Cleo Brown
Cleo Brown was the first woman instrumentalist honored with the NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship.
Category Archives: Music > Jazz
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Marlene VerPlanck
American jazz and pop vocalist whose body of work centered on big band jazz, the American songbook, and cabaret
Sheila Jordan
Sheila Jordan was not only one of the premier singers in jazz, but she was known for her stimulating vocal workshops as well. A superb scat singer, she could just as easily reach the emotional depths of a ballad.
Annie Ross
As part of the vocal trio Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, Annie Ross was one of the early practitioners of a singing style known as “vocalese,” which involves the setting of original lyrics to an instrumental jazz solo.
Amina Claudine Myers
From her early beginnings as a member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), Amina Claudine Myers has gained acclaim as a skilled composer for voice and instruments, often displaying her gospel influences. Her move to New York City in the 1970s led her to prioritize her compositional work and to take on theatrical production projects.
Mildred Bailey
Innovative Jazz Age vocalist
Maria Schneider
Primarily known for her highly original and provocative big band compositions written over the past three decades, Schneider is unique in having written classical works as well, even stepping into rock through a collaboration with David Bowie.
Carla Bley
One of the premier composers of the last 50+ years, Carla Bley wrote music for big bands, choirs, chamber orchestras, and small combos.
Regina Carter
Regina Carter is renowned for her mastery of the violin and exploring the instrument’s possibilities in jazz, as well as taking journeys in other genres of music.
Dianne Reeves
Dianne Reeves can effortlessly sing in whatever style she wants with her far-reaching range, whether it’s rhythm-and-blues, gospel, Latin or pop. But jazz always was—and continues to be—her musical foundation.