End of the Beginning

Today, I submitted my last assignment for the first course of my PhD program at Northcentral University. Houston Cypress asked me, "You've done all of these things: toured the world, singing in many countries; published 9 books and several CDs; founded a non-profit organization to promote women musicians. Why a PhD.?"

"Well," I told him, "my Dad is 92. I'm 63. That may mean that I have another 30 years to live. I might as well be doing SOMETHING rather than sitting around waiting to transition."

I'm writing for www.icabaworld.com

I'm performing at Sisters in Harmony Expo, next week, and presenting my books at the author's roundtable.

I am booking gigs, like the cruise for Blacks Over 40, September 10-18, to the Caribbean.

What are YOU doing?

February 5, 2011 - Jazz Under The Stars

Discography of Joan Cartwright

Jazz and Blues composer, vocalist and performer Joan Cartwright is a 30+ year veteran of the stage. She's composer over 60 songs, 35 poems and published nine books. She's traveled to 15 countries on five continents and sung for the Duke of Marlboro, the Duchess of Kent, one of the seven presidents of Switzerland and for the American Embassy in Kingston, Jamaica. She's taught thousands of students about Women in Jazz and Blues in the U.S., Europe, China and Japan.

In pursuit of a melody, Joan Cartwright has written over 60 songs. Eleven of them are recorded on two CDs:

1. Feelin' Good (1995) recorded with the Giovanni Mazzarino Quartet in Catania, Sicily. The first release was on Tireno Records that closed shop the following year. Joan reproduced the CD in Florida and released it on her own label, I AM Records, through her company FYI Communications, Inc. The original songs on the CD are: No Love, Loneliblue, Dreamin' and Nobody's Husband.
2. In Pursuit of a Melody (2005) a compilation of music recorded from 1983 to 2005. The original songs on this CD are: Sweet Return (2 versions: solo piano by Joan and the one by Freddie Hubbard on Atlantic Records in 1983), In Studio, Marylou's Lession, Delray Blues, Talkin' That Jazz, Jazz Hotline and the rendition of A Night In Tunisia composed by Dizzy Gillespie with lyrics by Joan Cartwright.

In 2010, Joan will release her third CD, Melodic Memories with several of her original blues compositions including: A Sweet Lovin' Man and Champagne Blues, arranged by trumpeter Arthur Wilson, formerly with Otis Redding, Sam & Dave and Bobby Blue Bland.

Joan's CDs are available at:

• www.fyicomminc.com/inpursuit.htm
• www.cdbaby.com/cd/jcartwright
• www.cdbaby.com/cd/jcartwright2
• Amazon.com

Books by Diva JC

Joan Cartwright's first book, IN PURSUIT OF A MELODY was published in 2006 by Trafford Publishing in soft cover. This book is a compilation of Joan's memoirs as a veteran jazz and blues performer, poetry, songs and lectures.

In 2009, Joan published the book on lulu.com in hard cover. Also, she broke the book out into four other books:

1. Amazing Musicwomen that documents the lives of 40 women in jazz and blues
   
2. So, You Want To Be A Singer? A manual for up-and-coming Divas, musicians and composers
   
3. GaiaMind Poems - a collection of over 35 poems
   
4. Joan Cartwright Song Book - a collection of 41 original musical compositions
   
   

By the end of 2009, Joan published three other books:

1. Rhythms of The Heart - 12 love poems

2. The Moon, Sunshowers, Rainbows and Whipped Cream Clouds - Spiritual journey

3. Songs For My Children - Four children's songs

All of Joan's books are available at http://stores.lulu.com/divajc in soft and hard cover.

• http://www.joancartwright.com/
• http://www.fyicomminc.com/
• http://www.wijsf.com/

Diva JC performs in Feb and March

Diva JC is the guest of the American Embassy

February 23-26, 2010

Kingston, Jamaica

NEW YORK CITY

Saturday, March 4, 2010 @ 7-9 p.m.

94-15 159th Street, Jamaica, NY 11433
718-651-1100

Saturday, March 6, 2010 @ 2-4 p.m.

Langston Hughes Library
100-01 Northern Boulevard
Corona, NY 11368
718-651-1100

Sunday, March 7, 2010 @ 4 - 5 p.m.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010 @ 6 - 7 p.m.

THE SHRINE
2271 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd.
(133-134 St.)
New York, NY 10030
212-690-7807
info@shrinenyc.com

Presented by

The 8th Annual
LADY GOT CHOPS
Women's Month Jazz Festival

Summer 2008

Lots happened this summer.

1. I started an online talk show, MUSICWOMAN LIVE! at www.blogtalkradio.com/musicwoman that airs online on Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. EST with interviews of women who compose and perform their own music. Go to the link and listen to the current show and scroll down for all the archived shows. www.myspace.com/musicwomanlive











2. On November 8, 2008, I will begin a BORDERS Book Tour with my book and CD, IN PURSUIT OF A MELODY in Fort Lauderdale. On Nov 15, I'll be in Jensen Beach, and on and on and on!



3. I am a candidate for my doctorate in Leadership and Education at Barry U [but this didn't happen. The 7 scholarships went to other candidates. However, friends are still encouraging me to get my Ph.D.]



4. My proposal to present Women in Jazz at the Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities has been accepted. Now, I just have to come up with the $$$ for conference registration, flight and hotel for Jan 9-13, 2009. [Never got the money to go. Maybe, next year in 2011.]



5. On October 30, WOMEN IN JAZZ will do a rehearsal workshop for 600 students at the African American Research Library and Cultural Center through a grant from Friends of AARLCC to WOMEN IN JAZZ SOUTH FLORIDA, INC., for which the application for 501(c)(3) status with the IRS has now been completed. We await status, but can legally accept funding, now.

Start spreading the news. . .

Photos at York College on March 28, 2008 with Diva JC's Women in Jazz

and Diva JC was a guest of Women in Jazz on April 5, 2008, in NYC

Festival was delightful!

New York was great, a little busy, lots of traffic, smog, but altogether wonderful! Here's a note to a dear ole friend that should make it clearer. . .

Dearest Charles McPherson,

Before I came to NY this trip, a wonderful couple, Rev. Curtis and Carol Davis took me to the American Jazz Museum in Kansas City, MO, and bought me your cd, McPherson's Mood.

Imagine the coincidence of seeing you at JAZZ STANDARD in NY! with jazz promoter and afficianado Jim Harrison and Maxine, Dexter Gordon's widow. Whew!

Then, I spent the night in New Jersey with the family of Willie Williams who worked with me in Philly, when he was only 19. Wow! Willie is still playing sax like a champ! We went to a jam session with Greg Bufford at Crossroads in Garwood, NJ, and who did I run into but singer Juedienne Gordon, niece of Dexter Gordon. Wow! Wow!

My concert at St. Peter's on April 5th at 1 p.m. was slightly earlier than I'm used to (smile), but the music was on. My music was interpreted by Kim Clarke on bass, Greg Bufford (who worked with me for years in Philly) on drums, and Osmany Paredes, Cuban pianist whom I sang with in Mexico, over 10 years ago. "Smokin'" as Jesse and Jim put it.

"Run it!" That's all I can say. It was great to see all of you in NY during one week.

To top it off, I went to SMOKE on Broadway and 106th Street, to hear the song stylings of Vanessa Rubin, who, in my opinion is deliciously jazzical.

So, yes, the trip that began with my WOMEN IN JAZZ Presentation at York College on March 28, was, needless to say, swingin'!

Love your cd. "Ma cherie amour" is playing now! here in beautiful sunny south florida, putting me right back in the mood I was in when I heard you play in NY back in 1969!

Diva JC
Love and music,
Diva Joan Cartwright, Author

• IN PURSUIT OF A MELODY
  
• http://www.divajc.com/
  
• http://www.fyicomminc.com/
  
• Women in Jazz Festival 2008