A Tribute to Jazz Women of Courage
The fact that in the year 2024 we should need another standalone event to exclusively honor women ought to tell you how far away we are from acknowledging that civilized society was a matriarchy long before it became a patriarchy. Cheikh Anta-Diop in his pathbreaking dissertation The African Origin of Civilisation: Myth or Reality (Présence Africaine, Paris 1955) tells us that was an incontrovertible truth. As does the historian Gerda Lerner in The Creation of Patriarchy (Oxford University Press, 1986)
And yet, here we are, again. Kudos to The Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium (CBJC) for honoring women jazz enthusiasts who offer a supportive structure for the presentation of jazz programming. This is a tribute to women who have demonstrated courageous commitment in supporting and promoting jazz. Their contributions are the backbone for performing artists and fans.
Consistently, this group of jazz lovers invites musicians and fans to gather in their living rooms for jam sessions, or opens neighborhood clubs and eateries that feature jazz artists. Other women convince their churches to host jazz programming.
Then there are organizations whose mission is to fight for programming and funding to keep jazz alive and fill the airwaves with this triumphant music, referencing its history in publications dedicated to the music, documenting the careers of important ancestral figures and tracking careers of younger artists.
“The artists are key,” says CBJC Board Chair Clarence Mosley. “They are certainly deserving of the acknowledgement they receive. But this time we want to highlight another segment of supporters of jazz, America’s original art form.”
Thus, as part of Jazz: The Women’s Viewpoint, the CBJC Board is proud to announce its 2024 Jazz Women of Courage awardees:
Roberta Allaway, Harlem Jazz Producer and “NYC Jazz Hero”
Tamara Clement, Volunteer and Financial Supporter
Marjorie Eliot, Host of Harlem’s Parlor Jazz
Lezlee Harrison, Host, Jazz Radio Station, WBGO and Jazz Vocalist
Bertha Hope; Jazz Ensemble Educator and Pianist
Joan Watson Jones, Host, The Jazz Room Live, Jazz Singer and The Mistress of Ceremony
The program will also feature music by the woman’s jazz band, Sage, who will perform a special tribute to the awardees.
Continue Reading...Maulawi Nururdin: The Mysterious Jazz Player in The Basement by Jamilla Counts
As Jamilla Counts researched and wrote her first book, A Counts Duty: Assembling the Pieces of Me, she started on a quest to discover her lineage. The research provided just as many questions as answers. Jamilla decided to continue research beyond the book’s release. In this book, Maulawi Nururdin: The Mysterious Jazz Player in The Basement, Jamilla picks up where she left off in her first book and shares her discoveries of the man whose music piqued her interest as a child – her biological grandfather, Maulawi Nururdin.
Willis Wardel, later named Maulawi, was born November 28, 1934, in Chicago and named after his uncle. A self-assured leader, he was not afraid to boot other musicians off stage, commander their instrument, and promptly give them an impromptu lesson on how to “play it right.”
The book chronicles Jamilla's quest to find information about her father. It draws in the reader to follow each lead and experience emotions when information is found. One of the most important finds was a recording of Maulawi that was thought lost. As it turns out, Maulawi's recording on Strata Records is considered one of the label's two “holy grail” recordings. I couldn't wait to research more about Maulawi and to listen to his recording. His record was ahead of its time. What a wonderful contribution to the jazz music catalog. Just exciting.
About Jamilla Counts
A single mother of two adult daughters and one granddaughter, Jamilla was born in Chicago in 1973 and partly raised on the South Side in early childhood. Her family later moved to Memphis, TN, to run an inherited family business. Jamilla has stood for preserving history and justice through her works. She enjoys being of service and giving back to her community, and enjoys writing, cracking a joke or two and spending time cultivating the lives of children.
https://amzn.to/3JMCRxb
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