Dec 14, 2015
My guest today is Judy Chaikin! She is the Writer/Producer/Director of "The Girls in the Band." It is out now on DVD and VOD. I LOVED this movie. It was so exciting to have been given the opportunity to speak with Judy about it and feature her story of how the project came together. It is a documentary that details the journey of female jazz musicians from the 1930's through today. I am a huge fan of music, and thought I knew most of the highlights of 20th century musical history. I was wrong. This was an entire branch of the musical family tree that I was not aware of. The ladies featured here had to endure a career full of racism, sexism, and segregation...all while being world class musicians and entertainers. Their story may have been completely forgotten if not for the efforts of Judy and other likeminded film makers. We learn more about the past through interviews with the musicians, and a something about ourselves when we see the effect that prejudices and certain laws can have on people. To call it "compelling" isn't enough. It held me from start to finish and left me with the desire to learn more. One of the bands that Judy featured was "The International Sweethearts of Rhythm." I tracked down a few of their recordings and have included them with this episode. Learn more and buy your own copy of the movie at www.thegirlsintheband.com, and learn more about Judy at www.onestepproductions.com. When you reach out to Judy, please let her know that you heard her here first. Enjoy!
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We do not own any copyrights to the songs played on this episode. The music featured with this episode is part of the public domain.