The is one of jazz's best kept secrets. Since 1998, the ensemble has upheld a lofty tradition dating back to 1884, when the first "Ladies Orchestra" was formed in Chelsea, Massachusetts. The Roaring 20s gave birth to bands like the Parisian Redheads, later known as the Bricktops. The Swing era produced bands such as the all Black Dixie Sweethearts and the Harlem Playgirls. Ina Rae Hutton and her Melodears, an integrated band, had to fudge the identities of their members of color, passing them off as white. With many men overseas during World War II, Womens' Big Bands proliferated. One of the better known groups was the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, under the baton of Anna Mae Winburn. With the end of the war, the return of the male troops and changing tastes, womens' big bands began to disappear. But by the 1970s, with the second wave of feminism, groups like Ann Patterson's LA band Maiden Voyage were
back on the scene. 1980s New York saw Seeling's collaboration with Cobi Narita and the Universal Jazz Coalition, producing the Big Apple Jazzwomen. Sherrie Maricle and Diva have continued this resurgence from the 90s to the present.
This is the Montclair Women's Big Band's first CD and it's a winner! With Director Ellen Seeling at the helm, the band's groovin' rhythm section and outstanding soloists smoke their way through 14 classic arrangements. The band burns on Ernie Wilkins' rhythm tune, The Brownsville Express, featuring Mad Duran (alto), Christy Dana (trumpet) and Allison Miller (drums). The group breathes new life into String of Pearls with trumpeter Marina Garza and tenor saxophonist Jean Fineberg, who also shines on Lady Is A Tramp. Dueling trombonists Mara Fox and Sarah Cline battle playfully on Horace Silver's Filthy McNasty. And Vicki Randle's chops go way beyond her skill as the percussionist in "The Tonight Show" band. Just check out her vocal on For Once in My Life. From Sonya Jason's soulful alto and Tammy Hall's back-to-church piano on Percy Mayfield's Rivers Invitation to Seeling's haunting interpretation of Antonio Carlos Jobim's Quiet Nights, this band can do it all.
So open up your heart and fasten your seat belt for a wild ride with the Montclair Women's Big Band. They honor the past, paying tribute to the all women's big bands of the 20s, 30s and 40s. They acknowledge the present, putting their own unique, modern day stamp on the music. And they inspire
the future, encouraging young girls to follow in their footsteps. They're the cream of the crop and they are not to be missed!
Program Director, KCSM Jazz Radio, 91.1FM
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