Female Musicians Pay Tribute To Iconic Jazz Singers In Malibu

Three dynamic vocalists and an all-female jazz band pay tribute to three of history's greatest jazz singers in the musical performance Bessie, Billie, & Nina-Pioneering Women in Jazz at Pepperdine University's Smothers Theatre in Malibu on Thursday, March 24, 2022 at 8 p.m.

Tickets, priced starting at $20 for adults and $10 for full-time Pepperdine students, are available now by calling (310) 506-4522 or visiting the event page.

From the Jim Crow era-South through the turbulent 1960s, Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, and Nina Simone were among the most influential and popular singers of their times. Both within their music and outside of the clubs and concert halls, they wielded their exceptional talents to combat racial prejudice, sexism, and poverty. Whether powerfully and playfully claiming her autonomy (Bessie Smith), forcing America to acknowledge the racism pervasive in the American South and beyond (Billie Holiday), or giving voice to the Civil Rights movement with stirring protest anthems (Nina Simone), these trailblazing singers spoke to and for the disenfranchised as women, African-Americans, and artists. All three women defied social norms, embracing self-empowerment through their art.

Produced by GRAMMY-winning Eli Wolf (Norah Jones, Cassandra Wilson), and with arrangements by pianist and musical director Carmen Staff (Dee Dee Bridgewater), Bessie, Billie, & Nina-Pioneering Women in Jazz features three dynamic vocalists, each a rising star in her own right: Charenée Wade (Jazz at Lincoln Center), Tahira Clayton (co-leader, Women in Jazz Organization) and Vanisha Gould (Sunday Vocal Jazz Jam Series). Presented in affiliation with WIJO and backed by an all-female band, Wade, Gould, and Clayton celebrate the enduring legacies of these iconic women and artists with performances of their classic songs, including Bessie Smith's "Downhearted Blues," Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit," and Nina Simone's "Mississippi Goddam."

The musical and social legacies of Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, and Nina Simone remain as relevant as ever. Their contributions resonate with today's artists across many genres, as well as with ongoing movements toward progress and equality for women and African-Americans. Bessie, Billie, & Nina will entertain, inspire, and empower audiences during this pivotal time in our own history.

The Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts at Pepperdine University provides high-quality activities for over 50,000 people from over 800 zip codes annually through performances, rehearsals, museum exhibitions, and master classes. Located on Pepperdine's breathtaking Malibu campus overlooking the Pacific, the center serves as a hub for the arts, uniquely linking professional guest artists with Pepperdine students as well as patrons from surrounding Southern California communities. Facilities include the 450-seat Smothers Theatre, the 118-seat Raitt Recital Hall, the "black box" Helen E. Lindhurst Theatre, and the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art.