Introduction
Each woman will tell their personal narrative of some of the issues they have had to encounter in the male dominated jazz world. They wrestle with issues concerning pay, how to book performances, and how to get their music noticed. But, as women, they face much deeper questions that male performers would not deal with. For example, “will they respect me?” or “If I sleep with these men, will I have an easier time?” They must decide how they react to their male critics who use femininity as a means to critique their playing ability. Many might feel that femininity is a crutch in jazz, but these women did not think so. They created their own pieces of music instead of replicating the works of others. Therefore, their legacy will continue in the music they created.
Furthermore, we explore separate themes according to the stories of each woman, looking at the way in which they compose their music and their specific gender biases. We also speak about the way in which race plays in the world of jazz as being a musical art form that was primarily for Black people. This DH project is the culmination of the efforts of the Hamilton College Digital Jazz Archive, The Digital Humanities Initiative at Hamilton College, and several students who found it important to document the lives of these women. We hope that you enjoy our project.