Feature and cover stories in major publications about jazz by women, non-binary and other
marginalized voices remain a rarity. But Ayana Contreras talks with Ledesi, and Cree McCree covers New Orleans for DownBeat (which, full disclosure, also publishes work by this columnist).
One may regard such placements as an honor, but because there are so few voices outside of white males’ in jazz journalism, it may be more reasonable to say, “It is due time. We desire and deserve more.”
Therefore, it is refreshing to see Ayana Contreras’ byline on DownBeat’s September 2021
cover subject Ledisi. “Lifted By Nina,” a sprawling eight-page spread, starts on page 22 of the print edition (text following Ron T. Young’s photo). It
chronicles the Grammy-winning, chart-topping artist’s exploration of the music of Nina Simone.
Ledesi spoke to Contreras about the success of her record label and her deep connection to Simone’s music, which began when her mother would play “Mississippi Goddam” in the mornings before school.
Simone was also a source of divine intervention when Ledisi was depressed in her 20s and ready to leave the world behind. She heard “Trouble in Mind” serendipitously, and it lifted her deep depression, giving her the strength to continue on. Ledisi Sings Nina is a culmination of nearly a decade of inspiration and admiration of a iconic artist, portrayed as a harrowing figure in Contreras’ vivid cover story.
Contreras has previously been in DownBeat with record reviews as well as articles about Stax Records, Eddie Kendricks, and a Numero Uno compilation. which she writes –
serves as an off-kilter, echo-drenched time capsule, gliding like flotsam between the past and today’s growing interest in the concepts around Afro-futurism. In a sense, Afro-futurism (not unlike the business of making records) is about speculation. More specifically, Afro-futurism is about the audacity it takes for a black person to imagine a space for themselves in the future, even if their present place in society seems fraught. Imagine a world beyond the concrete one before us.
Ayana Contreras is content director, producer and radio host of Reclaimed Soul at the Chicago Public Media station Vocalo. Her book Energy Never Dies: Afro-Optimism and Creativity in Chicago will be released in December 2021.
Cree McCree has been on the New Orleans jazz beat for many years, following the ebbs and flow of the rich and potent musical staple, sharing insights on its music and goings-on through the good and the bad.
In the same September DownBeat issue, she continues coverage of New Orleans begun with “Jazz Fest Canceled; New Orleans Reacts” by contributing the page 18 piece “SideBar New Orleans Provides Creative Outlets,” about a small venue turned virtual music series.
In high journalistic style McCree depicts SideBar as a haven and nexus for musicians who collaborate and express themselves with a like-minded community, loyal to this entity which has had many incarnations and even a festival called SideFest during New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Fest season. She interviews SideBar participants including cellist-chanteuse Helen Gillett, and gives a satisfying account of the importance of this musical space, making it clear that the community it has built cannot be duplicated.
McCree is a widely published journalist. Her wonderfully eccentric personal style and colorful hair reflects her uniqueness on the outside,
while her cinematic, poetic writing stands out, revealing an imaginative mind, full of interesting play-on-words which enables her to describe a scene and the energy of any subject she encounters.
Both McCree and Contreras are quite accomplished and lead full creative lives in media and journalism, so their contributions to the September 2021 DownBeat may be footnotes to their individual careers. But more broadly, their writing, voices and presences are vital to the diversity of jazz journalism and should not be overlooked.
Jordannah Elizabeth is a Baltimore-based writer and lecturer, teaching this fall for the New School Jazz and Contemporary Music program.
