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Playtime

Below are the Artists who provided entertainment during ReadOut 2021

Jeanine Dr. Jazz Normand

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Born in New Orleans, Jeanine "Dr. Jazz" Normand earned several M.A. degrees and an honorary Ph.D. She studied formal music and symphony from childhood, embarking on her professional music career at twelve years old. Always writing, by age thirteen, Normand was paid to publish weekly youth news columns for the state capital’s newspaper. She studied premed in undergraduate, yet her first master’s degree and ABD status for the Ph.D. were in French literature/linguistics, earning her second M.A. in English literature/linguistics.

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Normand lived in France twice, teaching French one summer at the Sorbonne in Paris while also performing music around Europe. Her students gave her the sobriquet “Dr. Jazz.” With poetry, short stories, and reviews published in numerous magazines over the years, Normand also regularly led writing workshops and helped coordinate the S.E. Lesbian Writers Conference. Normand, the bilingual Editor at Marsh Rabbit Press, maintains her private businesses as a multilingual, international business consultant; certified translator/interpreter; and concert pianist now living in Fairhope, AL.

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Normand has had a concurrent international career as a multi-instrumentalist recording artist, concert pianist, bandleader, and composer, including classical, blues, rock, and jazz. Her musical bylines are “Le Hot Jazz & Cool Brazilian” and “Twinkling Glamour Piano.” Visit her on Facebook at: https://bit.ly/36RN6x9

Barbara Ester & Beth York

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​Six Lesbian Love Songs

The interface between spoken word and melody.

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Barbara Ester is a gardener, singer, songwriter and massage therapist living in Spartanburg, SC. She has several recordings on her co-founded label, Music for Lesbians, including Heartsongs (2008) with Beth York. Her stories have been published in Maize and Sinister Wisdom.

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Beth York is a retired music professor from Converse College, a women's college in Spartanburg, SC. Ladyslipper Music produced her first recording entitled Transformations. Beth performed at major women's music festivals throughout the country including Michigan and the NWMF. Her latest recording, Finding Home, contains original songs by Beth, Barbara Ester, and Phyllis Free. You can find it on CD Baby, YouTube, Amazon, or contact Beth at eyork4366@gmail.com

Fay Jacobs / 50 Shades of Fay

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Fay Jacobs, a native New Yorker, has had a 35-year career in journalism, public relations & theater. As an author, Fay has five published books of humorous and activist essays. All were originally published by A&M Books, a successor to Naiad Press and are now published by Bywater Books. Fay’s first book, As I Lay Frying, is in its 4th printing. A second, Fried & True, won the 2008 National Federation of Press Women Book of the Year for humor.


Her third collection, For Frying Out Loud, won many more national awards, including a GCLS Goldie and an (IPPY) Independent Book Award. Her latest book is Time Fries – Aging Gracelessly. As a journalist, Fay has written for The Washington Post, Baltimore Sun, Delaware Today, Delaware Beach Life and more. Her LGBT journalism credits include The Advocate, Curve Magazine, and Letters from CAMP Rehoboth.
Fay has taught memoir and comedy writing, judged for the Lambda Literary Awards and has a new career, in what she calls “sit-down comedy.” She lives in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware with her wife Bonnie and their Miniature Schnauzer Windsor.

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More info can be found at: http://www.fayjacobs.com.

“Special Treat” Women’s Music from 1975 to Present:

An hour of women’s music videos for you during our dinner break. Enjoy! 

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Margie Adam with Chris Williamson, Meg Christian, and Holly Near

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Margie Adam has edited and uploaded these four clips from her YouTube Channel. 

 

This channel is meant to be archival in nature as well as a space where Margie can respond to the current social, political and cultural  environment from her particular point of view as a artist, feminist activist, and organizer using music, imagery and the written/spoken word.  

 

In the future, she intends to post conversations she has enjoyed with Jewelle Gomez, Jeanne Cordova, among others... also various programmatic material including a timeless environmental justice prose/poetry/music project she co-created with Honor Moore and Susan Griffin called "Take Hands..." and a fascinating collaboration she co-created and co-produced with Lauren Artress called "At The Edge: Conversation Between an Activist and a Seeker with Music and the Labyrinth" which toured the United States.  

You can visit her website at www.margieadam.com

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Kristen Ford is one of the most explosive names in Nashville’s alternative rock music scene. The powerful singer/songwriter is scheduled to release her new EP titled No Plans next month led off by the single “Crooked Youth.” The song was written by Ford and was produced, engineered & mixed by Rachael Moore. The EP as a whole was created by an almost all-female roster of talent including Piper Payne, Ellen Angelico and Briget Boyle.

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Ford found inspiration for the album in Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska. “No Plans is the idea that you can just relax a bit as all your plans dissolve and let life unfold,” mentions Ford. “It will be alright after all. Much of this record unfolded effortlessly, at the right place and the right time. I hope this music can be a light for you as well, at least until life can resume again as normal, with tours and hugs and people gathered at venues, festivals and even some of my favorite dive bars.” http://www.kristenfordmusic.com

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Melanie DeMore’s singing is thrilling. This is not a voice that comes along everyday. This is WOMAN POWER WRAPPED IN VELVET.” -Ronnie Gilbert

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Born in the Bronx, raised in Anchorage, folks moved all five kids to San Antonio, finished school, got out of Texas, kinda got off on being the only Black folk singer in Taos, N.M, then decided to get back into the mix, took all her stuff and moved to Oakland where she’s been for the last 21 years. (Actually, Mel and Tracy C. had a good laugh one day in San Francisco where they finally met and realized folks had them mixed up all the time. They still do!) Every town Melanie traveled became her teacher and an opportunity to hone her craft as a songwriter, troubadour, and an emissary of tolerance, kindness, and harmony through the sound of her golden voice.

 

She’s traveled the world, was a founding member of the Grammy nominated vocal ensemble Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir, and is constantly amazed by her life. But nothing is closer to her heart than bringing people together wherever she is to experience the healing power of music. Whether she’s performing solo, leading stick pounding workshops , doing residencies with choirs all over the country or teaching Sound Awareness to sixth graders, baby boomers, or senior citizens, one thing is certain: her mission is to make sure you unlock the key to experiencing yourself in all your Glory and return home with the very same excitement and passion for living that she herself has. When she comes your way, her energy will charge the very air you breathe like a meteor shower, so get ready to rise up!

 

Her Video video is ’Saint Swagger’ written by her for Saint Harridan an Oakland based clothing company that made mens’ cut suits for Women. she had the pleasure of being a model for Mary Going (founder of Saint Harridan). As a matter of fact, she wears St Harridan when she does residencies with choirs all over the world. Sadly they had to close their doors in 2016 but St. Harridan lives on with many dapper dykes suited up; they’re referred to as ’Saints’. http://www.melaniedemore.com

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The multicultural South African band of Sharon Katz & The Peace Train helped Nelson Mandela end Apartheid and have continued spreading their message of peace and reconciliation through performances and workshops in festivals, educational settings and concert halls around the world.

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Singer/songwriter Sharon Katz used her music as a tool for social change in South Africa, where she had spent most of her youth. With her band, the Peace Train, Katz emphasizes intercultural harmony and spiritual uplift. Her series of large-scale concerts and train tours involving multiracial and multicultural performers promoted national unity in South Africa, where her music helped lay the groundwork for the country's democratic uprising in 1994. In addition to her many performances, which continued in successive years and spanned the globe, Katz also released several albums beginning in 1995.

 

Katz grew up in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, a severely segregated city. From an early age, she despised apartheid and quickly took a liking to socially conscious singer/songwriters music often thought of as protest music. At only age 11, she began playing guitar and began seriously devoting herself to music. Later, she participated in Port Elizabeth's underground protest plays before attending college in Cape Town, where she studied music and government. She graduated in 1976 and took an interest in the concept of music therapy, the use of using music to heal any sort of societal ills.  Visit her website www.sharonkatz.com

1970s

Brittany Baldwin

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Brittany Baldwin: It's Bee, aka BB, aka Brittany, the list could go on forever... lol! I started singing great hits like Twinkle Twinkle and The ABC’s as a young half-squat in my grandma’s home.  After years of practice, I felt that it would be a great idea to take my skills to the next step and see if I could make it as a singer! 

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On a more serious note, like a D minor, I am known for laughing, loving glitter, and randomly busting out into song! I would totally have Meryl Streep’s babies if she wouldn’t think I was a stalker because I think she is the greatest actress ever!  I also love Adele, who I happen to be heavily inspired by as a musician. I am also heavily inspired by Anne Wilson of Heart! People often say that I remind them of both Adele and/or Anne Wilson when they hear me sing. I take this as a huge compliment because they are amazing! I am also told that my music sounds like it is a little bit country. 

 

These compliments have led me to describe my music as follows: If Adele, Ann Wilson, and Jennifer Nettles had a baby, it would be my music! Hope you enjoy! 

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For more information, visit: https://brittanybaldwin.wixsite.com/website.

Hardened and Tempered

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Hardened and Tempered: Hard enough to hold an edge; soft enough not to break. Austin, Texas duo Kristin Davidson and Carolyn Phillips live that balance and express it in their music. Their songs take root in the story-telling traditions of folk and country and flourish with textured harmonies, revealing an intimate look at the human condition and one’s search for meaning.

 

They can be found online at: https://www.hardenedandtempered.com.

Tret Fure    live!

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Tret Fure’s career spans 50 years, releasing award-winning music in that time. Starting as the guitar player for Spencer Davis back in 1971, she released her first album in 1973 on MCA Records, produced by the late Lowell George of Little Feat fame. She has just released her 17th album, “Stone by Stone”.  This is definitely her most mature and thoroughly thought provoking CD to date,  The material ranges from folk, to blues, to jazz, to rock with her retro song “Across the Room’, a pandemic inspired tune.  The title song is a beautiful autobiographical look at love through the lens of time.  This album placed #2 for the month of January in the FAI Folk DJ charts with the #1 song “Monuments”.  She was the #3 artist for the month as well.

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Along with writing, producing and performing, Tret teaches songwriting and guitar, has her own cookbook and paints pet portraits on commission.

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A proud member of Local 1000, the folk musician’s union, she served as President for 6 years.

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For more information, visit: https://www.tretfure.com/index.htm

Nia & Ness

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We are Nia & Ness, a Black, out-lesbian couple and performance art duo, whose work serves as a visual-auditory diary of our daily lives. We believe that it’s necessary for our specific stories, as Black Lesbian Women, to be shared, and it is our responsibility to share them.


Since officially starting our company in 2016, our work and love have transformed into something greater than the art and lives we initially dreamed of. We'd like to welcome you into our journey, invite you to sit or stand with us as we live, love, heal and grow. 


We are currently based in Rosendale, New York, and can be found at: https://www.niaandness.com.

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