Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview upcoming events to mark your calendar for. The shortlist of female jazz artists who’ve made their mark in music over the past several decades encompasses legendary singers like Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan as well as lesser-known but no less great instrumentalists, among them pianist/composer/innovator Mary Lou Williams and drummer Viola Smith, who was dubbed the “Female Gene Krupa” for her drumstick-wielding antics.
The list has only grown over time, and this weekend’s Women of Jazz III concert not only commemorates Women’s History Month but introduces local jazz enthusiasts to some contemporary artists who deserve respect in their own right. The show features
This article appears in Mar 10-16, 2010.