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‘You’re playing like a girl’: Why is jazz still so male?

Oddly for a genre that prizes freedom and self-expression, jazz is an undeniable patriarchy. This week’s Ban Bam concerts move the spotlight to women

Man's world: less than 10 per cent of jazz musicians are women, according to a study by the Improvised Music Company. Photograph: Bettmann/Getty
Man's world: less than 10 per cent of jazz musicians are women, according to a study by the Improvised Music Company. Photograph: Bettmann/Getty
Philip Watson's picture
Philip Watson
Tue Jan 16 2024 - 05:15 • 7 MIN READ
Meilana GillardBianca GannonCarole NelsonImprovised Music Company