Sammie Cohen

1/31/21

“Women in Jazz” Reflection

Sherrie Tucker’s article “Women in Jazz” is a thoughtful, well-researched piece which

details the historic suppression and discrimination of women in the world of jazz. Though she

explores many facets of sexism in jazz, the portion of the article that particularly interested me

was her focus on the effects of gender stereotypes in the perception and opportunities of women.

The constant comparison of women to men is present across many fields, so it’s no surprise to

find that the same occurs in the world of jazz. Comparisons from this article cited specific quotes

of musicians being described as the female counterparts of a male player, rather than simply

being allowed to establish themselves for their own sound and ability. I have personally heard

comments regarding a woman’s ability to play as it relates to her gender, with comments like

“she plays so high for a woman” or “I did not expect her to play that”. These are both in some

ways comparisons to men or reflect the implicit bias in which we assume that no woman could

possibly have the same playing ability as a successful man.

The history of women being treated as a visual spectacle and having their sexuality up to

scrutiny are both some of the most sad, disappointing components of sexism. Both of these are

factors that male players hardly ever have to confront, yet female players have to do mental

gymnastics to navigate them. In the article, Tucker describes how, in order to simply perform and

be respected, women had to dress and appear in ways which often limited their playing. Though

I’ve seen many female players today dress with more laidback outfits (as male jazz musicians

often do) and more androgynously, I’m sure these expectations linger in certain places and in the

minds of audiences who expect to see a female player who is also conventionally attractive.
Though I personally have not felt an expectation to appear more masculine or feminine in my

performance experiences, I sympathize with other female musicians who feel that they are in

situations where that is a factor. It can be very exhausting to have to disprove stereotypes just to

be respected and I hope that there will be enough people, female or otherwise, who advocate for

a substantial change and eradicate this pervasive issue.