Pianist Amy K. Bormet may be—-OK, is—-one of the personally silliest people in local jazz. But she’s a serious musician, and she’s put together a serious festival that’s now in its second year. The Washington Women in Jazz Festival started its life on a much smaller scale: Though it was a month long, it consisted of only four performances, one a week throughout March, and all at a single venue (Twins Jazz, although there was one auxiliary show at the Red Door).
With the schedule announced today, however, Bormet kicks things up a notch. The one-week eventis jam-packed with eight performances (not to mention a preview show next weekend), across as many venues—-and one’s in Baltimore. Spread across those performances are over a dozen women of major jazz chops; six of them alone will appear at the festival’s opening night. Bormet and company are some hardcore jazz ladies, and they’ve built up a hell of a jazz festival.
The lineup is below.
March 4 (preview)
Integriti Reeves (vocals) and Amy K. Bormet (piano)
American Art Museum
1:30 p.m., Free.
March 21
Opening Night with Alison Miller (drums) and the WWJF All Stars:
Sarah Hughes and Leigh Pilzer (saxophones), Melissa Gardner (trombone), Amy K. Bormet (piano), Karine Chapdelaine (bass)
Atlas Performing Arts Center
8 p.m., $20
March 22
Ingrid Jensen (trumpet), Ellen Rowe (piano), Maryann McSweeney (bass)
An Die Musik, Baltimore
8 and 9:30 p.m., $20
March 23
Shannon Gunn and the Bullettes (big band)
Westminster Presbyterian Church
6 p.m., $5
March 24
Rhythm Summit: Lydia Lewis Trio with tap dancers Melissa Frakman and Quynn Johnson
BloomBars
8 p.m., $10
March 25
Tribute to Abbey Lincoln —- lecture and vocal performance with Jessica Boykin-Settles
Anacostia Community Museum
2 p.m., Free
March 25
WWJF Vocal Showcase featuring Christie Dashiell, Jessica Boykin-Settles, and SAASY (all female a capella group from Howard University)
The Hamilton
7 p.m., $20
March 26
Ladies Night with the Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra – big band arrangements by great female writers past and present
Bohemian Caverns
8 and 10 p.m., $7
March 27
Closing Night Young Artists Competition and Jam Session
HR-57
7 p.m., $10 ($5 for musicians)