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APRIL / MAY 2021 • IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT ALL ABOUT IDAHO PAGE 7
Celebrate April’s Jazz Month
with Two Area Innovators
Jazz is polyrhythmic, always evolving, in Jazz and both Le Sept Lezards jazz club
explained MJ “Willie” Williams, a 75-year- and the Atelier de la Main d’Or in Paris,
old jazz vocalist and musician based out of France—Williams is keen to share her
Helena who in 2016 received the Montana music in smaller venues where the audience
Arts Council Governor’s award. is there not to dine or drink, but rather to
As a friend of mine says, ‘When you’re listen to the music.
listening to improv, you’re getting both For north Idaho’s Sandra Marlowe, “a
process and product.’” hot little jazz club on the Big Island, Hawaii”
Jamming is key to understanding jazz, called Gertrude’s would be her go-to for live
a uniquely American art form that easily performance since COVID closed venues.
spans 100 years from Dixieland to bebop “Live music is witnessing the creation of
Sandra Marlowe of North Idaho has been singing to contemporary stylings. This year the something into sonic form that did not exist
and teaching jazz vocals for more than 30 years. She Museum has stepped up efforts to recognize before those moments, and experiencing
misses live performance since the pandemic closed female jazz vocalists like Billie Holliday, the exchange of energies between musician
venues. “Live music is witnessing the creation of Ella Fitzgerald, and Nina Simone, as well and audience,” said Marlowe. “Vibration
something into sonic form that did not exist before
those moments and experiencing the exchange of as jazz musicians and bandleaders, which and sound waves affect us—physically,
energies between musician and audience.” Photo prompted us to do the same. emotionally, spiritually.”
courtesy Sandra Marlowe. Marlowe’s background includes vocal
coaching by Judy Davis (whose clients
BY CARRIE SCOZZARO included Barbra Streisand and Frank Sinatra),
studies at the Jazz Conservatory in Berkeley,
How appropriate is it that JAM is the California, songwriting, and more than 30
acronym for April’s Jazz Appreciation years performing, as well as teaching.
Month? It was created by Smithsonian’s Jazz is something she feels she gradu-
National Museum of American History ated to, said Marlowe.
curator and jazz afficionado John Edward “I’ve always had an improvisational feel
Hasse in 2001 and recognizes jamming-- for music and rhythms, and interpreting a
slang for when musicians play together in song in a way that tells the story,” she said,
a looser, improvisational style. “but my early training—both piano and
vocal—was of a more classical nature, as
well as operatic training, where you really
208-523-6404 don’t sing or play what’s not on the page.”
504 W. Broadway The pandemic didn’t stop her from
Idaho Falls MJ “Willie” Williams, of Helena, Mont., remembers
listening to vocal powerhouse Sarah Vaughan ever completing The Heart Always Remembers,
Birthdays... since she was in seventh grade, just a few years a mix of originals, standard covers and
Mother's Day... prior to her joining her musician father on stage at reimagined vintage tunes, said Marlowe,
Wedding Day.... the age of 16. Photo courtesy MJ Williams.
who is in her early ‘60s. And when it was
Flowers for any day! Williams remembers listening to vocal time to release it, they did a “drive-in”
AladdinsFloral.com powerhouse Sarah Vaughan since she was release, charging a per car ticket price for
in 7th grade, just a few years prior to her motor bound listeners.
joining her musician father on stage at “People were eager to just leave their
Shoshone Funeral the age of 16. She’s been performing and houses and have something fun to do.” ISI
Services recording ever since, including promoting
the arts through innovation.
Debbie Mikesell Williams co-founded the Montana Artists
106 S. Main St., Kellogg, ID Refuge in Basin, which provided more than
Office (208) 786-5121
www.shoshonefuneralservice.com 300 artist-in-residencies during its 8-year
run. And she also created a popup perfor-
Our family serving yours in your time of need. mance called Sound Gallery in Helena’s
1+1=1 art gallery.
Although she
hasn’t been playing
Peace Redemp�on in public this past
A Novel by Gwen Chavarria year, Williams has
been plenty busy
focusing on the
piano with Bozeman- The pandemic didn’t stop Sandra Marlowe from com-
based musician, Ann
pleting her recording The Heart Always Remembers, a
Tappan, one of her mix of originals, standard covers, and re-imagined
Sound Gallery collab- vintage tunes.
orators (along with
bassist Rob Kohler). Start your day
From the author of A veteran of right, with the
Residuals Squared large and small
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