Carte blanche à Jeanne Michard

| Jazz, standards, female singers

Elvira ‘Vi’ Redd was a great saxophonist and singer who left her mark on her era. Born in Los Angeles on 20 September 1928, she grew up in a musical family. She started playing the saxophone at the age of 12 and began her professional career at the age of 20. In the 1960s and 1970s, she toured as a soloist with Count Basie's orchestra and collaborated with Dizzy Gillespie, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Linda Hopkins and Marian McPartland, among others.
Both a leader and a sideman, she recorded two albums under her own name, Bird Call and Lady Soul, which showcase her talents as a singer and instrumentalist. Unfortunately, both albums were withdrawn from the market for years and, despite her success with her contemporaries, she remains unfairly overlooked today. Like many of her female colleagues, she spoke of the difficulties of being a woman in the very male-dominated world of music, particularly jazz: ‘I don't see any advantages for a girl musician. I've only found disadvantages,’ she explained in 1957, before taking a three-year break from her music career to work as a social worker.
Returning to the stage in the early 1960s, she embarked on years of touring in the United States and internationally. Despite the difficulties she encountered on the road, she persevered and continued to pave the way for many other talented women in the world of jazz throughout her career.
Today, we felt it was essential to organise this tribute and honour the music of this artist, who has been too little known. On this occasion, Jeanne Michard (saxophone) and Elle Birath (vocals) will harmonise the notes and lyrics of Vi Redd.

Ellen Birat: vocals
Jeanne Michard: alto saxophone
Amaury Faye: piano, keyboard
Clément Daldosso: double bass
David Paycha: drums