Spring Break
Nothing blue about the Blue Room
Teresa Sheffield
Issue date: 3/10/08 Section: Culture
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The month is meant to celebrate the women who have paved the way for the contemporary female jazz singers of today.
Women have gone from being singers in a band to being the leaders of the bands thanks to the revolutionary women of the past, Edwards said.
Women would emerge from the audience, sing a couple of songs, then exit with applause.
Most of the women were excellent performers with great energy and voices, with only a couple who sounded like they didn't know what they were doing.
They sang a wide variety of music that included a fabulous version of "Somewhere over the Rainbow" sung by Geneva Price.
The performers were all old friends and talked and teased one another when they were on stage. They shared stories, and it was clear they were having a good time.
My favorite performer of the night was 91-year-old Myra Taylor who was full of stories and anecdotes of her expansive 70-year career in the jazz world. She had a great voice and entertained the audience.
The band, led by Greg Carrol, was hot, and could play any song the singers asked, regardless if they'd played it before; all they needed to know was what key it was in.
The jazz club was full for most of the four hours, and the audience was a mixture of folks who had gone to the club for years and knew the performers well, and newcomers just being exposed to jazz.
It was a relaxed atmosphere, with the audience members chatting with each other throughout the night and occasionally yelling out words of encouragement to their favorite performers.
The Blue Room will continue to celebrate Women in Jazz with two more concerts this month, with prices ranging from $10-$20.
tsheffield@unews.com
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