Jazz is an important part of 20th century American music, but there's one seemingly forgotten chapter of the genre that's the focus of Studio City-based filmmaker Judy Chaikin's latest documentary.
In The Girls in the Band, Chaikin, who's also a musician, spotlights a series of female jazz artists and all-women bands from the 1920s-50s that she herself was not aware of until a few years ago.
"It's such an unknown area to me that it fascianited to me. I started telling my husband about it and other male musicians who never had heard any of these women," she said. "That when I knew thats when i said there's something here."
Eight years in the making due to arranging interviews and securing music rights, The Girls in the Band features interviews with saxophonists Peggy Gilbert and Roz Cron as well as pianist Marian McPartland. Herbie Hancock was also interviewed.
The film chronicles the immense gender barrier at the time female musicians had to overcome to be taken seriously as artists.
Chaikin says a lack of proper documentation is why some of these female jazz artists were almost forgotten, but now she hopes her latest film could inspire some aspiring young artists.
"That' really what we're trying to do, that this will change the landscape for all these young girls who don't have any role models," she said.
The Girls in the Band won several awards including the audience award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival and has garnered positive reviews form publications like the New York Times.
The documentary will play from June 7-13 at the Laemmle NoHo 7. Follow the link for showtimes.
Click here to watch a trailer for The Girls in the Band.
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