jazz Archives - The F-Word

“I don’t see it as a negative thing to be a feminist”

Joanna Whitehead7 August 2016

Jo Whitehead talks folk tales and musical histories with the pioneering Eno Williams, front woman of Ibibio Sound Machine...

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New review: Sarah Jane Morris

Holly Combe8 September 2014

Mainly a modern jazz soul singer, Sarah Jane Morris is perhaps most known for her 1980s pop cover of 'Don't Leave Me This Way' with The Communards. Chrissy D ha...

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Mainly a modern jazz soul singer, Sarah Jane Morris is perhaps most known for her 1980s pop cover of 'Don't Leave Me This Way' with The Communards. Chrissy D has a listen to her latest album, a politically charged project produced in collaboration with musicians including Keziah Jones and Tony Rémy ...

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New feature: Karen Ablaze! talks to Sabrina Chap

Holly Combe31 May 2013

Musician and singer Sabrina Chap talks to Karren Ablaze! about putting the joy in the fight for LGBT rights and how same-sex marriage is by no means the end of ...

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The long walk to equality

Karren Ablaze31 May 2013

Musician and singer Sabrina Chap talks to Karren Ablaze! about putting the joy in the fight for LGBT rights and how same-sex marriage is by no means the end of the road ...

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New review: Sing to the Moon

Holly Combe17 May 2013

Cazz Blase listens to Laura Mvula's debut album, Sing to the Moon, and finds there is much more to her wider output than the upbeat single 'Green Garden' would ...

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Aiming for the moon

Cazz Blase17 May 2013

Cazz Blase listens to Laura Mvula's debut album, Sing to the Moon, and finds there is much more to her wider output than the upbeat single 'Green Garden' would suggest ...

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New Review: A cut above the rest

Cazz Blase31 January 2013

In December 2012 Holly wrote about Bristol synth pop act Gaptooth and her explicitly feminist single 'Ladykillers', a song that was so strongly worded that some...

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A cut above the rest

Hayley Foster da Silva31 January 2013

Although wishing at times for a more personal touch, Hayley Foster da Silva is impressed by the breadth of She Bop, the recently revised and updated third edition of Lucy O'Brien's history of women and the music industry, and is pleased to come away from the book with lots of new information ...

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Song of the day: Erykah Badu – Bag Lady

Holly Combe23 August 2012

The concept of excessive 'baggage' can be problematic but hoarders of all kinds could still benefit from Erykah Badu's wise and hard-to-follow words about the freedom of letting go ...

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Song of the day: The Free Design – Girls Alone

Holly Combe7 August 2012

Spooky 1960s baroque pop with a cryptic (feminist?) message about girlhood and fear ...

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Song of the day: Carla Bley – Dining Alone

Holly Combe5 August 2012

A wistful vocal from composer, pianist, organist and bandleader Carla Bley ...

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Song of the day: Sade – When Am I Going to Make a Living

Holly Combe4 August 2012

Sade's words of encouragement in the face of adversity are as relevant today as they were in Thatcher's 1984 ...

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New review: All that jazz

Megan Stodel30 July 2012

Eli Davies reviews a theatrical portrayal of the first desegregated jazz club in the USA Café Society opened in 1938, the first jazz club in the USA where peop...

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All that jazz

Eli Davies30 July 2012

Jazz at Café Society celebrates the first desegregated jazz club in the USA. Eli Davies delights in its portrayal of strong female artists ...

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Song of the day: Billie Holiday – You Let Me Down

Holly Combe22 July 2012

Billie Holiday sings a cautionary tale of the perils of the pedestal ...

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Song of the day: Teena Marie/Apollo – Happiness is in Your Soul/Happiness

Holly Combe20 July 2012

An early Teena Marie composition showcased by disco act Apollo in 1979, with the acoustic version from Lady T herself finally becoming available 32 years later ...

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New review: Melissa James

Holly Combe15 June 2012

I first heard about Melissa James when she got in touch with a women's radio group e-mail forum that I receive occasional updates from. She sent a message as an...

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