Setting the New Standard
4 A’s worth sharing this week: Terri Lyne Carrington takes huge strides towards gender justice, being honest about the challenges of touring, new music, and more…
Here are four things (A’s) we thought were worth sharing this week:
A1. It was hard to find sheet music by women jazz artists. So she fixed it.
NEA Jazz Master, drummer, and educator, Terri Lyne Carrington published “New Standards: 101 Lead Sheets by Women Composers” last Friday via Hal Leonard on Berklee Press. From bebop to blues, from swing to global jazz styles, Carrington’s collection includes a wide variety of well-known works and hidden gems, within a broad range of jazz and jazz-adjacent styles. This collection celebrates the work of many women who shaped the music of the past century, as well as its unsung heroes and emerging contemporary visionaries.
For “New Standards,” she selected composers who encompass a wide range of eras and sensibilities, including Lil Hardin Armstrong, Mary Lou Williams, Alice Coltrane, Abbey Lincoln, Geri Allen, Dorothy Ashby, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Nicole Mitchell, and Cassandra Wilson. The bassist, singer and composer Esperanza Spalding, a frequent Carrington collaborator whose work is also featured in the project, said, “New Standards,” like the Berklee Institute “is a development reminding us of so much underrepresentation in this music called jazz.” — NY TIMES
Carrington vows to continue working on providing gender justice to the jazz world through providing accessibility to, and a platform for, women in jazz, saying, “‘necessity is the mother of invention.’ This book was NEEDED, and now under one umbrella, we all have access to these musical gems by 101 great ladies. Makes me proud!”
A2. “You can’t create and analyze at the same time,” from Skip Greer.
Skip Greer is an actor, director, and teacher, and currently the Artist in Residence/Director of Education at Geva Theatre Center in Rochester, NY. He believes deeply in the arts, what he does, and in others around him, so much so that it is impossible not to get swept up in his energy and passion.
"Decide who you are and let that take you where you're going—don't get to where you're going and then try to decide who you are. It'll be too late"
One of Skip’s endeavors includes directing the Geva Theatre Summer Academy for artists ages 12-18, a “transformative experience in which Geva’s philosophy and community inspire an artist to consider the purpose, power, and necessity of art in this world.” Perhaps most importantly, Skip’s invaluable philosophy and wisdom empower artists to find their voice and space so that they may make change in the world.
He has been integral in the creation of the Actor’s Studio of Rochester, which is made up of “professional stage and screen working artists who want to create a home for artists to learn, grow, explore, create, and incubate artistic ideas.”
It’s amazing how a mentor’s philosophy and character can deeply affect the lives that they influence.
Read Skip’s artistic statement here for his beliefs in his own words.
A3. The challenges of touring that no one talks about.
In August the Nashville, TN based singer-songwriter, Michaela Anne took to twitter to speak some much needed truth about the often unglamorous work of being a touring musician and the unprecedented challenges of life on the road during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The comments rolled in from musicians that were similarly struggling to make ends meet on the road, while simultaneously trying to make it look fun and fresh and cool for their audiences on the web. The overwhelming sentiment being that, even though it’s a very hard job to do, it’s made so much more challenging and bummer-inducing by the unrealistic expectations and fake glamor that is all but required by social media. “Artist as influencer” is often a lonely way to be.
Sharing your honest experience with your community can help you feel a little less alone in the midst of the grind. (note: we think you’re super)
It's wild times right now....I personally think the only way to keep on keeping on is through honesty & community. — Michaela Anne
A4. New music this week from Madison Cunningham and Terri Lyne Carrington.
Revealer is the stunning new record from singer/songwriter Madison Cunningham.
One way to view [the lyric “no one’s holding you back now”] is in a positive manner. You’re like, ‘oh, yeah, that’s true — no one can really tell me what to do. I am my own person, I can make my own choices,'” she tells Consequence. “And then there’s the other side of that coin, where anyone who deals with anxiety can probably relate to viewing a statement like that is like, ‘Oh, no, I’m gonna mess it up. When’s the mistake going to happen?
Remember that book that Terri Lyne Carrington just released?1
Well, the sister album to that amazing new book also released this week. The star-studded recording features special guests Ambrose Akinmusire, Melanie Charles, Ravi Coltrane, Val Jeanty, Samara Joy, Julian Lage, Michael Mayo, Elena Pinderhughes, Dianne Reeves, Negah Santos and Somi, backed by a core section comprised of Carrington (drums), Kris Davis (piano), Linda May Han Oh (bass), Nicholas Payton (trumpet), and Matthew Stevens (guitar).
The recordings—which range from vocal ballads to contemporary creative music—are inspired and adventurous and explore the limitless universe of jazz. — Candid Records
Thanks for reading! We hope you’re enjoying this format as much as we are, but as always if you have ideas about how we can make it better, please hit us up.
As the saying goes, “this newsletter is free, but it’s not cheap.” The best way to support Foray Music is to share the link on social media and become a subscriber (or snag a hoodie!).
We think you’re super,
Amy & Charlie + Alexandria
Extra credit: Björk's 1994 “Home Studio.”
Have you checked out our podcast yet? It’s streaming everywhere, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Overcast. 😎
Oh, and she’s also featured on a new live album from the Detroit Jazz Festival and produced a museum exhibit this fall too, by the way.