Concert Reviews
Women in Jam - Jam Cruise 6
Words by Burgundy Morgan
Photos by
Jam Cruise 6 celebrated some amazing Women in Jam by creating a forum for an intimate circle of these amazing women and their fans. The remarkable Sharon Jones (Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings), Grace Potter (Grace Potter and The Nocturnals), Lisa Mackey (Dark Star Orchestra) and Tanya Shylock (The Everyone Orchestra) graced our presence. I, for one, am still basking in the afterglow of their great performances on Jam Cruise 6! There was so much awesome music, I won’t be able to listen to what radio serves up ever again!
Kudos to each of you:
Sharon Jones – Amazing voice and performance that had the whole ship boogyin’ down!
Grace Potter – The absolute real deal with killer stage presence. This girl’s horns keeps her halo on!
Lisa Mackey – ‘Donna’ incarnate! Thank you, Lisa!
Tanya Shylock – Kicked it with the big boys like we knew she could!
As everyone was clearly blown away by these gals, the question was asked, “So why aren’t there more women in jam?” Jam Cruise 6 hosted a forum with these amazing ladies to delve deeper. On their way to kicking-butt and taking names, these ladies have had varied experiences with men in the music business… mostly good, but some bad. The bad takes the usual forms, with threatened egos usually being at the heart of it. But the good, as we learned, is something that makes it all worthwhile for these talented women: Great times among band-mates and fellow musicians, each sharing the awesome experience of making kick-ass music together where magic moments abound. (And we, the fans, love when that happens as we dance our happy feet off and yell ourselves hoarse!)
In the end, what it came down to for each of these amazing ladies is the power and heart of music itself. It is music’s innate ability to permit a songwriter to pour her heart and soul into words, and to share that song in a meaningful way with others. Like having the words of your diary read out loud, these ladies pour their soul into their songs. As for this music lover, I have nothing but gratitude for these ladies who have gifted us with their amazing talent! I look forward to the next time I get to whoop it up with these gals! So for all you other women out there who can jam, step up to the plate! We will love you for it!
