Maestra Series: Mary Louʻs Apartment

Mary Lou’s Apartment,  the all-women compact-yet-mighty big band, invites the community to swing into December with a fabulous concert and dance.  Part of the compelling “Maestra Series” highlighting the prowess of women musicians from international communities,  Mary Lou’s Apartment is honored to perform at the iconic Ashkenaz.  The ensemble features the music of African American musical geniuses Mary Lou Williams and Melba Liston in an atmosphere of kindness, joy, political action and fun.  According to jazz journalist Andy Gilbert, the band “delivers showstoppers with ease,” and “delivers a crisp and extravagantly engaging program.”

Mary Lou Williams, a jazz giant with formidable piano chops and stellar composing and arranging skills, welcomed fellow luminaries including Monk, Dizzy and Sarah to her Harlem apartment after hours, where she shared her musical discoveries.  Melba Liston, another jazz giant with formidable trombone chops and stellar composing and arranging skills, was a younger sister of sorts to Mary Lou, who performed world-wide with the likes of Dizzy and Gerald Wilson.  Both Mary Lou and Melba are far from household names - they’ve been hidden in plain sight - because they were women.

Mary Lou’s Apartment presents compositions and arrangements that have been overlooked - great music that’s endlessly contemporary.  Enjoying packed houses at their shows this year, Mary Lou’s Apartment instills heartfelt appreciation of Mary Lou and Melba’s sophisticated compositions and radiates its own unique soulful jazz sound.

Be on hand as Mary Lou’s Apartment takes flight for its Ashkenaz debut.  Come on over to the Apartment!