Joan Cartwright

 

 

Mistress of Ceremonies

African American Success Foundation

2001 Jazz Benefit

Click on Joan's website at:  http://www.fyicomminc.com/jazzquest.html

About the Artist...

This Sagittarian from New York City has a B.A. in Communications and Music from LaSalle University, Philadelphia and a Master's in Communications from Florida Atlantic University.  Joan studied piano, composition, and theory with pianist Gerald Price, and harp with Caliope Prios. She also studied ballet and modern dance with Bernice Johnson and Lavern Porter, and African dance wtih Dinizulu.

Joan has performed on television radio and on stage at the Blue Note (NYC), The "A" Train and Erny's (Delray Beach), O'Hara's, Promenade and Riverwalk Sunday Jazz Brunch (Fort Lauderdale), Ellington's (Hollywood), and Jazid (Miami Beach) in the U.S. and in Europe.  Her research paper, The Sign of the Blues, was published in the 1993 IAJE Research Papers Journal.  She offers lectures around the country and at Broward Community College (FL) on:

1.    Women in Jazz

2.    Jazzmen

3.    The Sign of the Blues

4.    Jazz: The Unmasked Rhetoric

5.    The Cultural Politics of Commercial Jazz

6.    The Business of Music:  So, You Want to be a Singer?

Joan's original music is published by Fuzz Goodbuddy Publications (BMI).

Joan is the recipient of a 1999 SEAS Grant from the School Board of Broward County for a five-day lecture and concert series with Dr. Lonnie Smith in area schools on Women in Jazz.

March 1998, Joan produced the First Annual Gaiafest, "A Celebration of Mother Earth with Women in Jazz" featuring legendary vocalists Dakota Staton and Ruth "Silky" Waters, and the Gaia All-Stars with Kim Clark (b), Bertha Hope (p), Bernice Brooks (d) and Pamela Williams (sax).  In September 1998, 1999 and 2000, Gaiafest was produced in the Bronx, New York.  Ultimately, Gaiafest will travel around the world.

Joan is also a writer and has written:

  • An Inside Columnist for African American Travel, the nation's premier magazine for black travelers.  She has covered Italy, Switzerland, England, Germany and Spain.
  • Feature stories for IN FOCUS Magazine, and Pick Up & Go, and environmental newsletter.
  • for FYI Communications, Inc., a clearinghouse for the above and other publications and fine art.
  • Columns fro Entertainment News & Views, including such subjects as Dr. Billy Taylor, Wynton Marsalis, Bobby McFerrin, Lonnie Liston Smith, and Sun Ra.  She interviewed Quincy Jones and Abby Lincoln.
  • Popular Music, a screenplay in progress.

In 1998, Joan co-produced and co-hosted the cable show, Let's Get Serious, with Ruth "Silky" Waters.  This Miami talk show presented 36 positive role models for youth from all walks of life including politics, education, the arts and business.

Joan designs websites for various clients.  She writes grant proposals and develops programs for The Children's Coalition, Inc., West Palm Beach, FL.  In 2001, she will be Editor-in-Chief of Believe & Achieve, the magazine from and for youth.

Let's welcome Joan Cartwright to our

AASF 2001 Jazz Benefit!