The Palm Springs Women’s Jazz Festival | April 5th-7th, 2013
Patrice Rushen & More!
Music and Event Promoters L&G Events announced today The Palm Springs Women’s Jazz Festival (www.pswomensjazzfestival.com) is scheduled for April 5-7, 2013. The event brings world-class jazz artists featuring an all-female line up to the Coachella Valley. Top female musicians including Suede (Dangerous Mood), GRAMMY Award Winner Terri Lyne Carrington (The Mosaic Project), multi-GRAMMY award nominee Patrice Rushen (Forget Me Nots), and Tia Fuller (Decisive Steps) will be among the many artists providing an unforgettable weekend celebration of awe-inspiring music in this four-day walking-tour of jazz in the heart of Palm Springs.
“Jazz brings together people from all walks of life no matter age, color or gender and women have had a unique journey in music,” says co-producer Gail Christian of L&G Events. The Palm Springs Women’s Jazz Festival honors the history of women in music and jazz with performances by top artists and tributes to the unmistakable contributions women have made in the genre.
To underscore that point, the festival opens with the award-winning film, Girls in the Band by director Judy Chaikin. The film traces the sometime turbulent history of women in jazz through the artists and events that moved female musicians from their traditional roles as piano players and vocalists to the band leaders and musical directors they are today.
The headlining event for the Festival on Saturday at the Annenberg Theater in Palm Springs is Women in Music…and All That Jazz at Dinah, an all-star evening of acoustic jazz featuring 2012 GRAMMY Award Winner, Terri Lyne Carrington, considered one of the best drummers currently on the contemporary jazz scene; multi-GRAMMY award nominated artist/pianist/composer/arranger Patrice Rushen; Tia Fuller on alto-sax, Tia is currently playing with R&B superstar Beyonce’s band. Internationally acclaimed vocalists Carmen Lundy (Changes) and Suede round out the performers for the evening.
Besides Saturday’s signature event at the Annenberg, on Friday, April 5th, the Festival will showcase award-winning vocalist/composer/arranger, Sweet Baby J’ai (Introducing J’ai Michel) who also serves as the Festival’s musical director, performs with her group The Dinah All-Star Band at the Spa Hotel. Sweet Baby J’ai brings leaders of various jazz ensembles together to create West Coast Cool, presenting original compositions and arrangements of contemporary jazz by some of the most celebrated musicians on the West Coast, including pianist/composer Karen Hammack, bassist/composer Nedra Wheeler, saxophonist/arranger Carol Chaikin, violinist/composer Lesa Terry, conga player “LA” and percussionist Susanne Morissette on drums.
The full weekend schedule includes Jazz on the Latin Side featuring Congo player Estaire Godinez capturing the essence of the unique sounds of Cuba, Brazil and Mexico. For Blues lovers, there is the rousing down-home sound of Sherry Pruitt and the Queens of Blues. To provide a space and forum for other female musicians to sit in, The Dinah Jam is a jam session hosted by the Valley’s own Jazz Diva, Eve Evans. Eve and her trio will set the tone for an exciting afternoon of various artists putting their own spin on music.
Closing the festival on Sunday, April 7 is The Divas, a tribute to music legends Sarah Vaughn, Phyllis Hyman, Celia Cruz and Peggy Lee as performed by Rose Mallett, Lori Jenaire, Gina Saputo and Estaire Godinez at the Cascade Lounge in the Spa Casino.
TICKETS: Single Day Festival Tickets go on sale January 1, 2013.
For ticketing, show times and complete Festival information visit: