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The 14th annual International Jazz Day culminated in a rousing All-Star Global Concert from Etihad Arena in the host city of Abu Dhabi, UAE. The concert, hosted by Academy Award-winning actor Jeremy Irons and led by Herbie Hancock, featured world-renowned artists from 14 countries including Dee Dee Bridgewater, Etienne Charles, Kurt Elling, Ruthie Foster, José James, John McLaughlin, Hélène Mercier, Danilo Pérez, John Pizzarelli, Dianne Reeves, David Sánchez, Arturo Sandoval, Janis Siegel, Varijashree Venugopal and others. Watch for free at jazzday.com.

At the All-Star Global Concert, UNESCO officials announced that Herbie Hancock's hometown of Chicago, USA will host the 15th anniversary International Jazz Day celebration in 2026.

On the morning of April 30, a remarkable Opening Ceremony was held at Qasr Al Watan, the Palace of the Nation. Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism, officially welcomed International Jazz Day to Abu Dhabi. The event featured remarks by UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture Ernesto Ottone and Jeremy Irons, acclaimed stage, film and television actor. Highlights included a moving solo performance of "Maiden Voyage" by Herbie Hancock and a stirring presentation of traditional Arabic music by local artists.

Highlights of the All-Star Global Concert included Dee Dee Bridgewater performing a groove-driven version of "The Thrill Is Gone" with John McLaughlin and John Pizzarelli. World-renowned concert pianist Hélène Mercier of Paris and emerging talent A Bu of Beijing united two continents in a dazzling duo piano performance of George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue"—a classical tribute to the spirit and rhythm of jazz. Arturo Sandoval, David Sánchez and Danilo Pérez honored Dizzy Gillespie with their electrifying performance of "Tin Tin Deo."

John McLaughlin brought his mind-blowing jazz fusion to his original composition "As The Spirit Sings." Dianne Reeves, known for her emotive vocal prowess and jazz interpretations, delivered a poignant rendition of "Someone to Watch Over Me." José James infused The Rolling Stones' classic "Miss You" with his unique blend of soul and swagger. Jazz Day 2025 concluded with its traditional finale of John Lennon's "Imagine," the universal anthem for peace, bringing the audience to its feet in a celebration of unity through music.

Jazz Day 2025 celebrations in Abu Dhabi included dozens of community outreach programs, bringing the magic of jazz to young children and aspiring professionals at venues including Berklee Abu Dhabi, Bait Al Oud and the Cultural Foundation. In partnership with the Culture Summit Abu Dhabi, the program included a special concert at the Louvre Abu Dhabi and a thought-provoking panel conversation between Herbie Hancock and Financial Times CEO John Ridding. Around the world, thousands of performances, masterclasses, jam sessions, education and community programs took place in more than 190 countries.

Each year on April 30, International Jazz Day brings together countries and communities worldwide to promote peace and unity, dialogue among cultures and respect for human dignity. International Jazz Day was adopted by the UNESCO Member Nations on the initiative of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock, who co-chairs the annual celebration with UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay.

The Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi served as the International Jazz Day 2025 Host City Partner, with major global support provided by the Doris Duke Foundation. United, the International Jazz Day Global Airline Partner, provided air transportation and additional support for artists and educators.

www.jazzday.com  
www.unesco.org/en/international-jazz-day

Dee Dee Bridgewater with Bill Charlap

4:15-5:30 p.m., WWOZ Jazz Tent

Jazz singer and overall legend Dee Dee Bridgewater stars on musical and theatrical stages alike and often pays tribute to legendary artists who came before her. She infuses jazz classics with her own distinctive voice and flair.

Over the course of her decades-spanning career, Bridgewater has won a Tony Award and three Grammys, including one in 2011 for her tribute to Billie Holiday, “Eleanora Fagan (1915-1959): To Billie with Love from Dee Dee Bridgewater.” At Jazz Fest, Bridgewater will be joined by pianist Bill Charlap, known for his impressive interpretations of the Great American Songbook. Bridgewater also will perform as part of Detroit Brooks’ tribute to Danny and Blue Lu Barker on Friday, April 25. — SARAH RAVITS

Link to original article.

Dee Dee Bridgewater, legendary jazz vocalist, multi-talented artist, and producer, will deliver the keynote address at Denison University’s 184th Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 17. This will be the third time Bridgewater will grace a stage at Denison. As a two-time Vail Series artist, she has mesmerized audiences in concerts and shared her insights and experiences with students in classrooms.

Over the course of an illustrious career spanning more than four decades, Bridgewater has established herself as one of the most iconic voices in jazz, earning numerous accolades, including three Grammy Awards and a Tony Award. At the ceremony, Bridgewater will be recognized with the conferring of an honorary degree, Doctor of Fine Arts, honoris causa.

“Dee Dee Bridgewater is an extraordinary artist and entrepreneur who innovates across genres, creates new art, and revises standard works,” said Denison President Adam Weinberg. “She has built connections with Denison students and faculty in classrooms and on stage during her time here as a Vail Series guest artist, and I look forward to renewing that connection. We are delighted to invite an absolute master of their craft to speak at the Class of 2025 Commencement.”

Bridgewater has redefined jazz, performing with luminaries such as Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, and Dizzy Gillespie. Her most recent Grammy win celebrates the legacy of greats, including Billie Holiday.

“I am thrilled to be returning to Denison University for the unique honor of receiving an honorary doctorate and giving the commencement speech,” said Bridgewater. “My connection with Denison is quite special and has created a lifelong bond.”

She has pursued a parallel career in musical theater, winning a Tony Award for her role as “Glinda” in The Wiz in 1975. She served as the namesake host of the long-running syndicated NPR radio program, JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater. Expanding the boundaries of her art, she has launched her own record label and established The Woodshed Network, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering women in jazz.

As a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, Bridgewater’s influence extends beyond the arts, advocating for global solidarity to combat world hunger. Her humanitarian efforts and artistic achievements have earned her numerous honors, including the NEA Jazz Masters Fellows Award and induction into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame.

Link to original article.

The Rialto Center for the Arts at Georgia State welcomes back Dee Dee Bridgewater for one night only on Saturday, March 29 at 8pm.

With a multifaceted career spanning four decades, two-time Grammy winner and Tony Award-winning jazz vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater has ascended to the upper echelon of vocalists.

During live performances, she puts her unique spin on standards while taking intrepid leaps of faith in re-envisioning jazz classics. Ever the fearless voyager, explorer, pioneer and keeper of tradition, she has worked with the legendary Thad Jones/Mel Louis Big Band, and performed with such jazz notables as Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon and Dizzy Gillespie. In 2017, she received the NEA Jazz Masters Fellows Award.

Bridgewater hosted National Public Radio’s syndicated show “JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater” for 23 years. She is a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for the Food & Agriculture Organization which leads international efforts to defeat hunger while improving food security and nutrition worldwide.

CLICK HERE for tickets!

“Everything that Dee Dee and I do is very spontaneous and very extemporaneous."

Piano music fills the home of Bill Charlap and wife Renee Rosnes, both concert instrumentalists. Each has a Steinway placed in the living room.

Part of their dual performing talents moves into East Lansing on the evening of Oct. 4, when Charlap takes the stage with singer and actress Dee Dee Bridgewater. It will be one of their many shows together; both are Grammy Award winners.

“Dee Dee and I have been playing in duet for a number of years,” said Charlap, who has performed over his career at Michigan venues, including Orchestra Hall in Detroit, Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor and a stage presented at the annual Detroit Jazz Festival.  

“Everything that Dee Dee and I do is very spontaneous and very extemporaneous. It draws on everything we are individually and together. There’s wonderful chemistry between the two of us in terms of running the emotional gamut with the way we try to express ourselves musically.

“Dee Dee is a brilliant musician and a great singer in control of her instrument,” he says. “She’s also a great jazz improviser, a great interpreter of a song, a great storyteller, a great actor and a great person of the theater.”

While Charlap does not yet know what numbers the two will be presenting, it is likely to be a concert that includes songs written by George Gershwin and Duke Ellington. It is expected that some numbers will be known very well by audiences and some numbers will be known less well.

Songs written for Broadway by his late father, Morris “Moose” Charlap, also could be on the program. Those include songs written for Peter Pan, The Conquering Hero and Alice Through the Looking Glass.

Charlap said he picks a repertoire of songs that tell stories and are from the canon of the great songwriters and jazz writers.

“The piano has always been central in my life,” said Charlap, whose Jewish heritage can be traced through his dad. “I watched my father play and express himself, and I never felt a division between myself and the mechanics of the instrument. I was lucky to have that sort of blessing.”

What attracts Charlap to jazz is the expression of the individual, the sound of the blues, the vocal quality, the rhythmic quality and the dimension that the music speaks with innovations from improvised music.

Charlap has performed with his mom, television and recording singer Sandy Stewart. He also teaches and is the director of jazz studies at William Paterson University in New Jersey.

The pianist, who just finished a two-week run at the Village Vanguard in New York City, has recently released a new recording titled And Then Again. He prepared that recording with other members of the Bill Charlap Trio, which includes bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington.

Among the featured songs are “Sometimes I’m Happy” and “All the Things You Are.”

The visiting musician, who has been performing for about 30 years, has made close to 20 record albums, including the Grammy-nominated Somewhere: Songs of Leonard Bernstein. Traveling to stages around the world, the pianist got to know his wife during concerts in Japan, and he appeared at a music festival in Israel.

While his two daughters have not chosen entertainment careers, his stepson has. Dylan Drummond is a guitarist and songwriter the pianist defines as performing “stone cold rock.”

With time off from traveling, Charlap likes to watch Gene Wilder films and read.

Preparing for travel to Michigan, he says he is looking forward to the stage experiences with Dee Dee Bridgewater.

“I love Michigan,” he said. “It’s a very hip part of the world with very intelligent and artistically thinking people. With Dee Dee, chemistry makes us blend together. It happens naturally like the table of elements.

“We had the chemistry from the first second we played together. I’ve had that with Kenny Washington and Peter Washington and, of course, with my wife, Renee.

“Generally, it happens right away, or it doesn’t happen at all. You can’t invent it or make it happen. You have more and more trust and more and more risk within the connection. There’s so much dimension between what happens with the two of us that it becomes a very exhilarating experience for me — and I think for the audience.”

Details

Bill Charlap and Dee Dee Bridgewater will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4, at the Pasant Theatre in East Lansing. $19-$42.

(800) WHARTON. whartoncenter.com.

When Dee Dee Bridgewater comes to Wharton Center on Oct. 4, it will be a bit of a homecoming.

The international jazz great — winner of three Grammys, a Tony and a member of the Memphis Hall of Fame— grew up in Flint and Michigan State University was her first college before she transferred to the University of Illinois.

Now she returns to East Lansing after a storied career that has taken her around the world as a jazz singer-songwriter and actor. She is joined in this single-night performance by Bill Charlap, a Grammy-winning pianist, and the two deliver performances from a wide range of musical genres and periods.

Music was in Bridgewater's blood from a young age. Her father was a music teacher and jazz trumpeter. By age 16, she was regularly performing in Michigan clubs as part of a female vocal trio called the Iridescents, singing alongside her father’s ensembles.

She didn’t stay long at MSU, drawn to the jazz program at the University of Illinois. As a vocalist with their jazz band, she toured the Soviet Union in 1969. Soon, performing held a greater draw than studying and she launched her professional career and moved to New York. There she performed with such luminaries as Thad Jones, Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach and Sonny Rollins.

In 1974, she released her first solo album and began a two-year performance as Glinda the Good Witch in the Broadway production of “The Wiz.” She would earn a Tony from that role which she created. She’d return to the stage at multiple points in her life, including playing the lead role of Billie Holiday in “Lady Day” on Broadway and the West End. At a theater in Paris, she was the first Black artist to play Sally Bowles in “Cabaret.”

In the early '80s, she moved to Los Angeles and began touring internationally, falling in love with France, where she would eventually move. In 1993, she began self-producing her music, including a series of CDs. All but one of those CDs would earn Grammy nominations; three would win.

In 1999, Bridgewater became a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organization to help fight hunger, a role that won her an ASCAP Foundation Champion Award in 2017. That same year, she was honored with an NEA Jazz Masters Award.

NC State Live brought the renowned Dee Dee Bridgewater Quartet to perform in Stewart Theatre in Talley Student Union on Thursday. The quartet, consisting of Bridgewater, bassist Amina Scott, pianist Carmen Staaf and drummer Shirazette Tinnin, gave an incredible show celebrating women in jazz. 

Liza Green, the interim director of NC State Live, said the group scours the globe to find artists at the top of their game. 

“Dee Dee Bridgewater is a good example of that," Green said. “Dee Dee has won multiple Grammys. She's won a Tony. But I think what's interesting about her is she is an arts entrepreneur, so she's been self-producing with her jazz label since the ‘90s. She's also a goodwill ambassador for the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, so she works to fight against world hunger.”

While maintaining the classic sound of jazz and sometimes throwing in a rock influence, these women use their music to shine a light on the struggles of women, specifically Black women, in the past and the importance of not falling back into such a state. 

“The musicians playing with Dee Dee tonight are all women,” Green said. “So that's very revolutionary in the world of jazz because it tends to be a male-dominated field, so it's nice to see four women on stage playing together. I think that's really unique and special.”

This all-woman jazz quartet calls themselves “We Exist” to promote women in the jazz scene, hoping their listeners will see them, hear them and feel them. 

From Dee Dee Bridgewater’s sparkly earrings to her matching bedazzled shoes, her stage presence filled the room with nothing but good vibes. She danced across the stage and sang with a passion that kindled the love of music from both her band members and her audience. 

“So many good things come out of seeing a performance, especially jazz,” Green said. You know, we can learn a lot from how these artists listen to one another. The musicians on stage — it's really quite extraordinary to watch. It's like they know when to step up, when to step back. And they do this after years and years of practice and playing together, of course, and they're just really fine musicians, but their communication skills are inspiring.”

Each musician manipulated her instrument as if it were an extension of themselves. The connection between the four of them was ethereal. Each artist knew when to let the others take the spotlight if they were really feeling the music. 

Bridgewater was very engaging with her audience, making for two hours of laughter, amusement and admiration. 

Jadyn McLean, a third-year studying criminology and psychology, attended the show.

 “I feel like I need to go listen to all this music,” McLean said. “I already listen because my parents would show me when I was a kid but now I'm like, ‘I need to listen even more.’”

Bridgewater referenced many trailblazers of the jazz industry, some of whom she previously worked with and others who simply influenced her. 

“I enjoyed the songs she picked,” McLean said. “Quite a few of them are classics, and some of them are my favorites, like Nina Simone — love her. She just knew all these people and had experience making music with them. So it was really personal.”

Bridgewater ended the performance with a rendition of “Amazing Grace,” encouraging the audience to sing alongside her and creating a shared moment between its members.

“I just think it was beautiful, super fun,” McLean said. “Recommend to literally anybody and everybody.”

Bridgewater has a history with NC State, having performed at the University in 1999 and then later in 2003.

“Last year, astronaut Christina Koch had a red chair chat with the chancellor, and in that conversation, she mentioned seeing Dee Dee Bridgewater when she was a student here, and that was such an impactful moment for her,” Green said. “You know, it's a moment where the campus can sort of come together in celebration.”

The Dee Dee Bridgewater Quartet is currently on tour and will continue to make their mark on places, just as they’ve done at NC State. Their performance gives an insight into various ways students can use their talents to promote social issues.

“I think that's an interesting thing about NC State Live — we really take the University's land grant mission to heart,” Green said. “We will have many community members in the house tonight, so people who are long-time fans and then others who stumbled upon us. And it gives them a chance to come to the University, have this amazing experience and build those relationships. It's really a mix of students, faculty, staff and community members.”

Detroit has a new mecca for jazz lovers, and it’s opening just in time to take advantage of this weekend’s Detroit Jazz Festival.

The Gretchen C. Valade Jazz Center, a state-of-the-art performance venue located at 4715 Cass Ave. on Wayne State University’s (WSU) campus in Midtown Detroit, is a partnership between WSU and the Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation (DJFF).

“The Gretchen C. Valade Jazz Center will enhance Wayne State’s Department of Music and local community, while welcoming national and international jazz artists to a state-of-the-art facility designed for music performances, livestreaming and recording,” said Hasan Elahi, dean of WSU’s College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts. “This will provide a unique opportunity for the university to continue its contribution to the rich musical legacy of our city and widen its impact for current and future generations.”

An invite-only grand opening reception will be held on Thursday from 5:30-9 p.m., with special performances from 7-9 p.m. simulcast onscreen in Campus Martius Park for a community watch party. Scheduled performers include the Brandee Younger Trio with a tribute to Wayne State alumna and groundbreaking jazz harpist Dorothy Ashby; Grammy- and Tony-winning singer Dee Dee Bridgewater with the Wayne State Legacy Big Band; the Alvin Waddles Trio; the Cliff Monear Duo; and the Wayne State Jazz Vocal Quartet.

Thursday’s performances will also be live streamed on the Detroit Jazz Festival website and social media.

'The angel of jazz'

Gretchen C. Valade, the Carthartt heiress who died aged 97 on Dec. 30, 2022, was a passionate jazz lover who grew that lifelong passion into an enormous investment in the city’s jazz culture. Until her passing, Valade chaired the Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation Board of Directors and was the owner of Grosse Pointe’s Dirty Dog Jazz Café and the national Mack Avenue Music Group record label.

Valade also promoted the musical careers of many Detroit and international jazz musicians and wrote songs herself, which have been recorded by Shirley Horn and others. Her leadership gifts to WSU over the years total $9.5 million, and her name will now be honored for future generations at the Valade Center.

“The Gretchen C. Valade Jazz Center will supercharge Wayne State's ability to recruit talented students interested in an array of musical fields, including jazz performance, music business, and music technology,” said Dr. Jeffrey Sposato, Department of Music chair. “And this wonderful new performance space will contribute greatly to our mission of serving as Detroit’s Music Department by providing our community with access to professional-quality performances not only in jazz, but also everything from classical to hip-hop.”

A look inside

Located at the corner of Cass Avenue and Hancock Street on Wayne State’s campus, the Gretchen C. Valade Jazz Center houses two venues — the Detroit Jazz Hall and Dee Dee Bridgewater’s. The Detroit Jazz Hall, a 325-seat venue with VIP seating options, is specifically designed acoustically and logistically for jazz in all its forms and well-suited for other creative and interdisciplinary activations.

The second venue, Dee Dee Bridgewater’s, is an intimate, jazz club-style venue featuring 120 seats.

“It’s a huge honor that our beloved Gretchen Valade saw a specialness in me, in my work championing young musicians, and elevating the importance and stature of women in jazz,” Bridgewater said. “She is our angel and heroine, bringing harmony to all things jazz-related, including heralding the Detroit Jazz Festival through her sponsorship and creating the jazz label Mack Avenue Records, my new musical home. May Dee Dee Bridgewater’s be a space that fosters creativity and equality, with abundant spirituality — a safe space for all who enter its domain.”

The venue will also be adorned with historic memorabilia from the Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation and includes overflow capacity, along with a Detroit Jazz Festival Café.

Jazz Fest 'after hours' concerts

Chris Collins, professor and director of jazz studies at WSU’s Department of Music as well as DJFF president and artistic director, called the venue “a really joyous kind of vibe” and said the space will host community events and many opportunities for people to take in live jazz at an affordable price.

He also said the venue will open to the public Friday, Aug. 30, and will host “after hours” concerts after this weekend’s Detroit Jazz Festival. On Friday, music at the Valade will kick off at 10 p.m. with the Flash Point Quintet, Srisley, The Birdman Sextet and the Jauron Perry Quintet playing until 1 a.m.

Saturday, the Kurt Rosenwinkel Trio will play from 10:30 p.m.-11:30 p.m. and on Sunday, a special Jon Cowherd solo piano performance will take place from 10:30 p.m.-11:30 p.m. These acts and player configurations will not be seen onstage at the festival itself, instead offering a chance to extend the Jazz Festival experience into late night with a location change.

Like the festival itself, the after hours performances will be free to attend.

“It is an investment in jazz, music education and the future of jazz at Wayne State, and forever links the Jazz Festival Foundation with a home on campus,” said Collins, who is also the Valade Endowed Chair in Jazz at WSU. “Due to her singular commitment, Gretchen has rightfully been dubbed the ‘Angel of Jazz’ by the global jazz community. Her passion, commitment and vision are, in and of itself, a legacy.”

When Collins says “global,” he means it. He recalled a time he visited Japan to play a concert and was greeted by fans wearing homemade t-shirts with Valade’s face emblazoned upon them.

“They gave me buttons with the Detroit Jazz Festival and her picture on it,” Collins said. “Her name is recognized around the world. And once people see what we did in respect to Gretchen, they will want to be a part of this.”

Over the course of a multifaceted career spanning four decades, Grammy and Tony Award-winning Jazz giant Dee Dee Bridgewater has ascended to the upper echelon of vocalists, putting her unique spin on standards, as well as taking intrepid leaps of faith in re-envisioning jazz classics. A multi-hyphenate polymath and fearless voyager, explorer, pioneer and keeper of tradition, the three-time Grammy-winner’s career has always bridged musical genres. She earned her first professional experience as a member of the legendary Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band, and throughout the 70’s she performed with such jazz notables as Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon and Dizzy Gillespie. In 2019, Bridgewater launched The Woodshed Network, a non-profit partnership with 651 Arts created to mentor, connect, support, and educate women in Jazz, for which she serves as Artistic Director with lead support by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Dee Dee has three adult children-Tulani Bridgewater, China Moses and Gabriel Durand.

UK Jazz News: What is the best advice you received about balancing/juggling motherhood and career?

Dee Dee Bridgewater: I didn’t receive any advice about motherhood and juggling a career. When I was coming up, it was just something that one did. If one decided that one wanted to have a career, be an entertainer and have children, one just worked it out. I did sit down once with Ella Fitzgerald in 1984. I already had my children and I was already taking them all over with me. She told me that her biggest regret was that she hadn’t taken her son, Ray Brown Junior, with her when she traveled. And she said, “I hope that you will do that”. And I shared with her that that was what I was already doing. But I never got that kind of advice when I was growing up and starting out in the industry. 

I had Tulani at 22 so that was in 1972. It was another time period. I just took my kids with me and I would sing. For example, Tulani’s father, Cecil Bridgewater, and I didn’t make enough money to hire a babysitter. So I would bring her to the Village Vanguard in her little stroller. That was kind of like a bed. And the hatcheck girl would watch her while I would sing, and then I’d go and get her up, perform and take her in the kitchen because there was no dressing room at the Village Vanguard. I don’t think there still is. And so we shared the kitchen with the cook. And the servers coming in to pick up the food order. We did what we had to do. And I remember telling other singers around my age who wanted to have kids, “You’ve got to figure out how to do what you want to do.” I’ve always thought that.  If you want something bad enough, you’ll work it out. You’ll figure out a way to make things work.

UKJN: What did you find to be the most challenging and the most rewarding things about taking your children on tour with you?

DDB: Well, it was always rewarding when my kids would travel with me. I mean, it depended on, you know, what the particular situation was, but it was always rewarding having them with me, um, and them being able to experience what their mother did and exposing them to different cultures. This happened more when I had moved to Paris, France, and that was from 1986 until I left in 2010. 

It can be a challenge when you’re traveling with a child and you’ve got your gift to do. But I always found ways to work it out. As I became more successful,  I was able to hire people to accompany me and to take care of my kids. So they would do that while I would perform. I’ve always been fascinated with people when they’re like, “How did you do it?” How do you do anything? How do you have a 9 to 5 job and have children? You put them in daycare. If you can’t afford daycare, you figure it out. 

 
UKJN: If someone was to ask you today for advice, aside from the advice that if you want something, you’ll figure out a way to make it work, is there any other information that you would share with another musician who was either thinking about becoming a mom, or was pregnant, or had just become a mom? 

DDB: Well, I say to young people who are in the process of deciding if they want to have a child or not that you’ve got to know it’s going to change your life, and you’re not going to just be thinking about what you’re going to do for yourself, but you’re going to have to include this small person that is now dependent on you. So you’ve got to know that your time is not going to be your own. You’re going to have to make the proper accommodations for that small person, but it can be the biggest blessing in your life. You’ve got to be ready to give up the “me” in you and get ready for the “we” in you. 

Having a child is a huge decision for anyone, no matter what their walk of life. Imagine all these women that have children and they are impoverished and they still have children. How do they do it? I can maybe be a little harsh with young people because I don’t have time for this kind of whining, “I don’t know what to do.” Hopefully, you’ll figure it out. If you want a career, you figure that part out.  If you want a child, you figure it out. If you want a relationship, you figure it out.

I also advise young parents to teach their children how to be self-sufficient. How to take care of their own rooms, how to participate in the chores in the house, how to learn how to cook, how to wash and iron your clothes. All of that. Getting a job. My kids were out getting jobs when they were 14 because I wanted them to know what they had to do.

I didn’t do it with my son. He was born 20 years after Tulani and 14 years after China when I was well-off. So I had nannies and people cleaning the house because I was touring a lot. So when he would come our, I either had his paternal grandmother or I had someone on the road with me. Or if I had to leave him at home, I had a nanny or a service that I used. So he grew up kinda with the silver spoon in his mouth, so to speak. I had more difficulty with him, getting him to be self-sufficient. I did put him in a boarding school for the last 3 years of high school where he did learn how to take care of his room, etc. But getting him to get a job was much more difficult because he’d seen me as “Dee Dee Bridgewater” the celebrity, especially when I was in France. He just thought things were going to be given to him. So he’s had a more difficult time than my daughters coming into his own.

UKJN: What has surprised you about becoming a parent and remaining engaged with your professional activities and ambitions?

DDB: The surprising thing for me is that all three of my children have come out okay. They’ve gone on to be wonderfully productive individuals.  I was married three times and I have a child with each one of my previous husbands. So my children are half sisters and brothers. I’m just very grateful that I’ve been able to foster within them a sense of a complete sibling bond, where they feel like they are full brothers and sisters. I’m just very pleased with how things have come out and that they are all well-balanced individuals and productive individuals and creative individuals and they all move to the beat of their own drum.They are each unique people and I have wonderful relationships with all three of my children. You know, and each relationship is completely different from the other because we are three individuals.

UKJN: Of course there is always nature, but in terms of nurture, is there anything you recall doing, specifically, that resulted in them being great kids and now adults?

DDB: I accepted their individuality, I fostered it, I encouraged it. And I insisted that they behave in a particular way and that they learn respect for others. I give tough love for people in general and, especially now, I don’t have time for any BS.

I would just say, Nicky, in general, and I’m sure you found this out, it’s about planning. It’s about structure. You know you have to plan. You can’t just wake up and say I’m going to go out and then hope that other people are going to be there and help you out along the way. It’s your responsibility to plan your life and the life of your children so that there is order. I believe in order. I can’t function without order. Even as they were growing up, arranging extracurricular activities after school, I figured out how to do what I needed to do to make it work. Also, you cannot be a narcissist and be a parent. Or at least not a good one. 

UKJN: What boundaries have you set for yourself as a mother in jazz (could be related to travel/touring, riders, personal parameters, child care decisions, etc.)?

DDB: I set parameters with my children. There were a lot of do’s and dont’s. They could not infringe upon the time that I needed to prepare and learn music and that sort of thing. But what I would do and even just traveling and being on an airplane, I would take books and games and things for them to do on the plane so that they would be entertained. I watched my children. I learned each of them as individuals so that I knew what they required as individuals, and I did not tolerate disruptive behavior.

Life is what we make it. So if you don’t want your life to be a particular way then you’ve got to set about doing the things you need to do to correct that.

(*) Mothers in Jazz was started by vocalist Nicky Schrire. The initiative aims to create an online resource for working jazz musicians with children, those contemplating parenthood, and jazz industry figures who work with and hire musicians who are parents. The insight of the musicians interviewed for this series provides valuable emotional, philosophical and logistical information and support that is easily accessible to all. “Mothers In Jazz” shines a light on the very specific role of being both a mother and a performing jazz musician.

LINKS: Artist website
The complete archive of Nicky Schrire’s Mothers in Jazz series

Throughout her latest show at The Cabaret, Dee Dee Bridgewater — who has three Grammys, a Tony, the title of Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts and the position of Commanduer within the French government’s Ordre des Arts et des Lettres — morphed the already intimate stage into something of a sanctuary. Turning from singer to sage, she was accompanied by her all-female quartet, We Exist, as she confronted hard to hear truths with charm.

Featuring the likes of the rambunctious yet refined drummer Shirazette Tinnin, the precise yet piercing pianist Carmen Staaf, and the discerning and dynamic bassist Amina Scott, the performance was bound to be memorable. Yet, as I found in my interview with Bridgewater, so much of her artistry extends beyond the auditory. 

As she alluded to, her recent return to America has by no means been pleasant. She feels as though she has “gotten bogged down with the U.S.” Such has had a great effect upon her creative practice, with her saying, “I have not felt lead and inspired to write since I’ve been back in the United States.”

Having returned to America to devote her time to caring for her mother amidst the deteriorating effects of dementia, these creative blocks were greatly exacerbated by her passing in 2017. Such a traumatic experience has had her feel as though she’s “just beginning to come out of this kind of numbness.” 

Finally reinvigorated, she has found herself deeply upset by what is going on in the country. Indeed, when asked about when such a numbness truly began to cease, she said that it was in part around last October.

“I’m very upset with what’s going on in the world,” Bridgewater said. “I’m livid when people bring up the war in Gaza. It’s genocide but people don’t care.”

She finds that “it’s absolutely crazy where we are” in America, and she’s surely not alone in noticing that “We’re at these new political divides today.” Yet, as she recognizes that “we’re going in circles,” she’s dedicated to stopping the cycle.

It is such that her performance at The Cabaret is one of many that marks a new chapter for her career, one which will surely see her become a Socratic gadfly to an all too gruesome world. For though she said before the start of her songs that she “knows the importance of not bringing politics to the stage,” she truly did “let the music speak for itself”.

Beginning with Roberta Flack’s relaxed rendition of “Trying Times,” she soulfully sang in an almost exacerbated, weary tone about the challenges of our current climate and the confusion caused by our harmful ways. Then, she moved on to a far more personal piece, Nina Simone’s “Mississippi Goddam.” Having spent a considerable amount of time within the South, she sang the song at hand, inspired by the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing which saw four young Black girls killed by white supremacists and numerous others injured, in an unquestionably impassioned manner.

Three-time Grammy-winner Dee Dee Bridgewater performs at The Cabaret. (Photo provided/Emerson Elledge)

Lamenting that which Martin Luther King Jr. called “one of the most vicious and tragic crimes ever perpetrated against humanity,” Bridgewater reminded the audience mid-song that Nina Simone wrote the piece in the style of a show tune — a subtle reference to a culture all too quick to cover up racism — and that, we all have scripts to write as we wander about our lives.

Following Simone’s first protest song, Bridgewater then gave an example of exactly what happens when one does not take ownership of oneself and one’s story. Examining specific kinds of stereotypes based around real individuals within the African Diaspora, she began to sing “Four Women” to the sound of cheers and hollers from the audience who assuredly knew the song by heart. 

They were in for a treat, however, as though the original piece seeks to portray four skewed portraits of Black ladies, with abundant representations of slavery, alienation, sexual exploitation, and uncompromising bitterness, Bridgewater’s arrangement offered even more details to dissect. A direct pull from her 2007 album “Red Earth,” created in Bamako, the capital city of Mali, the piece had a host of traditional elements, from instruments to expressions.

It arose above the audience where it lingered, truly atmospheric, with certain passages by the bassist Amina Scott even being repeated to the pleasure of Bridgewater, the rest of the band, and the audience at large. Yet she was not alone in her success as, Shirazette Tinnin delicately drummed, almost merely tapping, as she worked to add adornments to the piece. Collectively, the works of these four women worked to show that under the surface of any Black stereotype is a complex human being worthy of compassion.

Yet they did not stop there when it came to telling the truth. For at its root racism, the obscuring of an individual by eyes filled with prejudice, is the direct result of objectification. The quartet’s next song, “Strange Fruit,” was a poignant illustration of precisely what occurs when humanity is neglected in such a way.

In the manner of Bettye LaVette’s arrangement, created after the death of George Floyd, Bridgewater belted out the lyrics with an intensity that saw her body contort amidst the bloodcurdling depiction of cruelty offered by the song’s illustration of a lynching. First recorded by Billie Holiday, the piece was inspired by a poem written by Abel Meeropol after witnessing a lynching in Marion, Indiana — only a car ride away from the audience. Even as they may not have known such a horrifying fact, tears glistened within their candlelit eyes, and applause was a welcome relief.

What followed was, as Dee Dee phrased it, “a mental palette cleanser.”

A poetic piece of her own creation, inspired by instrumentals composed by the accomplished Wayne Shorter, the band began to play the rejuvenating song “Long Time Ago.” Another piece released upon the Red Earth album, it referenced the triumphs of Africans from past to present, showcasing the vibrancy and rich history of the entire diaspora. Singing it, Bridgewater’s voice was filled with all the stark adornments of a sanguine sunset, remarkable and awe-inspiring, yet approachable and filled with the warmness of community.

Following this, and ending the night, was a Puerto Rican rendition of the well-regarded piece “My Favorite Things.” With a quick melody carried on with care by pianist Carmen Staaf, the work was ecstatic, dynamic and the very definition of dazzling.

Both pieces worked to, as Bridgewater stated in our interview, “promote that idea of, this kind of utopian place, that we can at least get to through music.” Though particularly present here, this strand of idealism is inherent in all her songs, and she hopes people approach her work with a similar degree of open-mindedness.

In describing her ideal audience, the type of person she hopes listens to her creations, she made certain parameters quite plain. For she doesn’t desire simply the traditionalist jazz listener, the one who can’t seem to get past the conformity of the genre, the people quick to say, “now that’s not real jazz.”

Indeed, she questions what jazz even is these days, what it needs. Even still, one thing is resoundingly clear to her, that it is a byproduct and catalyst of various forms of freedom. That “someone that is not necessarily into boundaries, or walls, someone that is completely open in life and to life, not bound by any kind of definition of what life is supposed to be about” is the kind of person she hopes takes to her music. For jazz is a gem, the genre of beautiful defiance, and she seeks to give people a refuge for such unconventional and bejeweled thoughts and feelings. 

The negative circles and cycles she spoke of prior will surely only be broken by such self-sustaining free-spiritedness, and her performance at The Cabaret made clear a single sincerity: that Black joy is the greatest resistance against racist oppression.