The resurgence of jazz as a popular music genre has been taking place over the last few years thanks to iconic pop musicians like Queen Latifah, Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper who have released albums of jazz standards, introducing the Great American Songbook to a new generation.
The Palm Springs Women’s Festival debuted in 2013 with an all-star line-up of women musicians led by multi-Grammy-winning drummer Terri Lyne Carrington and featuring saxophonist Tia Fuller from Beyonce’s all-female touring band.  Since then major artists like vocalists Dee Dee Bridgewater and  Diane Schuur have helped to make this festival a serious musical event.
In November the Festival will celebrate its 5th anniversary with a line-up of 25 female musicians that includes two of the hottest young vocalists currently on the jazz scene, Kandice Springs and Jazzmeia Horn. Since its inception five years ago more than 125 women musicians have come to the California desert to turn Palm Springs into a mecca for women’s music once a year.
The producers of the Festival, former television news correspondent, Gail Christian, and accountant, Lucy DeBardelaben, have a long history in women’s music having worked on the east coast music festival, Sisterfire, a major festival during the 80’s. They are joined by one of the most talented artist in women’s music today, Sweet Baby J’ai, the jazz festival Artistic Director, and a prominent part of the Olivia performance roster.
Gail Christian said, “When Lucy and I first met with J’ai back in 2012 to talk about producing a women’s music festival we were looking to translate the experiences of the Michigan festival and other festivals like Sisterfire, born  out the women’s movement of the 70’s, into a vision of women’s music  50 years later. The goal then was to provide women musicians with an audience and exposure for their work. The goal is the same today, only the genre is different. We chose to focus on jazz and blues because they are  original  American music forms where women have played major roles in their development. However, we see jazz and blues music as the place where women musicians of tremendous talent toil in an arena that is often dismissive of their ability and unwilling to acknowledge their contributions.â€
The jazz festival sees itself as more than an opportunity to hear good music. It is also a place where women come together to enjoy the company of other women. There is the traditional pool party associated with women events and everything from painting classes to a casino party to tours of the city.
There are a variety of hotel packages available and individual concert tickets go on sale July 1. This year the Festival shares the Palm Springs Pride Weekend, November 2-5, 2017 and there are a number of after-concert Pride parties. This is one of the most racially diverse women’s events in the country and includes women from more than 30 different cities around the country and from Canada and the Caribbean.
The Palm Springs Women’s Jazz Festival takes place November 2-11, 2017 in Palm Springs, California at multiple venues including the Annenberg Theater at the Palm Springs Art Museum. For details about the festival visit PSWomensJazzFestival.com or call 760-416-3545.
