoSometimes · 13/05/2011 13:51

Billie Holliday was certainly a lover of the seedy venue, coke-fuelled lifestyle and paid for it eventually. Would hope women generally have more sense. Remember seeing a docu-drama about Ray Charles, I think it was, and wondering just how on earth any of them made it past 30.

gramercy · 13/05/2011 13:27

Bil is jazz musician.

Your bog-standard jazz musician is not trendy - more like grizzled, food stuck in beard, polyester trousers... only a quarter of a millimetre up from trainspotter, really.

Added to which most of the music is turgid, self-centred crap.

That is why it is man-dominated.

Thomas1969 · 13/05/2011 13:26

Who says women can't cope with seedy venues. Miss Holiday, we're talking about you!

Thomas1969 · 13/05/2011 13:24

Goodness me. Of course Nina Simone. A fantastic pianist who could write a damn fine tune too. How could i forget her. Saw her at South Bank a while back. Just the kind of f??k-you-I-know-I'm-fantastic woman i adore. Just perfection!

Thomas1969 · 13/05/2011 13:18

Not completely true. The pianist Barbra Carol. Also, if you take the human voice as an instrument, which it certainly is, then women dominate. Sarah Vaughan, Fitzgeald, Carmen McRae; and all the others. A jazz song is worth nothing without a competent singer.

CogitoErgoSometimes · 13/05/2011 13:03

I think the 'boys club' problem extended also to the lifestyle. Seedy venues, copious drug-taking, organised crime connections.... could have put off women in the 1920's - 40's heyday.

Lio · 13/05/2011 11:00

Also Carla Blay, but yes, these women are in the minority. I can't think of reasons beyond expectation, lack of role models, being passed over etc.

Chil1234 · 12/05/2011 21:03

There were some terrific women on jazz piano like Lil Hardin and Sweet Emma Barrett but, like a lot of fields in the past where men dominated, they didn't get the publicity or recognition. Exception was Mary Lou Williams

InmaculadaConcepcion · 12/05/2011 20:00

Nina Simone?

But yes, jazz is massively male-dominated - even compared to some of the other musical genres.

southeastastra · 12/05/2011 19:56

cause men seem to have time to noodle unlike women probably