Hello people of talkbass, hope everyone is fine! We all know about Esperanza Spalding and Linda Oh and the more recent people. Do you know about older woman? Thinking pre 1990 playing Jazz, I hear there was a woman at Berklee teaching around 1985. But I came to the realization that I don't know a lot of them and I think it's a lack. Please open me to someone new!
Marlene Rosenberg has been killing it here in Chicago, (and elsewhere), for years as a player and educator. (And, did you mean to type other women? Personally, I'd never be so gauche as to ask for their age.)
He may be referring to women who have been at it longer than the two he mentions have been. Both Oh and Spalding are in their early 30s (even moderately famous people don't really get to hide their age), so there's a lot of room between that and "too old to still be playing".
Marion Hayden is a great bass player and has been an integral part of the Detroit jazz scene for a long time.
+1 on Marlene Rosenberg! I take lessons from her when I can, and I always come away better for it. Katie Ernst is another Chicago DB player who is well worth checking out.
Joelle Leandre isn't a straight jazz player but plays lots of free jazz. Shayna Dulberger and Lisa Mezzacappa are two great more recent jazz and free jazz bassists. Nina De Haney from Sweden, more of a free player but in her 40s or so.
Far from me the idea of starting a war... But why do I feel like they are pushed to sing? I know they don't all sing but the proportion of "men" singing and playing the bass is so much lower then the one for woman. Is this in my head? Is there an explanation? Or am I searching too far again... @damonsmith Wow Mrs Leandre technique is amazing!
Probably more male bassists should sing. Red Mitchell sang, who is that great Nashville bassist who sings? Peter Kowald did tuvan throat singing.
This might be a bit more pre 90's then you're thinking but Thelma Terry was a great bassist and bandleader in Chicago through the 20s and 30s. According to a friend she gave Gene Krupa one of his early breaks.
I hadn't even heard of Marlene Rosenberg (shame on me - I'm only 2 hours from Chicago) until I saw her at the Chicago Jazz Festival last year. She was, as you say, "killing it". Seeing her play was one of my best memories from the festival.
Well Carol Kaye used to jam a lot of jazz, didn't she? The topic really was about women bassists playing jazz, or did it also mean women who exclusively played the double bass? Sorry for the derail and confusion, I'm not very good at english. On the double bass, in Sweden there is also Jenny Kristoffersson and Tove Brandt, there is one great older that I don't remember at the moment that doesn't play any more, hm