There are more of us. More singers, instrumentalists, composers and arrangers. More audience members. More promoters, agents, photographers and – maybe not quite enough (yet) on this publication and others like it – writers/journalists.

Women, that is. Women in jazz. Sure, gone are the days when the likes of American pianist/bandleader Billy Lee Tipton felt they had to dress as a man to pursue a career in music; or NYC-based German jazz pianist and Blue Note signing Jutta Hipp disappeared at the height of her career, adversely affected by not only stage fright, but also the misogyny of colleagues including Art Blakey and Miles Davis. The list of women who have been variously dissuaded, challenged and even sabotaged in their jazz careers is (sadly) long, and arguably ongoing.

But in this 300th celebratory edition of Jazzwise it is time, nonetheless, to accentuate the positives, the progressions, while still highlighting areas that need serious work. Below, five leaders in music, PR and education answer questions and offer advice and evidence on everything from the importance of mentors and owning one’s space to visibility, stereotyping, social media and ageism (venue bookers and UK jazz award ceremonies who favour youth and image over years of finely crafted experience, take note). They commend the longevity of portfolio careers, the efficacy of training organisations, the giant steps made and the steps still to come.

To which I’d add, if you’re reading this, we – me, the women I’ve spoken to for this feature, females in (and lovers of) jazz the world over – need you. So, be a supporter; be an ally. Jazz – the future of jazz – needs you.

Terri Lyne Carrington

Multi- Grammy Award-winning drummer, producer, educator and artistic director of Next Jazz Legacy

"I never paid attention to the fact that I was female, because I started so young, even though it brought me attention because there were not many other young girls playing drums, especially in jazz. I would occasionally feel bias or hear snide comments, but I let it roll off my back. I was determined to be the best I could be. It wasn’t until my 40s that I hit the glass ceiling, for drummers but especially for women producers. Then I couldn’t unsee the boy’s club.

Once I started listening with an open heart to the stories and experience of young women at Berklee College of Music [where Carrington is Zildjian Chair in Performance], I knew that I needed to step up and be a part of the solution, or otherwise I would be part of the problem. This is why I started (in 2018) the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice (tagline: What would jazz sound like in a culture without patriarchy?) It’s important for women to be mentors and teachers to male musicians as well. Men need to get their butts kicked by women to see that they are not the only ones that can excel in jazz. But apprenticeship is more important; nothing replaces onstage learning. We try to make sure that each emerging artist has one woman and one man for apprenticeship and mentorship.

As to whether it’s incumbent on women to own their space outside of jazz, I know many social activists who planted seeds, and I am fortunate to have friends that I can call on for advice and can lean on their knowledge and expertise. But while I think women should own their own space, they should not have to shoulder extra burdens in comparison to their male counterparts. Everyone has to work on gender justice because it benefits society at large.

Yes, ageism is a problem in general for women. To address ageism in jazz is to address a microcosm of the problem, but it will set an example in other areas. It is all connected. We just have to carve away at all social justice issues in the space we are in and hope for more awareness and a ripple effect that will change the things that are oppressing people."

Terri Lyne Carrington is director of Next Jazz Legacy, a three-year programme launched by New Music USA and Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice for women and non-binary improvisers in jazz: www.newmusicusa.org/program/next-jazz-legacy

Georgia Mancio

Multi-award-winning jazz vocalist, lyricist, producer and events programmer

“I turned professional in 2000 and have kept a career going since then. There have certainly been times when being the only woman on a gig has meant fending off patronising or inappropriate behaviour or comments from a promoter, critic or sound engineer. But I have found more allies than detractors, and a great number of male and female musicians have supported me as I learned on the job.

The scene today certainly includes more female musicians, although far fewer rhythm section players than frontline, and more female promoters, photographers and radio presenters. But I’m constantly shocked by the male dominated line-ups at festivals and clubs. Dave Ohm and I have been running Eltham Jazz Club for almost two years, and are committed to 50/50 gender parity, at least among bandleaders. Ageism is still prevalent. To quote the mighty Sheila Jordan: 'In this business you only work when you’re really young or really old!' With many of us being ‘stuck in the middle’ and many facing the challenge of juggling careers with parenting and/or caring for elderly relatives, there is scant support or discussion.

I’m not happy about the division of vocalists and instrumentalists, which is as destructive and reductive as the ‘female instrumentalist’ moniker. It perpetuates the misogynistic trope of the decorative canary, waiting for their turn to be the ‘turn’. If for many years female vocalists were largely outnumbering female instrumentalists and operating in a male dominated sphere: are we not leaving them isolated once again?

A portfolio career is necessary to make a living as a jazz musician; only a very small number of artists can exist from playing live and selling records. Educational work is the most common supplementary income. But strands including composing, arranging, producing events, tours and records and managing your own PR all help to broaden understanding of the industry and can help change the perspective of your place in it. I’ve found that running club festivals (ReVoice! 2010-2014, and Hang 2017-2019) and now a club, and producing and releasing nine albums on my own label (Roomspin Records since 2003), has given me agency and control of my artistic development, less hampered by the notion of ‘branding’.

My biggest recent shift has been developing my songwriting skills, which has allowed me to incorporate political and personal issues into my music. I’ve lost work for highlighting some of those beliefs, but I subscribe to Nina Simone’s edict that artists should reflect the times.

Social media has helped bring attention to some great talent, but it seems we are still shaming and criticising women for how they present their own content, image and sexuality. We must prioritise real life and our mental health. To younger women in jazz I’d say use your voice, give back to your community and don’t be afraid to ask for help or take a break: the show does not always need to go on. Learn from everyone but be proud to be yourself.”

Georgia Mancio’s new monthly venture Crystal Palace Jazz Club is at Hopscotch Taprooms, SE19 1RX. She plays there with her quartet on Tuesday 1 October: www.linktr.ee/crystalpalacejazzclub

Fiona Ross

Vocalist, pianist, composer, producer, writer and founder of Women in Jazz Media

“Jazz is still such a male domain. Venue owners, magazine owners, editors, journalists, programmers... How often do you see a guitarist or a drummer who is female on a magawzine cover? [Editor-in-Chief's note: Jazzwise has featured drummer Terri-Lyne Carrington on its cover three times over the years, as well as covers with drummer Cindy Blackman Santana, trumpeters Laura Jurd and Yazz Ahmed and bassist esperanza spalding among others].

In this visually- dominated age, it’s more important than ever that young people see what is possible. I created Women in Jazz Media to support and platform women, but the goal is that eventually the organisation will not be needed because we’ll have an equal and diverse playing field. It should just be about the music! I hear from women musicians all the time who feel unsupported and alone. Having a female mentor is imperative in helping you realise that the issues you are facing are often to do with the industry, not with you.

If you are female and turn up to a gig, it is usually assumed that you’re a vocalist. Even as a singer there are stereotypes. I’ve had people ask me who writes my songs and who produces my albums. It is me! The presumption is that women ‘only’ sing and that singers, ‘just sing’. Not that I set out to produce my albums, but I wanted more ownership and control of my music. Most musicians have at least two income streams, teaching alongside performing, for example. I fell into journalism when the editor of a publication wanted a musician to review music. I have four main jobs that I love, and that all feed into each other.

I have different audiences. There are those who buy my CDs, those who stream and those who just watch my videos. Ironically my most watched video (350,000 views) has never been given any radio play, and my most streamed song has not been picked up by radio. Some of my low streaming songs are popular on certain radio stations. Keeping up to date with data trends is very demanding! In terms of social media, effectively and truthfully showing who you are is also a challenge. TikTok is a key market that the jazz industry has been slow to utilise.

On a positive note, it is wonderful to see so many welcoming voices for new music, and contemporary jazz being celebrated in its many guises. There must always be a place to value the tradition of jazz, but there must be space for its evolution. As Charles Mingus said, “I’m trying to play the truth of what I am. The reason it’s difficult is ‘cause I’m changing all the time.”

Fiona Ross’s latest album Thoughts, Conversations and To-Do Lists is out now: www.fionaross.co.uk

Lydia Liebman

Publicist, founder and president of New York City-based agency Lydia Liebman Promotions

“As a publicist who works in both US and UK/Europe markets, I’m struck by the media support for jazz in the UK. The media market has gotten sparse in the United States. The British jazz boom made a huge impact over here, though. There’s a synergy between the two countries: things that are cool over there catch on over here, and vice versa.

I’ve spent my life surrounded by jazz musicians, and have seen positive changes toward gender parity in jazz. When I was young it was unusual to see even one woman in a big band; now, you’ll see several. Festivals in general feature more women bandleaders. There’s been a rise in female/non-binary-specific organisations like Women in Jazz Organization (WIJO), Next Jazz Legacy and Mutual Mentorship for Musicians that help to make this world more equitable, and corresponding media coverage too.

I would encourage young women to seek out a mentor. My mother was in the music business, and I’ve had a lot of strong females in the industry to look up to. Seeing women do things in action, at a young age, is essential. I also encourage young women to really own their space. There were so many times early on that I would let things slide – male colleagues would say some of the most offensive and condescending things to me, but I would let them go. These days, I’m very adamant about standing up for myself.

Most musicians engage in social media to have a career but there’s an added layer for women. The algorithm favours conventionally attractive imagery (there have been studies/articles on this), so there’s pressure to present a certain way. I had a conversation with a female artist who made a decision to post more selfies because she has tickets to sell. At least one positive I see in 2024, is that there are communities on TikTok where niche content can really take off.

Creative and quirky concepts can garner popularity and you can build an audience off those things too. But sex still sells, and we will always be forced to contend with that in some form. Things are still not where they should be.”

Janine Irons

Co-founder of the multi-award-winning jazz education and artist development organisation Tomorrow’s Warriors

“Through the initiatives we do at Tomorrow’s Warriors, I know young women feel encouraged by watching people like them perform onstage. The public need to see it to imagine what they could be, that their dream can come true. We’ve seen the impact of Nérija, that band of young women; young girls and women say to us, I went to a festival and saw women onstage playing saxophone, trumpet, leading, and it was so inspiring. Having role models is vital in ensuring the next generation of girls and women will come through.

When I started working with Gary [Crosby, Tomorrow's Warriors co-founder] 30-odd-years ago, I didn’t see many women onstage or in the audience at all. I was amazed when I encountered Annie Whitehead, this woman with a trombone, this trailblazer. There’s still an awful lot of misogyny on the scene and in the industry but the work we have done in schools has definitely made an impact. We’re seeing more women instrumentalists coming to us then going on to tertiary music education, whereas before they’d just drop out. I believe we’ll get to the point where we stop saying, ‘female sax player’, ‘female drummer’ or whatever. But that relies on the media to stop speaking in those ways. We need you to help educate us.

Having portfolio careers for women in jazz is a necessity rather than a choice. But it will keep them working, bring longevity to their career, so that when they have to stop playing or want to cut down on touring they’ll have this whole bank of other skills to draw on.

This October we have our new outreach initiative Beyond the Sound Barrier going to inner London schools, with a focus on inspiring girls. There’s also the I AM WARRIOR gig at the Jazz Café, which comes out of previous shows where we commission our alumni to write for our next generation musicians and perform their pieces with them. Because we’re doing a push on getting more women into jazz, we’re inviting back some female alumni and commissioning two of our up-and-coming women to write new work for our augmented Frontline band. Then in November we’re taking Frontline to Paris in partnership with [training organisaton] Jazz à Tours, who want to encourage more women in jazz in France. There’ll be talks. Jams. Workshops. Performances. The whole thing.”

I AM WARRIOR is at London's Jazz Cafe on 26 October - www.tomorrowswarriors.org

But still more to be done…

Misogyny, discrimination and harassment are still everyday problems for female musicians in the UK, according to a report published in March, which found that a third of women in the music industry have been sexually harassed at work, with many reporting it as a barrier to their career; women are also eight times more likely to face discrimination than men.

The findings came from the first-ever UK Musicians’ Census, conducted by the Musicians’ Union (MU) and Help Musicians. It surveyed some 6,000 music industry professionals, of whom 2,526 were women.

The report said women are paid less than men, and often experience shorter careers, despite being trained to a higher level. More than a quarter of female musicians (27%) said they did not earn enough from music to sustain a career, compared to 20% of men. On average, women earn 10% less than their male counterparts, with an average annual income of £19,850 compared to £21,750 for men. In addition, 51% of female respondents said they'd experienced discrimination at work.

The report authors called the inequality “alarming”, adding that women were facing ingrained, structural barriers to their career progression.

“It’s vital that the industry makes genuine commitments and takes decisive actions” to “prevent” the findings being repeated, said Nadia Khan, founder of the music development organisation Women in CTRL. “True progress can only be achieved when we address these systemic issues head-on and create a more equitable landscape for women in music.”

Naomi Pohl, MU general secretary, said stories like these illustrated how women were still being “held back” in the music industry: “We have long advocated for better pay gap reporting, and hope the Census findings will encourage the industry to take action, be more transparent and make change.”

The findings echo a report made by MPs on the cross-party Women and Equalities Committee in January 2024: they described the music industry as a “boys’ club” where sexual harassment and abuse are “endemic”, and called for legislation to tackle the problem. Kevin Whitlock

This article originally appeared in the October 2024 issue of Jazzwise. Never miss an issue – subscribe to Jazzwise today