Ladies Day Jazz Quartet to Perform at Beanrunner Cafe

Ask any jazz lover about female jazz greats and they’d quickly be able to name singers such as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith, and Lena Horne. But what about the women who have written music widely acknowledged as jazz classics? Outside of connoisseurs, few are familiar with the compositions of women such as Mary Lou Williams, Peggy Lee, Abbey Lincoln, Iola Brubeck and Fran Landesman.

Ladies Day, a jazz ensemble founded by vocalist MJ Territo, was created to celebrate and honor these, and many other, women jazz composers and lyricists. The quartet, which also includes pianist Linda Presgrave, bassist Iris Ornig, and drummer Barbara Merjan, will be performing in Peekskill on August 23.

“While excellent female musicians, especially instrumentalists, are increasingly visible on the jazz scene, their equally excellent compositions are not as widely known,” says Territo. “So few people know the invaluable contributions these groundbreaking women made to the jazz repertoire. Ladies Day honors these amazing women and their work.”

In a career that spanned more than half a century, pianist Mary Lou Williams composed in every jazz genre – including blues, boogie-woogie, swing, stride, and bebop. While Peggy Lee is regarded as one of the most influential jazz vocalists of her time, she penned more than100 songs, including some with jazz greats Duke Ellington and Johnny Mercer. Well-known as a singer and actress, Abbey Lincoln created a new direction in songwriting by choosing topics beyond the typical love songs. Iola Brubeck successfully managed the career of her husband, pianist Dave Brubeck, and wrote brilliantly apt lyrics to scores of his compositions. And Fran Landesman, described on her website as the “poet laureate of lovers and losers”, was the lyrical genius behind such jazz standards as “The Ballad of the Sad Young Men” and “Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most”.

Ladies Day will celebrate these musicians by playing a selection of their songs at a performance at the BeanRunner Cafe in Peekskill on Aug. 23 from 8:00 – 10:30 pm. The trio will also perform their own original compositions and collaborations.

The BeanRunner Café is located at 201 South Division Street, Peekskill, NY. Admission is $10. Reservations may be made at 914-737-1701.

For more information about Ladies Day, contact MJ Territo, mj@mjterrito.com or 914-318-6667.

About Ladies Day Jazz Quartet

Jazz singer and lyricist MJ Territo performs regularly in clubs and other venues throughout the tri-state area. With a strong background in writing and theatre, MJ is a true storyteller who performs and writes songs with memorable melodies and life lessons. As a lyricist, MJ collaborates frequently with composers and pens words for instrumental jazz standards. Her CD, Down With Love, comprises ten tunes that are not about romance.

Linda Presgrave is a jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. On her latest CD, Inspiration (Metropolitan Records), Linda continues her exploration of compositions by jazz artists “who happen to be women.”

Bassist Iris Ornig is also a composer. A native of Germany, Iris can be heard at many of New York City’s top jazz clubs, and at jazz festivals throughout the world. Her latest CD, No Restrictions was voted one of 2013’s best jazz albums by Downbeat Magazine.

Drummer Barbara Merjan is in great demand as a jazz drummer, both as a performer and in the studio, where she has recorded with saxophonist Kit McClure, vocalist Marlene VerPlanck and many more. She can also be heard in the pit orchestra of many Broadway shows.