Ellington

As I left my office June 15, I had a heavy heart. Everyone was getting ready for Jubilee!JAM—the barricades were going up and parking had been a nightmare for two days.

I'm a musician, and I love music. Yet I felt strangely distant from the cheerful melee. Why? A simple fact: Not a single woman musician was in the line-up. Out of dozens of out-of-town performers and local acts, not a single one was female. (The Black Crowes had a few female back-up singers, but you get my point).

A similar event happened to me when I was a senior in college, majoring in music. One afternoon I had a small group study in my professor's office. We were writing 16th-century-style counterpoint (you know, Josquin and Palestrina, those guys), and a particular dissonance was consuming our discussion. The four guys in my class wanted to resolve it a certain way. I saw a different solution. I decided to ask my professor how a woman composer of that century might handle that particular compositional challenge. Might we hear an example?

"Why, no," he said. There aren't any recordings of women composers of 16th century counterpoint, at least not to his knowledge. I gazed at the rows of LP records lining the shelves. There must have been at least 2,000 recordings. A curious feeling came over me. I asked him, of all those 2,000 recordings, are any of compositions by women? He paused, then a strange, pained look came over him. "No, I'm afraid not," he said.

So here we are in 2007. Gender equity is much better than it used to be—women in our community are doctors, attorneys, you name it. But our music scene is lagging behind. Even when it's not Jubilee!JAM, you'll be hard pressed to find female faces and names when you look through the week's music listings. Yes, they're there every once in awhile, but if you're like me and used to living in cities where female performers are common—well, Jackson seems woefully uneven and behind the times.

My solution in college wasn't just to get mad and give up. Instead, I took on researching the works of women composers. Guess what? There were a lot more than anyone thought. They'd been forgotten, but their music was there to be found again. And in the end my professor allowed me to help him make additions to his course curricula, adding works by female composers where appropriate.

Since life does at times repeat itself, I wonder if a similar course of action may be useful here as well. I don't think the organizers of Jubilee!JAM left out women on purpose. Everyone knows they work hard, and most, if not all, organizers are volunteers. I know they are open; I watched Kamikaze criticize the lack of local musicians in the line-up last year—next thing you know, locals were on the bill.

So for next year, I'm offering my services (as well as those of at least a couple of friends) to the JAM committee. We'll do the legwork. We'll find names of national and local female performers and contact their publicists. Sheryl Crow, Lucinda Williams, Eve, Rhonda Richmond, Infinite and Lizz Stroud come to mind. Others come to yours? Tell me. Women musicians work just as hard, rock just as hard and are just as well loved by their fans.

Laurel Isbister is a singer/songwriter in Jackson. Visit her Web site, and e-mail her at [e-mail missing].

Previous Comments

ID

75058

Comment

Thanks Laurel, I'm was worried you had packed up and left.

Author

Ray Carter

Date

2007-07-12T11:41:14-06:00

ID

75059

Comment

no way, Ray, I'm here to stay...I love this place, even if it needs improvement. And I'm not gigging a lot this summer because I'm trying to finish my new record.

Author

Izzy

Date

2007-07-12T12:41:44-06:00

ID

75060

Comment

Good luck with finishing it, and going gold or platinum.

Author

Ray Carter

Date

2007-07-12T12:45:29-06:00

ID

75061

Comment

Ray, did you know I'm posting as Izzy now? I made the change a month or so ago. I don't mind if anyone knows it, its not for secrecy. Actually dad was nicknamed Izzy in college (short form of Isbister). He has Alzheimer's and I decided to use his nickname as a way to keep him in my thoughts each day. He's a good man and it's difficult to watch him slipping away. --Izzy (formerly posting as Laurel)

Author

Izzy

Date

2007-07-12T12:46:32-06:00

ID

75062

Comment

No, I didn't know. I knew I liked Izzy's comments, but I didn't know who she was. Thanks.

Author

Ray Carter

Date

2007-07-12T12:49:26-06:00

ID

75063

Comment

Actually dad was nicknamed Izzy in college (short form of Isbister). He has Alzheimer's and I decided to use his nickname as a way to keep him in my thoughts each day. He's a good man and it's difficult to watch him slipping away. --Izzy (formerly posting as Laurel) That has to be a horrible, gut-wrenching thing to experience. I guess I never paid attention to the lack of female musicians from Jubilee Jam. I don't think the organizers would've intentionally left out female artists, but I think it needs to be brought to their attention. It would be quite a coup if you could get Sheryl Crow to come here. KT Tunstall and Corinne Bailey Rae wouldn't be bad choices either.

Author

golden eagle

Date

2007-07-12T13:23:55-06:00

ID

75064

Comment

oooh, yes, I love Corrine Bailey Rae. I thought she should've won the grammy for best new artist.

Author

Izzy

Date

2007-07-12T13:27:41-06:00

ID

75065

Comment

other suggestions? dream big, here, why not?

Author

Izzy

Date

2007-07-12T13:33:46-06:00

ID

75066

Comment

That has to be a horrible, gut-wrenching thing to experience. It is. No way around it. Especially my dad, who went to Harvard and who is someone who I always looked to for an intelligent, supersmart view of things.

Author

Izzy

Date

2007-07-12T13:35:23-06:00

ID

75067

Comment

I seem to remember Tina Marie and Mya coming one year. Been a long time though. I don'y know how they can not invite women with a straight face.

Author

Ray Carter

Date

2007-07-12T13:37:11-06:00

ID

75068

Comment

well, I'm not trying to point fingers, Ray, as much as trying to make it better. Though I do think there's an unspoken situation in a city like ours if such a thing can happen without many people even noticing. Jackson is also a city with very few female clergy. IT's interesting. I love the South for various reasons but the treatment of women is not one of those reasons ;-)

Author

Izzy

Date

2007-07-12T13:55:41-06:00

ID

75069

Comment

I understand, Izzy, and was just saying somehow there seem to have been a commiitment at some point to get women, but not of late. I hope they tried to get some women the last Jam and weren't able to secure any. Surely, there are tons of talented women musicians. You should be on the Jubilee Jam Committee. We will get a petition going if need be.

Author

Ray Carter

Date

2007-07-12T14:05:10-06:00

ID

75070

Comment

thanks, Ray. Appreciate your support...

Author

Izzy

Date

2007-07-12T14:09:28-06:00

ID

75071

Comment

Try to get Aretha Franklin. She might do it because her daddy was from Clarkdale and she can drive through Memphis where I think she was born then through Clarksdale and Jackson. She refuses to fly. Try for Tracy Chatman, Oleta Adams, the Emotions, Natalie Cole, Patti Labelle (but tell her she has to sing in her mid range without the screaming and hollering), Laura Jones, Diane Shure, Diana Krall, Nancy Wilson, Cassandra Wilson, Toni Braxton. I realize we couldn't pay most of these. You said dream though!

Author

Ray Carter

Date

2007-07-12T14:33:02-06:00

ID

75072

Comment

Indigo Girls and Sweet Honey in the Rock would be my top 2 choices for Jam. Or, to just play a concert.

Author

kate

Date

2007-07-12T15:18:41-06:00

ID

75073

Comment

Bonnie Raitt was a big draw a few years back when Jam had her.

Author

herman

Date

2007-07-12T15:26:08-06:00

ID

75074

Comment

I've never been to Jubilee Jam before, but if Sweet Honey in the Rock is there, I'd figure out a way to get there.

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2007-07-12T15:29:45-06:00

ID

75075

Comment

oh yes! I am LOVING the suggestions!!! Thanks, folks, & keep 'em coming. I like the dreams, they'll give us something to go on...

Author

Izzy

Date

2007-07-12T17:00:05-06:00

ID

75076

Comment

Yes, Bonnie Raitt surely could draw a good crowd in Jackson. I don't know but I guess they look for people who haven't played the festival before? ? Not certain.

Author

Izzy

Date

2007-07-12T17:06:09-06:00

ID

75077

Comment

oooh, yes, I love Corrine Bailey Rae. I thought she should've won the grammy for best new artist. Her whole CD is good. It's quite relaxing, kinda like Sade meets Norah Jones.

Author

golden eagle

Date

2007-07-12T19:24:30-06:00

ID

75078

Comment

Brandi Carlisle, Amy Winehouse, Joss Stone, Indigo Girls, Alicia Keys, Wynonna, EmmyLou Harris, Dixie Chicks, Joan Jett, k.d. lang, and, again, Lucinda Williams, Melissa Etheridge, Corrine Bailey Ray, Cassandra Wilson, and all the performers from the Chick Ball!

Author

Bourree'

Date

2007-07-12T20:16:50-06:00

ID

75079

Comment

Brandi Carlile - correct spelling. Sorry

Author

Bourree'

Date

2007-07-12T20:57:49-06:00

ID

75080

Comment

kt tunstall would be fun, so would The Wreckers (Michelle Branch & Jessica Harp).

Author

Bourree'

Date

2007-07-13T08:09:17-06:00

ID

75081

Comment

hey, thanks, XENA, appreciate the great suggestions. Many of whom I love, too. I'll make a list of all the suggestions. I have not heard the Wreckers yet, is their CD good? Thanks, all, and keep checking in...we'll hopefully have a lot more women next year.

Author

Izzy

Date

2007-07-17T07:10:33-06:00

ID

75082

Comment

Michelle Branch won a grammy for a duet (Game of Love) with Carlos Santana in 2001 while she was still a teenager. The Wreckers performed at this year's Dixie National Rodeo-nobody really knew who they were. Very small crowd. Like the first time the Indigo Girls performed in Jackson many, many years ago. I think it was WC Don's. I enjoyed The Wreckers CD. Modern country/pop. I like variety. Go to their website. Michelle has some great tattoos!

Author

Bourree'

Date

2007-07-17T08:17:04-06:00