THE MILDRED BAILEY PROJECT
The Mildred Bailey Project is a tribute to the Native American woman and first female vocalist to sing in front of a big band in the early 1930's. As the very first female big band singer in America, Bailey was a role model and inspiration for contemporaries including Billie Holiday, Helen Ward, and Ella Fitzgerald. She opened the door of opportunity for every female lead singer who followed the trail she blazed. A 1944 Time Magazine review of her show at Café Society in New York called Mildred Bailey, "just about the greatest songbird in the U.S."
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Julia Keefe, a longtime advocate and spokesperson for Mildred Bailey's place in jazz history, continues her efforts in celebrating the immense contributions of the late singer with this tribute concert. This concert can be presented as a quartet or a nonet.
Mildred Bailey Project album OUT NOW!
JULIA KEEFE QUARTET
"A songbird of a jazz vocalist" (New York Times), Julia Keefe presents original music, Indigenous melodies, and reimagined standards in a small ensemble setting. In collaboration with her drummer, Adam Benham, Julia "continues to expand the jazz spectrum" (West Hawaii Today) with her masterful command of the Great American Songbook interwoven with songs and stories from her Indigenous heritage.
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"She gives me hope for the future of jazz."
- Judy Carmichael, NPR
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"Her voice is of another era. One of the only jazz songbirds in Indian Country."
- Revolutions per Minute