The Girls in the Band is Eye-Opening Doc Highlighting Female Musicians

During the evening broadcast of ABC7′s entertainment report by George Pinnachio, he mentioned a documentary centered around female band members from the 30′s until present called The Girls In The Band. I had intended to watch this film over the weekend, but was pleasantly surprised that when I went to a screening Monday evening, there was a Q&A with the film’s director Judy Chaiken. I also learned that this film was produced in part in association with Hugh Hefner. The Girls In The Band follows the journey of women wanting to play in big bands and when they weren’t allowed to play with the boys, they created their own big bands. Interviews were featured with some of those women, as well as, contemporary female artists like Patrice Rushen and Terri Lyn Carrington. These women endured not only the insulting behavior of the male contemporaries, but racism on the road when traveling through the Jim Crow south. I learned of a jazz festival that was created in Kansas City specifically for women.

I walked out of the theater, inspired, educated and appalled that even in the 21st century there are some men that would rather see women cooking and having babies instead of pursuing a career based on an interest they love (so there…Jerry Lewis!!!!!)

Judy’s dream is to have this film win an Oscar, let us get the word out and do as much as possible to make her dream a reality. To learn more about the film, see a clip and find a theatre near you…log onto http://www.thegirlsintheband.com.