Sam Spear

Women Changing the Face of Jazz

Women jazz artists are gaining more visibility and opportunity today than ever before thanks to the tireless work and advocacy of countless individuals, organizations, and institutions. Thank you to Paste Magazine for highlighting 12 incredible female artists creating great music.

Read from Paste Magazine: 12 Women Influencing the Future of Jazz

Learn about more outstanding female artists past and present on the Women in Jazz Directory.

Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice, Celebrating and Empowering Women

I was honored to be included in this story about the gender bias in jazz and how the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice is working to empower women and put female narratives back into the history of jazz. Thank you to WBUR and Amelia Mason for sharing this important story!

Hear and read the full story here.

Roxy Coss Continues the Tradition of Political Jazz

I have admired Roxy Coss and her musicianship for years. Her most recent release, The Future is Female, has been inspirational for me and my peers. Coss continues the tradition of using jazz as a platform for addressing social and political issues. She is eloquent, yet fired up in her delivery. Thanks to Roxy for using her voice to advocate for those who have been marginalized in jazz.

GRAMMY Nominee Tia Fuller Opens Up About Sexism in Jazz

It is powerful to see an acclaimed, GRAMMY-nominated artist such as Tia Fuller discuss her personal triumphs and tribulations as a woman in jazz. In this article, Fuller shares a few of her negative experiences coming of age as a female jazz musician, what she is doing with her platform to challenge the “gatekeepers” of the industry, and the newfound consciousness that is dawning on her classrooms at Berklee College of Music and in the larger jazz community.

Read the article here.

Women Represented in The Shape of Jazz to Come

Jazziz recently came out with a list of 19 jazz musicians to watch in 2019. Female artists were strongly represented, making up nearly half of the list. The shape of jazz is in good hands with all the featured artists.

Check out the full list here.

DownBeat Brings Jazz and Gender to the Forefront in February Issue

February’s DownBeat issue features a story about drummer/producer/bandleader Terri Lyne Carrington, who founded the Berklee Institute for Jazz and Gender Justice.

View the issue here.

Tia Fuller Nominated for GRAMMY: Best Jazz Instrumental Album

NEW YORK (AP) — Saxophonist Tia Fuller was crying in bed. And praising God.

She’d just received the news that she was nominated for her first-ever Grammy Award — but it’s not just any nomination: Her inclusion in the best jazz instrumental album category is a historic moment for women because they have rarely been nominated for the coveted award throughout the Grammys’ 61-year history.

And if Fuller wins, she becomes just the second women to take home the prize.

Jazz and Gender Talk at NYC Winter Jazzfest

NYC Winter Jazzfest put a spotlight on jazz and gender in this panel discussion with Toshi Reagon, Roxy Coss, Vanessa Reed, Maria Grand, Fay Victor, John Murph, moderated by Sarah Elizabeth Charles, and Nate Chinen.

Featured in DownBeat Magazine February 2019

I am honored to be included in the cover story for the February issue of DownBeat, which covers a critical conversation about gender inequality in jazz. Read it here.