Detroit is a city with a rich jazz history that is often overlooked in the national conversation. While Detroit’s deep roots in jazz are finally gaining broader recognition, the spotlight tends to fall on male musicians, leaving the powerful voices and contributions of women in the shadows. Through the vibrant, untold stories of women who shaped Detroit’s jazz scene–onstage and beyond–we celebrate a vital, but sometimes overlooked legacy that has helped define the city’s cultural rhythm.
Veronica Johnson is a jazz journalist, music and oral historian from Detroit. She has written for Detroit-based publications including Metro Times and Model D, and is currently a contributor for national publications Jazz Times and Downbeat. As a writer and oral historian, Johnson created the Detroit Women in Jazz Oral History project in order to call attention to the vital role that female jazz musicians played and continue to play within the Detroit jazz community.
This dynamic oral history collection features audio interviews with major female figures in the Detroit jazz community recorded between 2018-2023. Each interview offers an intimate look into the lives, artistry, and perspectives of these trailblazing women, capturing their experiences as mentors, musicians, and cultural contributors in a historically male-dominated space.
Spanning a wide range of instruments, eras, and achievements, the collection highlights the rich diversity of Detroit’s jazz legacy. From the hard-swinging sounds of Straight Ahead to the classical ragtime mastery of pianist Taslimah Bey, these stories bring to life the passion, resilience, and innovation of Detroit’s Women in Jazz.
The artists represented in the collection are as follows:
April Tini (vocalist) – recorded 2021
Alina Morr (pianist) – recorded 2019*
Barbara Ware (vocalist) – recorded 2021*
Carol McKinney (saxophonist) – recorded 2018
Ellen Rowe (pianist) – recorded 2022
Gayelynn McKinney (drummer) – recorded 2020
Joan Belgrave (vocalist) – recorded 2023
Kate Patterson (vocalist) – recorded 2021
Kimmie Horne (vocalist) – recorded 2020*
Marion Hayden (bassist) – recorded 2020
Miche Braden (vocalist) – recorded 2020
Naima Shamborguer (vocalist) – recorded 2019
Pamela Wise (pianist) – recorded 2019
Penny Wells (vocalist) – recorded 2021
Sandra Bomar (vocalist) – recorded 2021*
Taslimah Bey (pianist) – recorded 2019
Tia Hanna (violinist) – recorded 2019
Ursula Walker (vocalist) – recorded 2019*
Michelle McKinney (vocalist and percussionist) – coming soon.
Sky Covington (vocalist) – coming soon.
Please note that some interviews (denoted with asterisks) are currently restricted, but may become available in the near future.
Due to the COVID pandemic, circumstances prevented this collection from growing. However, Veronica Johnson will now be regularly adding new musicians and their stories. If you are interested If you are interested in contributing to or collaborating with DSC to further activate the Women In Jazz Collection, contact info@detroitsound.org.
You can also reach Veronica Johnson on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.