Le Jazziste by Mary goes to Bali! 🌹🌍

Between the end of May and the beginning of June, I visited the magical and mysterious island of Bali, Indonesia. The star of this adventure was a girls’ retreat, dedicated to celebrating feminine energy, friendship, and sisterhood through yoga and participation in local ceremonies. …But for me, it all began back in 2021, when I […]

Marian McPartland: a life at the piano

Slough, Regno Unito, 20 marzo 1918 Port Washington, New York, Stati Uniti, 20 agosto 2013 Born in 1918 in Slough, England, Marian McPartland was one of the most versatile and enduring figures in 20th-century jazz. Although she grew up in a family without a strong musical background, she began playing piano as a child and […]

Alice Coltrane: The Mystic Voice of Jazz

Detroit, Michigan, August 27, 1937 Los Angeles, California, January 12, 2007 Alice McLeod Turiyasangitananda remains one of the most enigmatic and groundbreaking figures in 20th-century music. A pianist, organist, harpist, composer, and bandleader, her name is often linked to that of her husband, saxophonist John Coltrane. However, her career extends far beyond being the “wife […]

Dottie Dodgion: the drummer who defied jazz conventions (and stereotypes…)

Brea, California, September 23, 1929 September 17, 2021 Dottie Dodgion, born Dorothy Rosalie Giaimo in 1929, became one of jazz’s most influential yet underrated figures. Growing up in California in a family struggling with financial difficulties, she found solace in music, leading to an extraordinary career. With a natural sense of rhythm and unwavering dedication, […]

Vi Redd: three essential albums

Lady Soul (1963) One of her earliest recordings as a bandleader, this album showcases the depth of her musical soul. With a mix of jazz standards and original compositions, the record highlights her blues-drenched saxophone phrasing and charismatic voice. Here we have We’ll be together again (Carl T. Fischer, Frankie Laine): Bird Call (1962): This […]

Vi Redd: a female alto saxophonist filled with talent and resilience

Los Angeles, California, September 20, 1928 February 6, 2022 In the jazz scene of the 1940s, a female alto saxophonist stands out: Elvira “Vi” Redd, a talented musician from California, born in the late 1920s. Beginnings and influences Raised in a family deeply immersed in music, Vi Redd distinguished herself as one of the few […]