Kate Wolf

Whenever I drive through California this time of year, I am always reminded of the line from Kate Wolf's song "Here in California":

Here in California fruit hangs heavy on the vines
There's no gold I thought I'd warn you
And the hills turn brown in the summertime

Kate Wolf was a noted Bay Area folk singer in the late '70s and '80s, whose life was tragically cut short from leukemia at the young age of 44.  She is remembered every summer at the Kate Wolf Memorial Music Festival, which will take place June 28-30 in Laytonville, CA. 

For those interested in hearing more of Ms. Wolf's music, I recommend starting with her album, "An Evening in Austin", which captures the essence of her songwriting through the live performance.

Kennedy Center to End Women in Jazz Festival

This weekend is the Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.  The festival, which is the largest of its kind, has always brought attention to and highlighted today's top female jazz musicians.  But this is all to change next year.

It was recently announced that this will be the last year of female-only programming, with the Kennedy Center citing that the emphasis on women was too limiting.

Have we reached a level of equality in jazz that the festival has lost its necessity?  Festival host Dee Dee Bridgewater is not so sure.  She is quoted in the Washington Post, "I don’t understand where that is coming from. I don’t see the need to move away from it, and I know plenty of women who need that space to show their music."

What are your thoughts?  Read the full article in the Washington Post here.

Essential Listening #1: Lucinda Williams "Car Wheels on a Gravel Road"

My first selection for Essential Listening for your Girls Turntable is "Car Wheels on a Gravel Road" by Lucinda Williams.

Much has been written about the album's history, in which Ms. Williams infamously battled in the studio with various producers and label executives for six year to find the right sound and capture her artistic vision for the recordings.  Her persistence paid off, and when the album was eventually released in 1998, it was lauded with critical praise, earning a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album.

But for those who did not know its history, one might assume it was recorded in a single late night session.  A group of musicians jamming together after a long summer day in a crowded room filled with smoke.  Bourbon and cold beer fueling the night.  At least this is the picture that comes to my mind.  Each track comes together in such an effortless fashion, it's hard for me to disassociate the Southern juke joint imagery conveyed throughout the songs with the recording session itself.  On par with the literary work of Flannery O'Connor and other Southern Gothic writers that have influenced her writing, Ms. Williams' album establishes a sense of tone and place that is inescapable after even one listen. 



Individually, "Car Wheels on a Gravel Road" is marked by several songs that stand out as significant contributions to the canon of work we now call Americana.  (A genre arguably created in an attempt to categorize Ms. Williams, who falls on the peripheral far beyond the comfort zone of today's pop-driven country music.)



Listen to the entire album on Spotify.

American Idol Season Finale Recap

Last night, I surprised even myself by how much I enjoyed the American Idol season finale. As an occasional-at-best follower of the show, I have always had reservations about watching, often associating it with my dislike of certain aspects of today's music industry that seems to favor appearance and marketability over actual artistic talent. 

But after watching for the past few weeks, my opinion has changed. The final five contestants, Janelle Arthur, Candice Glover, Kree Harrison, Amber Holcomb, and Angie Miller, were all strong women who demonstrated tremendous talent and poise on stage. And despite being a competition, the five showed a genuine respect for each other's talent, which came across in every duet and group performance.  Any one of the five could have walked away the winner and everyone would have been happy with the results. 

In general, the finale served as a reminder for skeptics like me that it is okay to let our guard down and appreciate Top 40 music. Pop music obviously plays a large role in popular culture, and as such, deserves as much critical attention as any other genre. Music does not always have to possess a strong political or social commentary to be worthy of or justify our listening appreciation. Often we just want a catchy melody that we can sing and dance along to. Pop music, when at the top of its form, has the ability to do both. The audience was witness to this last night, when watching Aretha Franklin sing with the top five ladies. The medley, which included Ms. Franklin's R&B classics such as "Think" and "Respect", got everyone out of their seats dancing, but more importantly the songs served as a reminder for us women to be strong and stand up for what we believe in. Even though the lyrics were written over fifty years ago, they still prove to be important lessons we can all learn and gain inspiration from. 

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Congratulations to the winner Candace Glover, who no doubt will go on to become a star in her own right.

I'm sure that her single, "I Am Beautiful" will inspire young girls of today's generation in the same way Ms. Franklin inspired young women of the 1960s. 

You Don't Play Like a Girl

Just stumbled upon Allison Miller's excellent essay from the Huffington Post on being a female jazz drummer.
"Honestly, it's hard to be a woman in this business. I have to prove myself over and over again. So many people have said to me, "You don't play like a girl!" They think it's a compliment. But actually, I do play like a girl. This is what girls play like." Read the entire article here.
Allison Miller - NPR Tiny Desk Concert

Happy Mothers Day

Here is what we are reading:

18 Musical Moms Talk Motherhood from Paste Magazine

Moms In Opera: Women On The Edge from NPR Music

A Natural Woman: A Memoir by Carole King

Songs From Our Mothers

Some of my earliest music memories involve listening to my mother's record collection when I was a young girl. I would sit for hours on end putting records on the turntable, completely in awe as I heard groups like the Mamas and the Papas for the first time.

When I hear this song even today, it immediately brings me back to this time in my life.

What songs did your mother play for you?

And for those mothers reading, what songs do you hope to pass on to your own children?

Leave your comments below.

New Release: Patty Griffin "American Kid"

American Kid, Patty Griffin’s seventh album, is her first album of mainly new material since Children Running Through in 2007.

Welcome to Girls On Your Turntable

The idea for this blog first grew out of The Kitchen Sisters’ “Hidden World of Girls” series, when they began to ask their listeners “What girl is on your turntable?”  Those of you familiar with their work already know music has always played a large role in their production style.  Like the hidden stories they seek out, a new song or undiscovered artist is likely to provoke an equal sense of excitement.

When I first met Davia and Nikki at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, where I was a student, one of our first conversations was about the mix CD I brought them early on in their class -- a compilation of food-themed songs, probably the first and only mix I have made that included Robert Johnson side-by-side with Rufus Wainwright!  It was clear then that we shared a passion for music, and now, nearly ten years later, this is more evident than ever.  So when they began their ‘Girls Turntable’ project, I knew it was something I wanted to be part of.  I enjoyed listening to the premier playlist that Bonnie Raitt curated, and I loved(!) the archival tapes from Patti Smith’s youth.  But I envisioned even greater things for the project and The Kitchen Sisters agreed to let me take it on. 

The topic of women and music can be a delicate one myself.   A musician myself, I often have to balance and maneuver around such stereotypical and patronizing questions as, “What’s it like being a girl guitarist?” to find a deeper and more meaningful way to discuss female artists and their contributions to music history.  Even the iconic Joni Mitchell is often labeled the "female Bob  Dylan”, as if to suggest we need a male reference point to understand her true genius.  And yet, without falling trap to this reductive nature that dominates most conversations, it remains clear there are many things we can learn from female musicians.  Through their songs, they give us an outlet to discuss our politics, our sexuality, our relationships, and the joys and struggles that come from being a woman.  Through different harmonies and rhythms, we are exposed to new ideas and gain perspective about growing up in other cultures.  In short, the music that women create is a reflection of the events and experiences that shape it. Through our act of listening, we are revealed  both a greater truth, and a glimpse into these women’s lives. 

Over the past few months I have been asking myself, "What is the most appropriate way to chronicle these women?"  As this blog unfolds, I will be featuring female musicians from around the world, profiling artists both new and old that may have fallen under your radar, and bringing you the stories behind songs that shape our history.  And throughout this process, I will continue to ask fellow friends, artists, and you, the reader, “What girls are on your turntable?”

I hope you will enjoy reading what I have to write and will learn something from the songs I select.  I hope to create a forum that welcomes your contributions, and I look forward to the conversations that may arise here at “Girls on Your Turntable.”  But most importantly, I hope you will take the time to simply listen and appreciate what this music has to offer.