The vibe inside the Freud Playhouse on the UCLA campus in Westwood, Calif., was seriously jumpin' on Wednesday, Feb. 9, as a rapt audience got the chance to revel in America's musical heritage, both its present and its past. In a celebration dubbed "Mavericks In Music," the GRAMMY Foundation's annual Music on Film preservation event recognized the broad spectrum of pioneering women in music. The evening's festivities reflected this in its live music performances, its filmed presentations, and in its choice of presenters.
After opening remarks by Recording Academy President Neil Portnow and GRAMMY Foundation and MusiCares Senior Vice President Kristen Madsen, the audience was treated to a rich selection of GRAMMY Awards telecast flashbacks featuring landmark award accomplishments for women — not just performers, but writers, producers, engineers, and liner notes writers. Literally and figuratively, it was a reminder that women's contributions to music can be found in every facet of the industry — and it was a fitting way to kick off the night.
Next up was a powerful video montage culled from the Foundation's GRAMMY Living Histories project featuring larger-than-life music legends including folksinger Odetta, Atlantic Records co-founder Miriam Bienstock, country singer Donna Fargo, vocalist and Stax executive Deanie Parker, and jazz diva Nancy Wilson. The GRAMMY Living Histories are a year-round project in which the Foundation captures the life stories of recording industry giants on videotape; to date, almost 200 have been completed.
In addition to filmed presentations, there were rousing live performances from modern day marvels, including two-time GRAMMY winner and jazz pianist Diane "Deedles" Schuur; GRAMMY nominee Monica Mancini (daughter of composer Henry Mancini), and silky smooth jazz sax player Mindi Abair. Boistrous gospel queen and minister Shirley Caesar (an 11-time GRAMMYwinner) brought the packed house to its feet with a stirring sing-along rendition of "Amazing Grace," which made agnostic and religious alike stand up and say "Amen."
One of the true highlights of the evening was the bright, swinging groove of the Montclair Women's Big Band, a 17-piece ensemble from the Bay Area. The band's special guest was Katie Thiroux, a self-assured pro at the ripe old age of 16, who attends the Hamilton High School Academy of Music in Chatsworth, Calif. Thiroux is a member of the Gibson/Baldwin GRAMMY Jazz Ensembles, an assemblage of some of the most talented and ambitious high school musicians from around the country who are in town this week to perform at several venues, as well as the GRAMMY pre-telecast ceremonies and post-show gala.
For the film preservation segment of the evening, the Foundation gave a well-deserved encore bow to the ladies of the big-band era — not the glamorous songbirds who shone under the spotlight in front of traditional all-male big bands, but the working professional musicians and band leaders of the largely forgotten and under-appreciated all-female jazz and swing bands.
The GRAMMY Foundation works year-round in association with The Recording Academy to present programs and activities that cultivate the awareness, appreciation and advancement of the contribution of recorded music on American culture. One of its most important missions is to preserve and archive historically important music performances that have been recorded on tape, vinyl and film. This year, the Foundation chose to preserve a series of short films that highlight some of the extraordinary female musicians who performed in jazz and swing bands in the 1920s, '30s and '40s.
In the World War II era, performers such as the International Sweethearts of Rhythm and Ina Ray Hutton & Her Melodears had to fight to be taken seriously, despite their extraordinary musicianship. The truth is, they were often seen as novelty acts. But these filmed segments prove that they were much more than that.
The two short Sweethearts films were produced by black film entrepreneur William Alexander, and were seen primarily by black audiences on Panorams, jukebox-like vending machines that showed short film clips. Jump Children featured Anna Mae Winburn, who boldly led the Sweethearts, one of the few — perhaps only — all-female, predominantly black big-bands of the '30s and '40s to have been captured on film. The performance was recorded in 1946, shortly after the Sweethearts had returned from Europe, where they had entertained black serviceman on a popular USO tour. A second film clip featured the vivid trumpet exclamations and soulful singing of Ernestine "Tiny" Davis, whose authoritative stage presence and playful manner must have won over audiences then as it did on the UCLA campus on this night.
In the Freud Playhouse audience proudly sat Sweethearts sax player Roz Cron, who took a bow to the crowd's enthusiastic response.
Also shown on the big screen were of performances by Hutton & Her Melodears. Hutton, who was known as "The Blond Bombshell of Swing," was a veteran stage entertainer before being recruited in 1934 by jazz promoter and songwriter Irving Mills (best-known for managing Duke Ellington and landing him a job at the Cotton Club) to lead the Melodears. Ever the show-woman, Hutton's boundless enthusiasm with the baton and penchant for flashy costumes only helped her and her top-flight musicians rise to the forefront of the female big bands of the era. The Melodears' talented posse included pianist Betty Roudebush, alto saxophonist Audrey Hall, and tenor saxophonist Betty Sattley.
The evening's presenters — a gifted cadre of trailblazers who also broke a good number of glass ceilings in the music industry — included former BMI President/CEO Frances Preston; veteran producer and engineer and Recording Academy Secretary/Treasurer Leslie Ann Jones; renowned Motown production executive and GRAMMY Foundation Board member Suzanne de Passe; and respected veteran radio personality Mary Turner Pattiz.
"Mavericks In Music" is one of numerous events held in the Los Angeles area during GRAMMY Week. For a complete list of events, click here.
