Women Play Guitar! - New WEB site and Club
This site is new with more coming soon! (you'll notice the tabs above don't lead anywhere yet) See contact information in the footer below and feel free to send us any concert notices, photos, press, information you would like published here about women who play guitar.
James Baldwin on Rosetta Tharpe
James Baldwin references Sister Rosetta Tharpe (right column, or below if you are on mobile) in one of his essays, Journey to Atlanta. In this essay, from book Notes of a Native Son, 1955, Baldwin tells the story that happened to The Melodeers, a group of jazz singers (Baldwin had a brother who was a member) employed by the Progressive Party to sing in Southern Churches. However, once in Atlanta, Georgia, they were used for canvassing until they refused to sing at all and were returned to their hometown.
"Harlem is filled with churches and on Sundays it gives the impression of being filled with music. Quartets such as my brothers' travel from church to church in the fashion of circuit preachers, singing as much for the love of singing and the need for practice as for the rather indifferent sums collected for them which are then divided. These quartets have "battles of song," the winning team adding, of course, immensely to its prestige, the most consistent winners being the giants in this field. The aim of all these quartets, of ourse, is to branch out, to hit the big time and sing for a livelihood. The Golden Gate Quartet, judging at least from its music, had its roots here, and out of such a background came Sister Rosetta Tharpe, whom I heard not quite ten years ago, plunking a guitar in a store front church on Fifth Avenue."Women Play Guitar! - Martha Masters played Guitar Nights - Pasadena CA, at Conservatory of Music
Martha Masters, classical guitarist, to play
Martha Masters is active as a solo recitalist, as a chamber musician, and as a soloist with
orchestras. Recent concert seasons have included performances on concert series and at
festivals in China, England, Denmark, Spain, Poland, Germany, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico,
Canada, Mexico, and throughout the United States.
Martha Masters website
Above: Muriel Anderson plays a Morris Guitar
Muriel performed recently to mesmerized audiences at Boulevard Music in Culver City, CA and at the Gelencer House Concert in Claremont. Review soon. For her complete concert schedule and reservation information, click here.visit Muriel's website
