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| Jennifer Leitham (photo by Mary Ann Halpin) |
This year, I'll be wrapping up the interviews, which now number 33 and counting, for my Women In Jazz
book proejct, as well as completing a rather expansive introduction to
the book that provides some historical context for the project.
Next up, I'll be interviewing bassist Jennifer Leitham,
who is widely regarded as one of the finest bassists of our time. Her
resume includes playing bass with Doc Severinsen, the Woody Herman
Thundering Herd, and Mel Tormé. As a bandleader, she has recorded three
albums with the bass presented uncompromisingly as the lead instrument
in a trio format and featuring original compositions that draw on many
styles across the history of jazz.
The award-winning film “I Stand Corrected”
(2012) documents Jennifer’s transition from John to Jennifer, a
transition she bravely made at a peak in her career and with the support
of several high profile musicians, including aforementioned Severinsen
and Tormé. In recent years, the trans-rights movement, a movement that
demands tolerance and equal rights for transgender men and women, has
grown to a point where more young people than ever are able to find the
support they need to come out as transgender and be safe from
infringement upon their human rights, bullying, or worse. At the time of
this writing, over 600 U.S. colleges and universities have "adopted
nondiscriminatory policies to cover gender expression," and many of
those schools have jazz music programs. Leitham’s story will be a
welcome contribution to the diversity of voices and perspectives already
offered in the book.
