[music]

[music]

[music]

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[music]

[applause]

>> Hello everyone and welcome to Gold's

Lounge. Thank you so much for joining

us. Do we have a few jazz fans in the

room?

All right. All right.

What a joy it is to welcome you to the

United Nations. And yes, I can feel it

already. We're a little jazz stopped.

At the United Nations Office for

Partnerships, we know that culture is a

force for social change and there's no

better example than jazz. Music born

from resilience, collaboration, and the

insistence that every voice deserves to

be heard. We're going to hear from women

who are rewriting the score, breaking

barriers, and creating space in an

industry that has not always created

space for them.

These leaders have carved their own

paths and they've lifted others as they

reach new heights.

While amplifying music for justice and

equity.

Let's always be reminded that

representation matters.

A big thank you to our partners WBGO, a

global leader in jazz radio.

>> [applause]

>> And Jazz House Kids, a renowned arts and

education

>> [applause]

>> and performance organization. So let's

keep this incredible energy that I'm

feeling right now flowing and with that,

I'm going to introduce Stephen Williams,

president of WBGO.

Welcome to the stage.

>> [applause]

>> There we go. All right, there we go.

Hey everybody, how y'all doing?

Yes, wonderful looking

group of people today.

Thank you for for taking time to hang

out with us. I I I'm I'm promising you

you won't be disappointed.

It is my distinct honor

and privilege to welcome you to this

celebration of women in jazz, a

gathering

recognizes and elevates the artistry,

resilience, and transformative power of

women whose voices and creativity have

shaped one of the world's most

influential traditions. I'm sure we can

agree upon that.

Jazz has always been a force that

transcends borders

and languages. And tonight, we shine a

well-deserved spotlight on the women who

have carried its spirit forward,

innovators, storytellers, and

trailblazers whose contributions

continue to inspire new generations.

For me,

personally, this event also carries a

very special meaning. Standing here in

this citadel of collaboration and

cultural exchange, nearly 20 years after

working here in this very place

as a member of the radio unit for

several years.

Uh these hallowed halls brings back

memories, vivid memories of

accomplishment and profound and

energizing sense of contributing to a

global purpose

that defines this institution.

The UN has always been a place where

diverse voices come together and uplift

humanity.

And tonight's celebration embodies that

same spirit, reminding us how [snorts]

music can build bridges,

foster understanding, and reflect our

shared aspirations.

As we gather to honor these remarkable

women and the rich heritage of jazz, let

us celebrate not only their musical

achievements,

but also the courage and creativity that

continues to shape and protect the ideas

and ideals of a more thoughtful and

inclusive world.

Thank you for joining us for what

promises to be an inspiring and joyful

evening.

It is my pleasure now to introduce my

dear friend

and

a whirlwind of creativity and and

stewardship,

founder and president of Jazz House

Kids, Melissa Walker.

>> [applause and cheering]

>> Thanks, Steve.

Thank you.

You know, WBGO has um

gotten me into more interesting things.

I don't think Jazz House would be here

today if it weren't for WBGO

when they invited me to do a program for

kids and I

went and sang and I built a jazz house

and I've been building jazz houses ever

since for 25 years. And now to be here

with you today.

And so uh it is a deep honor to be here

as we celebrate Women's History Month.

And with the United Nations Office for

Partnerships, Anne-Marie, thank you so

much for having us here and thank you to

your extraordinary team

uh for helping us put this

together. You know, we so value the

mission of the UN and we are grateful

for your leadership and your commitment

to fostering global dialogue and

cultural exchange and understanding.

You know, speaking of having a dialogue,

today we're going to have two.

We're going to have one

on stage with an all-star ensemble and

off stage, so to speak. And we're going

to have a conversation about uh

inclusion and whose voice will matter.

And so it's my pleasure to bring to this

stage this outstanding group of women

artists, educators, and cultural leaders

who are shaping

our present and pointing the way to our

future.

And they are continuing to challenge the

long-standing gender barriers that face

so many of us.

Today we'll explore how women are

driving change and using music as a

powerful platform for storytelling,

advocacy, and community building.

So it gives me great honor to bring to

the stage a good friend,

a tremendous vocalist as you will hear,

a composer, a band leader, and an

educator,

and internationally uh acclaimed

vocalist, powerful voice. She has

performed at so many of the major

festivals around the world. She's an

educator at Montclair State University.

She's a a teacher for the youth program

at Jazz at Lincoln Center. She's uh a

prestigious alum of the Betty Carter a

school of music and she has and her path

uh brings up so many of the great

singers of Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, as

well as the trailblazers of this music

of Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Nancy

Wilson, and her favorite, Dianne Reeves.

Come to the stage, Brianna

Avery. [applause]

Thank you.

Brianna.

Hey there. Hello. So good to

So [snorts] good to see you.

>> [laughter]

>> I think we're here. Yes.

Our next esteemed guest is Michelle

Taylor, founder and managing director of

Passion Music Group and the artist

management music marketing company.

Michelle Taylor is a trailblazer in this

music as an executive and arts manager

with a distinguished career that spans

more than three decades across major

labels, artist management, and music

advocacy. She's a manager of a Grammy

Award-winning pianist and composer and a

Jazz House alum, Matthew Whitaker,

uh the nominee and a two-time Grammy

nominee and vocalist, Christie Dashiell,

dynamic group of the String Queens.

Let's uh bring to the stage Michelle

Taylor.

Someone I have known for

about that long.

>> [applause]

>> Thank you.

Oh, so excited to have uh you meet uh a

young woman if you haven't already,

Ella Brick, Venezuelan-born singer,

songwriter, producer, trumpeter,

actress.

She's working to be an EGOT. Yes, she

is. She is a two-time Grammy winner.

Ella has become a prolific producer on

rise in the Latin music space. She's

known for blending jazz improvisation

with Afro-Venezuelan rhythms and global

influences.

Internationally recognized voice in

contemporary jazz and Latin music. She

grew up surrounded by culturally minded

and socially conscious community and

she's trained in El Sistema. And her

music highlights her curiosity about

life and music.

When not on the road, she teaches at the

Louis Armstrong House. Please welcome to

the stage this very special guest, Ella

Brick.

>> [applause]

>> Hi.

>> [applause]

>> So,

this is an honor

and quite a distinction to be here with

you.

You know, we are here to celebrate women

in jazz as well as women who are

trailblazers in this music not today and

pointing the way for the future.

And I'd like to say what first brought

you to the dance?

Um, in jazz and what keeps you in the

music and making music and the

challenges that you face but yet and

still

you persevere.

I will say for me, um,

I remember distinctly when I was 8 years

old, my father was a big jazz fan and

would have all kinds of music playing

throughout the house and one thing I

remember distinctly is on Saturday

mornings he would put the music on the

speakers in the basement to the to the

yard and I would press my forehead to

the screen of my bedroom listening to

this music

and I didn't know what I was listening

to but I knew that I liked it and it

stuck with me through when I

um, became an adult

um, I uh,

knew that this is what I wanted to do

and if I just may tell a little story

my career actually began at WBGO.

I needed to get into the business and I

knew that I was just out of school and

no one knew me but everybody can use

free help so I volunteered at WBGO

and

>> [laughter]

>> and [applause] through that I met uh,

through that I met uh, the the promotion

head of promotion at Blue Note Records

and that's where I began my career

promoting jazz and um,

it's a my company is Passion Music Group

because it is a passion for me. It's

been a passion for me since I was 8

years old um, and it's rare when you're

blessed to do have the opportunity to do

exactly what you love

and um, I work with amazing artists and

people

um,

and every day it sounds cliche but

every day I look forward to sitting at

my desk and seeing what the challenges

of the day will bring

and what keeps me loving it is that that

just that the challenges and the the

amazing artists that how many beautiful

young musicians are coming up and

pushing the music forward um, so many

women are becoming

deal makers making deals pushing the

music forward making spaces for women

all across the globe so I'm excited

every day about doing what I do.

You know, that that feeling of when you

wake up every day with purpose Yes.

>> it's just easier to move through the day

>> Yes. and you know

you know, I guess you know, how do you

feel about that Brianna

you certainly lead and sing with

purpose.

>> Yes. Thank you. I definitely grew up in

a household that my my father was a

drummer and a vocalist and a very

prominent one in Peoria, Illinois where

I'm from

and it was just like learning how to

speak English or the language that was

spoken in the household. Music is a

language and um, I came to it that way.

I came to it learning my ABCs and

learning how to sing melodies so it was

very natural and um, it wasn't you know,

I I was very fortunate to have several

opportunities, mentors, teachers that

pushed me

um, that that looked out for me, gave me

tapes of people to listen to, recognized

things in me that I hadn't seen in

myself

but programs like the Betty Carter Jazz

Ahead program where you write your own

music that was my first time as a

composer

that was my aha moment. I heard an idea

from my imagination

and shared it in a communal setting with

people and they made something out of it

that I could not ever have even thought

of and I was intoxicated by it and

that's one of the biggest reasons I'm

still hanging on.

>> [laughter]

>> Okay Lela, what brought you to the dance

and what keeps you here?

Very similar, my dad is a jazz drummer

um, but

I feel like what keeps me going uh, is

trying to find a common ground

between people who not necessarily are

artists but to remind each other of our

humankind

and to use tenderness and love as a way

to resist these times. I feel like

that's what keeps me uh, doing what I do

and yeah, that's what I'm going to say

about it. You know, I love that you

brought up kind of a a quote from Nina

Simone about that you know, what you

know, share that with us. Um, she said

in an interview, how can you be an

artist and not reflect the times that

we're living in?

And that's something that really

uh, had an impact on on on myself as an

immigrant as someone who had to

you know, move to New York City

being in spaces where I had to learn a a

different language and learn a different

um, music um,

so that to me it came with a

responsibility

and at at the beginning I thought that

the responsibility was just uh, be

involved uh, politically or just um, be

able to to to use my music as a

as a tool for for protest but also I

feel like in the context of being a

woman

it's just occupying the spaces living in

the spaces and

and just exist and make whoever needs to

be

uh, uncomfortable by my presence.

And move forward by your presence. And

yes. Yes. Yeah.

You know, um, Brianna you've also shared

that you know, in terms of that being a

leader is also being a follower, a great

listener and with your audience, you

know, what do you hope for them?

And how do you view that? I view every

audience, everyone that comes into the

room comes into the room with their own

lives, their own experiences, their own

triumphs and you know, disappointments

and everything in between and each

member of the audience

an experience in that moment but somehow

the music that's happening on the stage

connects everyone together in a moment

and so I hope for my audiences that they

come into the moment with trust

and if they don't come into it with

trust I hope to gain it on the first

two.

>> [laughter]

>> And Yeah. I hope that they they come in

to have a shared experience and I think

that's the best part about music um, is

that music creates a round table

and everybody can find their spot at the

table and there's no one there to tell

you that's not right, this is not this

so and so can be crying tears of joy and

and so and so over here can be crying

tears of grief but at the same time it's

an experience that is understood by the

spirit and soul and so serving

the music means serving the moment means

serving sometimes you got to sing a sad

song, usher people into the tears they

needed to cry and sometimes it's about

jubilation and celebration and just

being able to be that kind of conduit

and it takes a lot of courage and

dedication but the audiences are so

you know, I find that the audiences

they give too. There's an energy. It's

like you dance, we dance and so

I hope that You know, I think of at Jazz

House, you know, a parent said to me the

Jazz House is like a campfire

and you know, coming from Edmonton,

Alberta, Canada without a lot of money

camping was something you did often

and um, that that notion of coming

around and and welcoming people to the

warmth of the campfire

and then um, you know, I just think

that's such a powerful moment and this

music that we do

you know, we are living in the moment.

It is of the moment. You know, um,

Michelle you know, you work with

a number of artists from really kind of

different backgrounds and spectrums. You

know, that wasn't something that was

done a lot before. You know, you kind of

pick your lane um, and you also have

artists who are are crossing genres

you know, tell me what you've noticed as

this executive you know

you know, in the industry over time,

what has had to happen to make that

possible and what did artists do to kind

of push open those doors?

Well, what I have found now um, in the

industry it's changed a lot in that

well, one thing was when I was in the

corporate environment

um,

back in a hundred years ago

you couldn't really have a side hustle

but I knew that I always wanted to work

with artists in a deeper capacity but

now everybody has a side hustle.

So, that's one thing um,

and I think you know, you were talking

about leadership and being an artist

manager and

you know, listening You were mentioning

listening. It's so important that me as

a as a manager that I listen to my

clients and I understand what it is that

they want, where they want to go, what

they want for themselves, what they want

for their families. Um and

that's how we move it forward. You know,

I am

sort of there to help them get to that

point that they want to get to. Um and

it

I don't know if it's gotten any easier

um because we still have the same

especially um now with um having come

out of the pandemic when everybody was

just coming back up to speed, you know,

um the money was less was

or non-existent. So, we had to find a

way to the artist still wanted to work,

still needed to work. And so, we needed

to find a way to make that happen. And I

think that listening

um to what they would do and what they

wouldn't do was very helpful.

And again, that's important in moving

the music forward, you know, moving the

art forward. Um is being able to work

together as a team

to get

to com to sort of bring to fruition some

of those goals and aspirations that my

clients have. And they're all different.

Yes, you know, they're all different and

I love that about

my list of clients. They're they bring

their own thing and I

I I just so enjoy the music and and I

enjoy the variety

and the diversity

of the roster.

You know, it's it you know, I never

thought that I would work with a

15-year-old blind pianist.

But now having worked with him for 10

years, it's amazing what I've learned.

Pretty special. coming through Jazz

House. But I I just learned so much

through listening and understanding

and seeing

um

the work of artists with disabilities in

a completely different way.

And the representation that still needs

to happen

for artists with disabilities because

it's just not there. So, both he and I,

Matthew and I, we always talk about

representation and what we can do to

break down those barriers. That's

exciting to me. That's Yeah. [applause]

You know,

Ella, you listened to yourself when you

were younger. You you know, grew up in

El Sistema. You were in classical music.

But talk to us about listening to

yourself and making those hard decisions

to to move in directions that perhaps

one you weren't trained in or move into

a direction that you felt was right.

Um yes.

I

the El Sistema was pretty

straightforward education for us. And um

now that I'm I'm older now, I can see

like there was like no like D O G

Department of Education like like trying

to see like why a kid is rehearsing 12

hours smaller.

Um but we did we did that and every day

>> every day pretty much. And um when I was

16, I I got to this crisis where I I

wanted to be able to to be a teenager. I

wanted to do my own thing and talk about

heartbreak about things that will people

who never imagine that I had a crush on

them. I wanted to be able to reflect

that in my music.

And um

it was a fight because my dad, you know,

worked really hard for me to to get a

spot in the classical orchestra and he's

like, "You're a great trumpet player.

What's going to happen? Didn't you want

to be with like Wynton and do classical

and jazz and all that?" I'm like, "Sure,

but let me just exist."

And then I I also grew up in a very

religious family. So, I feel like there

was a lot of things that I wanted to say

um but I I I I couldn't I couldn't say

them out loud.

And that's when I changed my name. Um I

remember I saw uh Ella Fitzgerald um

improvising for the first time.

I'm like, "I want to be Ella. I'm going

to be Ella." And then I I hold it for

myself. I changed my name in my heart.

And then when I moved to New York City,

I was able to express myself as an

artist. And that inner voice took me to

different that that curiosity. When

you're a kid, that's why I was talking

to Lucas, the kid who was with me in a

rain and the green room. I'm like, "What

do you do?" He's like, "Well, I play

drums."

But I don't know if I'm a musician. Just

say that you're a musician.

You own it. And I had to talk to myself

um like that when I was a kid. I I

wanted to write uh music for other

artists. I wanted to produce, but I

didn't know how to do it. But that

curiosity took me to learn new stuff. Um

and my mentors, they thought that I was

going to go in a certain way that I was

going to be whether a classical

uh musician or a jazz trumpet player.

And then in 2011 when Wynton Marsalis

finally got to meet me I love that. It's

a full circle moment. But unexpectedly

And then he gave an interview talking

about me. And the journalist asked him,

"What's the next step for her?"

And he said, "She has to put herself in

a position to do what she wants to do."

And I was like, "Yes.

Yes.

I can do whatever I want." And then I

was able to end up doing pop music urban

you know,

but I still jazz has a big part in in my

heart and I have so much respect for it

for for for the art form from for the

history as well.

So, yeah.

You know, that takes a lot of courage,

right? We can all you know, when you

feel like you're not fulfilling the path

that you either set for yourself or

someone else did.

Uh you know,

you know, I want to move into thinking

about courage because each one of you

have been the first.

Um and you know, Brianna, the first 12

years old. How is it the

African-American you were moved into the

want to get that the Hall of Fame at the

age of 12. That's a lot to put on your

shoulders. You even have a day named

after you. Yes. You know,

So, when I was 12, I went with a teacher

who saw me a trombonist. I was I played

saxophone.

Don't ask. I'm not going to do

[laughter] it. But um my teachers made

me continue to play saxophone. She took

me to Mary Jo Pappage. Took me to Europe

with a big band. And um I was inducted

into the African-American Hall of Fame

when I got back. And I didn't understand

what it meant. I was there for the cake.

But and and to sing. But um I was my

father he was also inducted after me. I

was the first in the family.

Um Brianna Thomas Day came about in

2023.

I was on tour with Jazz at Lincoln

Center songs we love in Pittsburgh. And

out of the blue, Pittsburgh made a

proclamation

declaring February 22nd, mark your

calendars, Brianna Thomas Day. And

it is

it is a lot to carry, but to whom much

is given, much is expected. And I take

it very seriously. I've always felt like

the power of music um music says things

that words often cannot. And um it it

makes room for people to feel how they

feel and be how they are. And back on

Ella here, it takes time to become who

you are as an artist. And it and as we

give ourselves permission to become who

we are, I think somewhere in that space

when we share that with people it's a

contagious

infectious feeling and and people feel

the freedom that we allow ourselves. So,

um I I do I'm very blessed and so

honored and

I look to live up to it every day.

>> [laughter]

>> You know, Michelle, I mean the first

woman, you know, to lead a jazz

division.

Uh we still see the road that and the

work ahead for this music to really

fully open its arms.

Uh that took a lot of courage and you

know, talk about that. And and and I

also so struck by it was another woman

who pulled you forward.

>> Yes.

Um yes, I was um

the first woman to head a jazz division

at a major label, Atlantic Records,

which was founded on jazz and R&B, the

house that Ruth built. Um and I was I

was at RCA at the time heading up their

um

marketing division for jazz.

And I got a call uh one of my mentors

said, "Hey, they're they're going to um

cuz jazz Atlantic Jazz had been dormant

for a while."

And Ahmet Ertegun, the founder of uh

the label

wanted to um start the start the jazz

division up again. And so, they were

looking for someone to run it.

And I heard about it and I heard that

Sylvia Rhone,

who was the most powerful woman in the

business,

uh African-American woman in the

business, was doing the um interviewing.

And she had uh she had a gentleman in

mind already.

And I said, "Stop the presses.

Let me get her my resume."

And I got her my resume and I had an

interview the next day. And I had the

gig like 2 days later.

And it was and yeah, it was great. And

she always championed

other women, but you had to be ready.

She was not going to bring you up if you

weren't ready.

And I was ready.

And no one knew more about the music um

at a label

I didn't believe than I did.

And um so yeah, going into that space

um

Was I nervous? No, honestly, because I

knew what I was doing.

Um and like I said, certainly no one at

the label except maybe Ahmet knew more

about the music than I did.

And um and to be sitting in Ahmet's

office in front of him when he's talking

to me about Shirley Horn and all of

these other people and I'm going back

and forth with him. Oh, YEAH, BLAH BLAH

BLAH.

>> [laughter]

>> We had it while he sits and smokes his

cigarette.

We had a great conversation. So, between

Sylvia and Ahmet um yeah, I got the gig

and and and it was great. I just walked

into meetings um

very prepared.

And I remember and I'll tell a quick

story. I remember going into the

marketing meetings where every every

department was part of the marketing

meetings.

And they would always have jazz last.

And by the time I got to all of our

accomplishments, people were leaving and

they were or they were glazed over, they

were tired or what have you.

So, one day after one of the meetings, I

went into the president's office. His

name was Vala Zoli.

And I said, look, I No, his name was Ron

Shapiro.

And I said, Ron, we have a lot going on

in the jazz department and and we're the

only department that has number one

records.

And I said, I want to go first.

And he's like, well, you know, Michelle,

there's a lot going on, but I said, I

need to go first. I said, whatever else

happens after I go, you know, fine, but

I need to go first. And he allowed me to

go first for the remainder of the

meetings. I would go first. And we would

I would run off my number one records. I

would run off what we were working on

and everyone was impressed.

And then the meetings continue And I sat

through the meetings.

>> [laughter]

>> That's

That would be good advice for a young

woman, right? Who is forging their path

on stage and off. You know, taking that

courage, speaking up for yourself,

having that agency. I I guess I want to

ask you, you know, as we kind of

conclude

what might be the the advice you'd give

to yourself

looking back?

Um

Trust your instinct, always.

And

slowest is the the fastest way to get

where you get that I got this from

Andrew, um the the Broadway actor.

I feel like um many times we find each

other lost in the way.

But sometimes being lost is the best way

for us to to be found. So, always trust

your instinct. Yeah.

Briana, one sentence on that. What would

you tell yourself? I would definitely

tell myself to be patient because uh

slow is the way to win the race. And you

become

by our by your experiences, good and

bad. And as artists, because we speak

for ourselves and for our community and

the experiences we're having, I would

tell a young woman to trust herself and

to trust what she was experiencing.

Don't let anybody talk you off that. And

to be brave to share it because whatever

you're going through, someone else is,

too.

Yeah.

You know, I would conclude with that.

a little bit I would just say

um

follow your passion.

Um be brave.

And be prepared.

Very true. And I think

you know, I would say know that you have

all that you need. That we possess all

that we need to go where we want to go.

Well, this has been a truly a delight

uh to to uh

talk with you today. You know, I think

when we look ahead

uh already women are leaning in and we

are uh trailblazers and standing on the

shoulders of so many who have come

before us. It has really been a pleasure

and I want to say that um

we will

kind of conclude this

and then we will take go into our second

part of this uh evening. You see this

wonderful instrument right here.

A piano like none other.

I think it is called

Sing for Hope.

Sing for Hope and that is what we will

be doing. We will have an all-star

concert uh with us.

With that, thank you so very much.

>> [applause]

>> Thank you. Thank you, Ella, Briana.

Michelle, thank you so very much.

>> [applause and music]