Closing out Women’s History Month, the 15th annual Washington Women in Jazz Festival (WWJF) was held March 29-30, celebrating women and non-binary artists in The District’s jazz community. Held at the historic Pen Arts Mansion in Northwest D.C., the festival included history lectures, workshops, live performances, an emerging artist showcase and a closing improvisation jam session open to all attendees. WWJF was created in 2011 by pianist, vocalist and composer Amy K. Bormet. Feeling isolated after years of navigating male-dominated jazz spaces, Bormet sought a network of other jazzwomen.
“A lot of performance opportunities have been shifted away from women musicians historically, and there’s also an overwriting erasure and lack of visibility of women musicians,” said Bormet. “Having a space that is not focused on cis men is super important. The ability for women and others to take full creative control is something that hasn’t historically been possible.”Artist in residence Alex Hamburg plays a set of her favorite Brazilian jazz tracks, accompanied by her partner Jose Luiz Martins on piano. (Tait Manning/The Washington Informer)As of 2021, women made up about 27% of jazz musicians, an increase from 9% in 2012, according to Jazz Empowers. Flutist and vocalist Alex Hamburger, one of this year’s artists in residence, first got involved with WWJF during her freshman year in college as part of its 2014 emerging artists showcase. As one of the few women in her school’s jazz program, Hamburger found a home in WWJF. “It’s important for us to see each other – both figuratively and literally – represented on these stages,” she said. “It’s important for us to get chances to talk about our experiences, relate and create this community together. It’s not about excluding, it’s about creating a space where it’s safe for us to be ourselves together and really learn and listen to each other.”The festival is community-focused, with heavy audience engagement.
“It’s not just performance, it’s also informing and teaching and mentoring and shedding light not just not the end result of performance, but how we get there,” said cellist and vocalist Shana Tucker. “Creating community through music is essential for women in the music industry, especially in jazz.” Audience member Malachiah Blamon said that she was moved to tears by Tucker’s performance.The entrance of the Pen Arts Mansion. The display table contains Washington Women in Jazz Festival Merch and their magazine “The Turnaround,” a platform for women and non-binary artists to engage with one another and discuss their experiences in music. (Tait Manning/The Washington Informer)“Women are so versatile and dynamic that when you bring them all into one space, you’re not just hearing one sound, you’re hearing different voices,” she said. “It’s important to show all facets of women, especially for women of color because we lack that representation.” Bormet emphasized the need for community among women jazz musicians, especially with only one remaining full-time jazz club in the city. “It’s more than just a festival. Being able to create this community and create these workshops and jam sessions and to make sure that people are having a place to come together and meet is really crucial,” said Bormet. “We lost a lot of those spaces that I had when I was a teenager in D.C. The clubs that I went to, none of those exist anymore, other than Blue’s Alley. Being able to have an alternative space where we can really get together is important not just for the women but also for the community at large.”
Source: Washington Informer
