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  1. Sep 2025
    1. (Ethel Waters, Bing Crosby)

      The list here overlooks several other pivotal early women in jazz worth mentioning:

      Marion Harris ** (1897 – 1944) - widely recognized as the first woman to record in front of a big band with “When I Hear That Jazz Band Play” with the (Edward T. ) King's Orchestra on Victor Records (1917).

      ** Alberta Hunter** (1895—1984) - began singing at the Panama Club and then Chicago’s Dreamland Ballroom in 1917; soon after performed with King Joe Oliver; recorded with Louis Armstrong and Sidney Bechet in 1924.

      ** Ada “Bricktop” Smith ** (1894-1984) - a key figure in Chicago and later Paris, known for getting Duke Ellington and Claude Hopkins booked into the Baron’s Exclusive Club.

      Cora “Lovie” Austin (1887–1972) — Chicago bandleader, pianist, composer, and arranger; led the Blues Serenaders (with Kid Ory and Johnny Dodds) in the 1920s and became one of the most respected session musicians of her era.

      WomenInJazz

      JazzHistory

      BigBandEra

      CulturalIntersections

      JazzDetox