Throughout the history of jazz, women have made significant if overlooked contributions to the genre. While some renowned figures like Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, and Ella Fitzgerald gained fame as singers—a role sometimes dismissed as mere entertainment—the achievements of female jazz musicians as instrumentalists, bandleaders, composers, and arrangers has often gone unrecognized.
Traditionally, men were seen as the composers, bandleaders, and instrumentalists, while women were expected to embody traditional femininity through their performances, largely as singers. Women who played instruments, particularly those traditionally considered masculine, such as drums, trombones, saxophones, and basses, were often viewed as novelties. This exhibition at the Library for the Performing Arts highlights the women artists and the extraordinary achievements they contributed to jazz.
The narrative of jazz history has frequently centered on the accomplishments of “great musical men,” overshadowing the contributions of many remarkable women. This exhibition sheds light on these extraordinary women, showcasing the diverse talents and groundbreaking work of female musicians through photographs, posters, video, audio, and other archival items in the collection of The New York Public Library’s Music and Recorded Sound Division.
