Women have driven jazz since the start — singing, composing, arranging, and leading bands. You probably know Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, but there's a deep list of players and leaders worth hearing. This guide gives quick listening picks, real names to follow, and simple ways to find more music by women in jazz.
Pick one from this list and you’ll hear how wide the range is. Billie Holiday — "Strange Fruit" (song) for raw emotion. Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong — "Ella and Louis" (album) for warm interplay. Nina Simone — "Little Girl Blue" (album) for voice and protest. Sarah Vaughan — "Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown" (album) for rich jazz vocals. Mary Lou Williams — "Zodiac Suite" (pieces) to hear a composer-arranger at work. Melba Liston — tracks with Dizzy Gillespie to hear a trailblazing trombonist. Toshiko Akiyoshi — "Long Yellow Road" (big band) for complex arranging. Esperanza Spalding — "Chamber Music Society" (album) for modern inventive bass and singing. Cécile McLorin Salvant — "For One to Love" (album) for storytelling and technique. Nubya Garcia — "Source" (album) for modern UK jazz energy.
Each of these picks shows a different role women play: singer, instrumentalist, bandleader, composer, or arranger. That variety is what makes exploring women in jazz so rewarding.
Want more than a playlist? Try these practical moves. Follow specific artists on streaming services and save whole albums instead of just singles — that helps visibility. Search playlists titled "Women in Jazz" or "Female Jazz Artists" and follow them. Tune into jazz stations like WBGO or local community radio and note female-led sets. Watch festival lineups and buy tickets to shows that feature women bandleaders.
If you play or teach, use transcriptions and solos by women in your practice routine. Buy vinyl or merch directly from artists when you can. Follow labels that sign women bandleaders and small jazz venues that host female-led nights.
For learning, look up masterclasses and interviews from players like Terri Lyne Carrington or Esperanza Spalding. Read short bios and liner notes — they often reveal who arranged or wrote the pieces, not just who sang them. That helps you spot women working behind the scenes.
Want local tips? Search "jazz jam" plus your city and check weekly calendars. Many scenes have monthly nights that spotlight women musicians. Bring friends to a show — live audiences matter.
Women in jazz shaped the sound and continue to push it forward. Start with the listening list, follow a few artists, and try one practical support move this week: buy a track, attend a show, or share a playlist. You’ll hear how the music opens up when you pay attention to these voices.
