The visibility of women in Jazz has been increasing remarkably in the world of Jazz and there are many strictly representatives of the Smooth Jazz genre in the 21st century who receive awards and recognition for their great work in this very specific musical style. Do you know them?
From less to more we highlight, we review through the instruments the profile of the most outstanding women of our favorite genre. And it is that within Smooth Jazz there are not many drums or percussionists of international relevance. In Europe, women like Antonella Mazza also delight the public as last February 2020 in Madrid at the Smooth Hot Jazz Valentine’s Gala.
If we talk about guitarists, already internationally Joyce Cooling, with her 9 albums, leads the women who play this instrument in Smooth Jazz.
The trumpeters’ representative is Cindy Bradley, who also plays the flugelhorn, and between 2009 and 2011 she won 6 awards as a new artist.
On the harp, the maximum representative is Deborah Henson-Conant with 14 albums and a Grammy Award nomination, in addition to an aesthetic and staging that leaves no one indifferent.
And practicing as a violinist and composer of Smooth Jazz: Catya Maré, multi-awarded and recognized author of 6 albums and several books.
The flautists Bobby Humphrey, who also acts as a vocalist and the already well-known by the Madrid public, Paula Atherton, who is also a saxophonist and vocalist and who performed at the last Smooth Hot Jazz Festival in 2019.
The most representative pianists and keyboard players are the Japanese Keyko Matsui, with 30 years on the best stages of Smooth Jazz and more than 20 CDs and Yuriko Nakamura, with her 14 albums.
When we look at the saxophone, the number of outstanding women in the international arena increases: Mindi Abair, twice nominated for a Grammy and part of the organization of these international recognitions. Candy Dulfer, with 12 albums and a Grammy Award nomination. Jessy J, with 4 albums and several numbers 1. Grace Kelly, not to be confused with the actress, although she has also appeared in Vanity Fair in 2015 as a prominent emerging international jazz artist and has appeared in various films and documentaries. Kaori Kobayasi and her 14 albums. And Pamela Williams with 9 albums, which also serves as musical director of George Freeman Jr.
But if the women of Smooth Jazz stand out in anything, it is as vocalists with names of a historical and world weight, like this sample of 30 women that you have heard on multiple occasions and who still write today the history of international Smooth Jazz:
Sade Adu, with her unmistakable voice, 14 discs and being part of the Order of the British Empire, in recognition of his artistic achievements and her defense of the values that sustain society.
Gabriela Anders, Argentina that has given us the best version of ‘Brazilian Love Affair’ and some Smooth Jazz songs in Spanish.
Patti Austin, sponsored by Dinah Washington and Sammy Davis Jr., when she was 5 years old. 17 records and 60 years later she is still a star.
Anita Baker,
with only 6 albums and more than 20 singles she has managed to win 8 Grammy Awards with his voice.
Basia, Polish with unpronounceable last names (Stanisława Trzetrzelewska) she has 19 albums, 7 of them compilations of great successes.
Regina Belle, 35 years dedicated to Soul and Smooth Jazz and in 1993 he won a Grammy Award for the theme ‘An Ideal World’ from the animated film Aladdin.
Carmel, vocalist of the band Carmel that after 40 years and 10 albums, are still active.
Natalie Cole, daughter of legendary jazz singer Nat King Cole. She passed away at the age of 65, during his career she sold more than 30 million albums. She has 8 Grammy Awards and 7 more recognitions among which there are 3 American Music Awards.
Carol Duboc, Outstanding Smooth Jazz singer who accumulates more than a dozen Billboard hits as a songwriter and co-author for great artists of the genre.
Eliane Elias, prolific Brazilian with 26 records and musical director of the Gilberto Gil group. She was recognized in 2016 for best Latin jazz album with “Made in Brazil”.
Everything but the Girl, English duo consisting of lead singer and sometimes guitarist Tracey Thorn and guitarist, keyboard player and vocalist Ben Watt. They have received eight gold and two platinum records in the United Kingdom and one gold record in the United States.
Laura Fygi, has 17 records and the versatility to sing in English, Chinese, French, Portuguese and Spanish.
Melody Gardot, probably the youngest vocalist in the genre. She has 3 albums and his career began as a recovery process after suffering a hit at age 19.
Astrud Gilberto, the Bossa Nova queen has more than 20 records. Singing Garota de Ipanema, she became one of the best-known performers of a golden age of Brazilian music. She received the “Latin Jazz USA Award for Lifetime Achievement” and was inducted in 2002 to the “International Latin Music Hall of Fame”.
Bebel Gilberto, daughter of João Gilberto and singer Miúcha and niece of singer and songwriter Chico Buarque. She also has voiced many movie and series soundtracks.
Ilse Huizinga with 7 records this German is one of the greatest vocal exponents of the genre in Europe.
Janita, 9 albums and an icon activist for the rights of musicians.
Norah Jones, American singer, songwriter, pianist, and actress. Winner of 9 Grammy-Awards, she has sold more than 40 million records as a singer.
Diana Krall, has sold more than 6 million records in the US USA and more than 15 million worldwide. In total, she sold more records than any other jazz artist during the 1990s and 2000s. In 2009, Billboard magazine named her the jazz artist of the 2000-2009 decade. She is the only jazz singer with eight albums to debut on the top of Billboard’s jazz albums. She also has won 3 Grammy-Awards and 8 Juno Awards.
Maysa Leak, one of the divas of Smooth Jazz. She was discovered by Stevie Wonder, and ‘Bluey’ Maunick made her his muse. Voice of the band Incognito. And in Madrid we were able to discover her in the first edition of the Smooth Hot Jazz Festival in 2017.
Gigi MacKenzie, daughter of singer Gisele MacKenzie and known for her voice in commercials and her songs on soundtracks.
Jane Monheit, with 10 albums and 2 Grammy-Award nominations.
Dianne Reeves, has 5 Grammy-Awards and is considered one of the most important female singers of our time.
Diane Schuur, winner of 2 Grammy-Awards and nominated 3 more times. She has more than 20 records.
Marilyn Scott with her 15 albums and great collaborations.
Lindsey Webster, 5 albums, with a number 1 Billboard and 6 Top 5 Hits.
Nancy Wilson (RIP), 2 Grammy-Awards, 1 Emmy Award, 1 Star on the Walk of Fame, more than 30 albums, are enough arguments to consider her one of the most elegant and warm vocalists in contemporary music.
Lizz Wright, 6 albums, and according to The New York Times, she is the heir to a “hotline from Odetta to Tracy Chapman”.
Viktor Lazlo, not to be confused with the protagonist of Casablanca, is the stage name of Sonia Dronier, she has 11 albums and more than 20 numbers 1.And finally, Lalah Hathaway, daughter of soul singer Donny Hathaway, who has 4 albums.
