She stated simply, "I am the trumpet player."

September 1, 2020 9:01 AM

Dolly Jones, the First Recorded Female Jazz Trumpeter. 1938, a young woman stands playing in the centre of the screen, confident and beautiful. In a long white dress, cinched at the waist, she walks around the dance floor as if she owns it and the camera pans to the audience looking on admiringly. The orchestra keeps pace with her as her fingers fly over the keys. It is a masterful performance. And one that has been almost entirely forgotten. Indeed, even in the history of female jazz, this performance is rarely mentioned, yet it was groundbreaking at the time.
posted by soundguy99 (4 comments total)

Great playing! It's easy to hear her influence in Roy Eldridge's later trumpet work.
posted by Greg_Ace at 10:51 AM on September 1, 2020 [1 favorite]

I have not heard of her before today, I don't think. Wow. She's terrific. Thanks for this post!
posted by LooseFilter at 11:37 AM on September 1, 2020 [2 favorites]

She's the first *recorded* but I think it is worth noting here that the article says her mother was also a trumpeter.
posted by McNulty at 1:30 PM on September 1, 2020 [5 favorites]

Glorious! Thank you, soundguy99!
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 2:45 PM on September 1, 2020 [1 favorite]