BMC BLACK VOICES PROGRAMME BOOK - Book - Page 17
A concert inspired by female jazz legends Hazel
Scott, Lil Hardin Armstrong, Dorothy Donegan,
and Nina Simone. These African American
women were jazz stars who trained ûirst as
classical pianists. Lil Hardin Armstrong, Hazel
Scott and Nina Simone in particular had aspired
to be concert pianists but were denied access
to the classical music industry on account of
their colour.
Hazel Scott later became famous for giving
popular classical music a jazz spin with her
style becoming known as 'classical swing'.
Nina Simone’s favorite composer was Bach—
and Dorothy Donegan said that if she could, she
would give jazz up in order to pursue classical
music.
Lil Hardin Armstrong (Louis Armstrong’s second
wife) is not only responsible for branding Louis
Armstrong as a world class trumpet player but
also taught him about classical music.
Although these women were primarily known
for their jazz, Classical Swing brings together
both the jazz and the classical music that they
played. Classical Swing also includes 1930s
African American composer Margaret Bonds,
who in contrast enjoyed a career as a concert
pianist and fused her classical compositions
with Boogie Woogie and negro spirituals.
Beatrice will also perform an improvisation by
Art Tatum, who was Hazel Scott's mentor, and
music by Jelly Roll Morton who was perhaps Lil
Hardin's greatest inûluence. Beatrice will get
