Jazz is one of my favorite music genres. I've been a fan for almost twenty years. For me, it started with listening to my parent's old jazz records on vinyl when I was in high school. Eventually, I moved onto CDs in college and then downloading mp3s. These days I've transitioned to streaming digital music. What has made it easier than ever for me to enjoy jazz is Freegal music, the library's free digital music service. You can download five songs per week and never have to return them! You can also use Freegal as a 24/7 streaming music channel, listening to it on your desktop, laptop or favorite electronic device. All you need is a Los Angeles Public LIbrary card. it just so happens that my favorite jazz artists have often been female jazz vocalists. I've felt moved by the incredible voices of Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan and Dinah Washington just to name a few. Luckily, Freegal has given me plenty of opportunities to discover great jazz, with no cost to me! Here are a few Freegal playlists and recommended songs and albums from some of my favorite female jazz vocalists:
Not too many women have been written about in the evolution of jazz. However, here at the Los Angeles Public Library, we do have some notable books that illuminate women's jazz contributions, I hope you'll enjoy as well!
Satin Dolls
