Judi Silvano and Joe Lovano©Andrea Canter

Known as one of the most adventurous jazz vocalists in modern jazz, Judi Silvano detoured from her usual bent toward the avant garde with the release of an album of standards in 2005, Let Yourself Go (Zoho Music). Two years later, she took another journey, this time in celebration of “Women’s Work”—compositions by the often under-rated women who have nevertheless made their marks on a genre dominated by men. Featuring the quartet of pianist Janice Friedman, bassist Jennifer Vincent and drummer Allison Miller, Women’s Work (JSL Records) was recorded live at Sweet Rhythm in Greenwich Village. Her eighth recording might be her most distinguished yet, bringing attention to an eclectic list of compositions, her own wide-ranging vocal (and writing) talents, and the skills of a rhythm section that can outswing most on the current jazz scene. [Click here for full CD review] With Bernice Brooks handling drum duties in place of Miller, the Women’s Work Quartet will perform on the intimate stage of Kitano’s in Manhattan Wednesday night, January 9th, with special guest, tenor sax giant Joe Lovano.

Philadelphia native Judi Silvano has been named one of the Top 10 Vocalists by Down Beat three times and has performed and recorded with a long and diverse list of artists from Bill Frisell to Kenny Werner to Charlie Haden, as well as husband, tenor saxophone great Joe Lovano. After earning degrees in music and dance from Temple University, Judi moved to New York in 1976 where she was an improviser in dance before turning more attention to music. Her skills in dance and choreography led to work in downtown clubs, and Judi began attending the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis orchestra nights at the Village Vanguard. Listening to the big band, she learned the trumpet parts which became the basis for her horn-like singing style. She was further influenced through her collaborations with, and marriageto, saxophone titan Joe Lovano; the two have worked together on numerous projects over the past 20 years. Well known around the New York loft scene, Judi presented an acclaimed series of rising vocalists in a monthly program at the Cornelia Street Café for two years following September 11th. She’s also led vocal groups Voices of Juniper and Voices Together, and has directed Vocal Improvisation workshops in New York, at the Banff International Center for the Arts, and at Rutgers University. A columnist for All About Jazz, Judi has received numerous awards and grants (e.g., Meet the Composer, New York State Council on the Arts).

The Women’s Work Quartet evolved from Silvano’s interest in women’s compositions and her annual gig for Women’s History Month, a project she initiated in 2004. Notes Judi, “I started working with Janice Friedman and decided slowly to keep adding more women to the bandstand. Eventually I got us a gig in Rome at the Donne In Musica series, and brought an all-woman quartet. It was such a blast that I decided to keep the band together.”

But recording Women’s Work was challenging. Although she was continually expanding her repertoire of women’s compositions, Judi found it difficult to schedule a recording session given the musicians’ busy schedules. “So I decided to do the only practical thing, record the gig that I had booked at Sweet Rhythm [in March 2006]…It was a fabulous experience, and the audience was so responsive.”

The end result—the tracks selected from multiple sets at Sweet Rhythmis a diverse amalgam of the history of jazz from the perspective of women composers, from Bessie Smith and Mary Lou Williams to Sheila Jordan and Abbey Lincoln, as well as Judi Silvano herself. Says Judi, “I've been studying and learning new tunes for the past few years and recorded more songs than were needed for the recording... What a wealth of material! Tunes that didn't make it onto the CD were by Billie Holiday, Lil Hardin Armstrong, Ann Ronnel, Peggy Lee and some of my contemporaries, Teri Roiger and Marilyn Harris.” If the playlist covers a wide range of style and substance, it also highlights the versatility of the musicians, and particularly Judi Silvano’s wide ranging voice, which effortlessly shifts from alto to soprano, from blues to ballad to swing, without ever seeming out of her element.

As the saying goes, “Women’s Work” is never done! Judi Silvano has her eye on future adventures. “After the CD release gigs, I am sure this Quartet will play together as much as our schedules allow.” But schedule conflicts will be no barrier to Silvano. “We are bringing some other wonderful musicians into the group, such as Mary Ann McSweeney on bass and Bernice "Boom Boom" Brooks on drums.” And of course she considered adding some horns! Husband Joe Lovano played a guest role (on tenor sax) at the CD Release Party at Ryles in Boston (June 5th), “so I'm not totally rigid about mixing things up sometimes!” says Judi. “That's the fun of it! But certainly I am enjoying taking the opportunity to play with more and different talented women on the scene today, and making this CD has given me that impetus!” The fun has continued as Women’s Work returned to Sweet Rhythm in fall 2007 and performed at the Jazz Improv Conference in October. The quartet is not a typical Judi Silvano ensemble, but one that she finds particularly inspiring. “What a great rhythm section... they love playing with each other and supporting me…it's the first time I've had a band without horns and I just love it!” Nevertheless, she’ll add horn-playing husband Joe to the Kitano gig!

Janice Friedman

Joe Lovano has become one of the most celebrated jazz artists of his generation. Growing up in Cleveland, the son of tenor saxophonist Tony “Big T” Lovano studied with his father and absorbed the influences of Sonny Stitt, James Moody, Gene Ammons, Rashaan Roland Kirk, and Dizzy Gillespie, and later the experimental work of John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, and Jimmy Giuffre. After attending the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Lovano made his recording debut with organ master Lonnie Smith and worked with Jack McDuff before joining Woody Herman’s Thundering Herd. He went on to perform with top big bands and touring artists, winning critics’ polls for performance and releasing a series of acclaimed recordings that garnered many Grammy nominations. His recent output has included several elegant duet recordings with Hank Jones. Joe held the first Gary Burton Chair for Jazz Performance at Berklee, headed the Caramoor Jazz Festival in upstate New York, and was recently named Artistic Director of the acclaimed SF Jazz Collective in San Francisco.

With so much leftover material from the live session at Sweet Rhythm, and with so many new ideas for expanding Women’s Work, we eagerly look forward to the next recording from this ensemble, and to wherever Judi Silvano ventures next. And meanwhile, the adventure continues at Kitano on January 9th!

Judi Silvano and Women’s Work play two sets at Kitano (8 and 10 pm), 66 Park Av at 38th Street. Visit www.kitano.com. Quotes from liner notes and online interview with Judi Silvano.