Mary Osborne On Guitars

A friend on Twitter shared this ad with me. The ad copy is awkward, but interesting. It does indeed acknowledge and celebrate Mary Osborne's talents, but also has mildly condescending, definitely sexist tone as well. ("Love a quick, easy action!") And of course, we can't have Osborne holding the guitar like an actual guitarist, right? Hmm. Of course, this approach to advertising guitars and saxophones hasn't changed all that much in the 21st century, for women or for men.

Here's what Connie Crothers has to say about Osborne in her interview in my book:

Mary Osborne is one of the most important musicians in jazz. She's the missing link between Charlie Christian and the guitar players who came afterwards. The missing link the historians have been looking for is her. She was Charlie Christian’s only protégé. She's major. Billie knew about her, and hired her for that TV special. So there were two women in that band. [laughs] — Connie Crothers to the author, 2013

The History of Houston's Musical Soul

Saturday, October 1, the The Jung Center of Houston will be selling copies of my book Freedom of Expression: Interviews With Women in Jazz in their pop-up shop at the Houston History Alliance - HHA's History of Houston's Musical Soul conference. My book features interviews with three Houston jazz women: Pamela York, Alisha Pattillo, and Jacqui Sutton.

Saturday's speakers and panelists include John Nova Lomax, Roger Wood, Rick Mitchell, Dr. Robert Morgan and many others. I'm really looking forward to learning much, much more about Houston's musical history. Hope to see you there! 

Zydeco dancers at PT's Cajun BBQ House in Clear Lake, which closed in 2005.

Photo by James Fraher