| Jazz, standards, womenMelba Doretta Liston (1926-1999) was a jazz pioneer, trombone virtuoso, composer, and genius arranger. The first African-American woman to rise to prominence in the world of jazz, she made her mark on music history despite the many obstacles she faced. Self-taught, Melba began playing the trombone at age 7 and became a professional musician at 16. She played with prestigious orchestras such as those of Gerald Wilson, Dizzy Gillespie, and Billie Holiday, and arranged works for legendary artists such as Duke Ellington, Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, and Bob Marley. However, her essential role in these creations was often overlooked.She was nicknamed the “ghostwriter” because her arrangements remained anonymous or were attributed to others, a frequent invisibility for women in the arts.Despite racist and sexist violence, Melba never stopped reinventing herself: a teacher in Jamaica, she continued to compose after a stroke prevented her from playing. In 1987, she was recognized as a “Jazz Master,” the highest honor in jazz in the United States, paying tribute to her major, long-underestimated contribution.Melba Liston's work continues to resonate in jazz, reggae, and rhythm and blues, inspiring generations of artists and bringing renewed attention to a key figure in global matriarchal heritage.Through this evening, we wish to pay tribute to this talented artist and highlight her album as a leader, “Melba and Her Bones,” recorded in 1958....
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| Jazz, standards, womenMelba Doretta Liston (1926-1999) was a jazz pioneer, trombone virtuoso, composer, and genius arranger. The first African-American woman to rise to prominence in the world of jazz, she made her mark on music history despite the many obstacles she faced. Self-taught, Melba began playing the trombone at age 7 and became a professional musician at 16. She played with prestigious orchestras such as those of Gerald Wilson, Dizzy Gillespie, and Billie Holiday, and arranged works for legendary artists such as Duke Ellington, Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, and Bob Marley. However, her essential role in these creations was often overlooked.She was nicknamed the “ghostwriter” because her arrangements remained anonymous or were attributed to others, a frequent invisibility for women in the arts.Despite racist and sexist violence, Melba never stopped reinventing herself: a teacher in Jamaica, she continued to compose after a stroke prevented her from playing. In 1987, she was recognized as a “Jazz Master,” the highest honor in jazz in the United States, paying tribute to her major, long-underestimated contribution.Melba Liston's work continues to resonate in jazz, reggae, and rhythm and blues, inspiring generations of artists and bringing renewed attention to a key figure in global matriarchal heritage.Through this evening, we wish to pay tribute to this talented artist and highlight her album as a leader, “Melba and Her Bones,” recorded in 1958.
| Jazz, standards, femmageMelba Doretta Liston (1926-1999) fut une pionnière du jazz, virtuose du trombone, compositrice et arrangeuse de génie. Première femme afro-américaine à se hisser parmi les grandes figures du jazz mondial, elle a marqué l’histoire musicale malgré les nombreux obstacles qu’elle a affrontés. Autodidacte, Melba commence le trombone à 7 ans et devient musicienne professionnelle à 16 ans. Elle joua avec des orchestres prestigieux comme ceux de Gerald Wilson, Dizzy Gillespie et Billie Holiday, et arrange des œuvres pour des artistes légendaires tels que Duke Ellington, Quincy Jones, Ray Charles et Bob Marley. Cependant, son rôle essentiel dans ces créations a souvent été occulté.Elle était surnommée "écrivain fantôme", car ses arrangements restaient anonymes ou attribués à d’autres, une invisibilisation fréquente pour les femmes dans l’art.En dépit des violences racistes et sexistes, Melba ne cesse de se réinventer : enseignante en Jamaïque, elle continua à composer après une attaque cérébrale qui l’empêcha de jouer. En 1987, elle fut reconnue comme "Jazz Master", la plus haute distinction en jazz aux États-Unis, rendant hommage à sa contribution majeure, longtemps sous-estimée.Les œuvres de Melba Liston continuent de résonner dans le jazz, le reggae et le rhythm and blues, inspirant des générations d’artistes et remettant en lumière une figure clé du matrimoine mondial.A travers cette soirée, nous souhaitons rendre hommage à cette artiste talentueuse et mettre en lumière son album en tant que leadeuse, "Melba and Her Bones", enregistré en 1958.
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