At Women in Jazz South Florida Inc, we know that change starts with people like you. Every act of kindness, every dollar, and every moment of your time brings us closer to achieving our mission. Together, we can create a brighter, more compassionate world for all.
How you can help power our mission: Contest for 2026 Cover of Musicwoman and Musicman Magazines. In 2025, Dr. Donna Singer conducted a fundraiser, raising $1,100 to be on the cover of Musicwoman Magazine. She asked the support of vendors she uses for beauty, business, and products. This was a successful process to bring funds into our nonprofit and put Donna on the cover of the International Edition of Musicwoman Magazine 2025.
For 2026, we are conducting a contest to see who raises the most funds to be on the cover of our 2026 publications. Each supporter must stipulate which artist should be on the cover!
Thank you for supporting our mission to promote women musicians, globally!
Your support is invaluable.
Dr. Joan. R. Cartwright Founder, Executive Director Women In Jazz South Florida, Inc. 954-740-3398 wijsf@yahoo.com
Donate for the Cover of Musicwoman/Musicman Magazines
For sale at Super Markets, Barnes and Nobles Bookstores, and at wijsf.org
Complimentary issues can be found year-round at select high-traffic locations and high-profile events through South Florida. Check our website and fb pages for up-to-date lists of events.
From the International President
May 15, 2025
Letter from the International President of Women in Jazz South Florida Global Unity in Women’s Music – A Festival of Celebration and Collaboration
Dear Friends and Supporters of Women in Jazz,
It is with deep pride and gratitude that I write to share highlights of the extraordinary journey we have taken this past year in uniting women in music across continents, celebrating the power of jazz, and deepening the mission of Women in Jazz South Florida (WIJSF).
Under the visionary leadership of our founder and stalwart advocate, Dr. Joan Cartwright, WIJSF was honored to participate in the first remarkable Musicwoman Festival on October 19, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia. I had the privilege of securing a grant that enabled me to travel with my band to represent our music and voices on that significant platform. The event was a resounding success, amplifying women’s contributions to jazz and opening doors for more international collaboration.
INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT
Following Atlanta, our musical journey continued to New York City, where the legendary bassist Kim Clarke, founder of Lady Got Chops Women’s Month Jazz Festival, graciously organized a series of gigs for us. Her unwavering commitment to creating space for women in jazz was empowering as a reflection of the ongoing sisterhood that binds our global network.
The highlight of our year was undoubtedly the Global Jazz Women’s Festival (GJWF) held in March 2025 in Eswatini, during International Women’s Month. This event was proudly supported by REVAinc, a dynamic organization led by Jessica Jones, whose support was instrumental in creating a space of joy, learning, and musical excellence.
This festival was a vivid fusion of cultural unity and collaboration. We were thrilled to share the stage with phenomenal musicians from Botswana, including our long-standing allies Kim Clarke (USA) and Biggi Vinkeloe (Sweden), as well as the vibrant JCFI Music Ensemble (South Africa). These collaborations reflect the very essence of our mission to connect women across borders through the transformative language of music.
As International President of WIJSF, I am inspired by the commitment, creativity, and solidarity displayed by every woman who took part in these events. We are more than a network. We are a movement rooted in mutual respect, cultural exchange, and artistic excellence.
We look forward to expanding these partnerships and creating even more opportunities for women in jazz worldwide. Together, we continue to rise, play, and inspire.
MUSICWOMAN SIBONGILE ANNA BUDA
Artist of the Year
With appreciation and in harmony,
Sibongile Buda
International President Women in Jazz South Florida
Why Musicwoman & Musicman Magazine? For 30+ years, my life was golden, touring five continents and 20 countries, performing as a Jazz/ Blues vocalist and composer, and writing for various publications. When I returned to the USA in 1996, I realized that I had only performed with six women musicians. I began the Jazzwomen Directory online to catalog the lives of women in music, particularly, in Jazz and Blues. By 1998, my online directory was available to the public. To date, there are 100 women listed. In 2007, I incorporated our nonprofit to promote women musicians, globally.
In 2017, I published my doctoral dissertation, Women in Jazz: Music Publishing and Marketing with “Six Keys For Success For Women Musicians”. In 2019, we released the first edition of Musicwoman Magazine, an annual publication with the stories of women musicians.
Dr. Joan Cartwright Editor-in-Chief
Through a grant from Conquest Graphics printing company, we published this magazine for seven years from March 2019 to June 2025. However, the grant only covers printing, and we pay writers, photographers, graphic designers, and editors. In 2020, we published the first edition of Musicman Magazine, and five subsequent issues.
These publications feature talented women and men in the music business. Some are obscure, despite their lifetime commitment to creating beautiful music. Some are not signed with record companies and need affordable promotion, which their membership affords them.
Our goal is to publish MusicTeen Magazine. We employ editors, graphic designers, writers, photographers, and distributors in key cities like Miami, New York, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. However, printing prices soared, after COVID, limiting the printing of our publications available at: https://issuu.com/joancartwright
When our members receive the magazines, they reach out to each other and collaborate on music projects. Another benefit of the publications is that local, national, and international companies advertise to our members and readers at affordable prices. We built our advertising base to support the publications in years to come. As far as competition is concerned, most of our musicians are not mainstream, so they get promotion here, where we honor their creativity.
Contact us, if you’re interested in supporting our mission to promote women musicians and composers, globally, and men who support them.
Thank you,
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Pieces Of A Dream (POAD) is a Grammy-nominated musical group with Curtis Harmon on drums, James Lloyd on keys, and Tony Watson, Jr. on saxophone. The group hails from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They created their first hit record, Mt. Airy Groove, in 1982, which charted on the Billboard Hot R&B singles chart.
Singularly, the group members have been studying and playing music since they were children, starting with straight ahead jazz. James studied with Gerald Price, Jr., the late great pianist from Wilmington, Delaware. Curtis studied with his grandfather and father, and Tony studied with his father.
Curtis and James have composed and performed music for over 40 years. The group has published hundreds of songs, and they have a dynamic discography with 26 albums. POAD are one of the grandfather groups of Smooth Jazz, and they have collaborated with a diverse line up of musicians.
Curtis advises younger musicians to be serious about their craft if they plan to escalate in this business. He said, “There are millions of artists attempting to be successful in the entertainment industry. Studying your craft and being consistent with due diligence, practicing, and putting yourself out there with self-promotion are the keys to success in the music industry.”
Tony advised young musicians to “realize when you come into the music industry this is a business. Study your peers and be well prepared.”
For POAD, going from analog to digital was about progress. The trio believes that, “Mankind will always find better and more efficient ways to do things. That’s just a part of life.” Continuing to press CDs for their fans gives them the opportunity to give each fan a signed copy as a souvenir. Curtis agreed that, “Artists are losing the monetary battle on streaming platforms, so streaming should be adjusted for artists to make more income.”
POAD have opened for and performed with many greats like Nancy Wilson, Count Basie, Mercer Ellington, Sarah Vaughan, Miles Davis, Jerry Butler, and Clark Terry. They performed in concert and on international tours in Japan, Africa, London, Germany, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, The Caribbean, Spain, Portugal, and around the U.S., including Hawaii and Alaska.
Although they are consider a Jazz Funk group, they are versatile in many genres. The group’s longevity is important for their musical career and a factor in staying current and relevant.
For bookings and concert tour schedule log on to: www.PiecesOfADream.net
James offered these tips:
• Do not try to be famous, strive to be good.
• Be responsible and be early, if not one time.
• If you’re going to be on stage, look like you belong there.
• Develop relationships and absorb everything from different musical sources, not just about your instrument or genre.
• Be humble and help others as you would want to be helped.
• Strive to be responsible because nothing spreads quicker than bad news and bad vibes.
• When backing up other artists, know that sound check is not rehearsal, and rehearsal is not for you to learn the music. You should already do that on your own before coming on set.
As a young musician growing up in West Oak Lane, I had the privilege of watching Pieces of a Dream, a talented group from Martin Luther King High School, rise to fame. My friend Barbara Walker, a vocalist and friend of Rachel Farrell, even sang on one of their early hits, “Warm Weather”. One day I had the opportunity to see them record with the legendary Grover Washington in the studio. Years later, keyboardist, James Lloyd, a member of Pieces of a Dream, produced a track called “Sisters” for my album “Pearls”. James and I have remained friends over the years, often running into each other at music festivals and events. It’s been amazing to see how our careers have evolved and the success they have had as a group. Losing one of their founding members, bassist, Cedric Napoleon, impacted the Philadelphia music community. Mr. Harmon did a great job managing and mentoring these young men!
Dr. Gail Jhonson phillythekidmusic@gmail.com www.gailjhonson.com
Executive Director JazzinPink.org www.jazzinpink.com
In Full Bloom: New York’s Cannabis Industry Cultivates a New Economy
by Michael J. PoppaDukes Serrano
It’s springtime in New York, and more than just flowers are blooming. The air is filled with the energy of possibility. For many New Yorkers, that possibility is green, cannabis green. Since the State legalized adult-use cannabis in 2021, the industry has taken root and grown into a powerful force of economic, social, and cultural transformation. The cannabis community is thriving, and people from marginalized backgrounds who nurtured the plant finally have an opportunity to lead a new, more equitable economy.
As of January 2025, New York State boasts 298 licensed adult-use dispensaries with 40% in New York City. Weekly sales are $20 million, putting the average sales per store at an impressive $5.1 million. Ranking 16 out of 38 legal states, New York isn’t following trends but setting them.
This phenomenon feels like a once-in-a-generation opportunity with the chance to build an industry from the ground up, reflecting high profit margins for successful people with principles and purpose. The cannabis industry created new lanes for those shut out of traditional economic opportunities. For creatives, visionaries, and entrepreneurs, especially women and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) professionals, it offers something even rarer - a blank canvas.
The possibilities are vast because the industry is young. Cannabis has fused with entertainment, hospitality, food and beverage, wellness, law, finance, and technology. The industry will compete with economic giants like Silicon Valley and Big Oil, although it is grassroots at the core.
For ancillary businesses not directly handling the plant, this is a frontier bursting with opportunity. Cannabisspecific legal professionals are in high demand, since compliance is a critical part of daily operations. Security firms are essential for product protection and safe, welcoming customer experiences. Marketing and PR agencies that understand cannabis culture help brands communicate their products, values, and voices.
New York’s approach to cannabis regulation set a precedent for other states to follow, especially for education and equity. Dispensary budtenders must be certified, ensuring an informed and responsible industry. Commitment to training is about safety and respect for the plant, the business, and the customer because knowledge builds confidence and confidence builds community.
New York’s cannabis cultivation and processing sector is setting a high bar. Legacy farms like Hepworth Farms in the Hudson Valley has been operating since 1815. They lean into cannabis with the same commitment to organic practices that has sustained them for generations. The Whyte family’s Cannacure Farms brings three generations of cultivation expertise to the market. Green Spectrums CBD, a processor focused on wellness, is pioneering best practices for testing and purity for consumers seeking relief from mental health challenges.
Many retail pioneers survived New York’s darkest drug policy chapters. Conbud’s owner Coss Marte, Jeremy Rivera of Terp Bros., and the Carter Brothers of Trends LIC come from communities once devastated by the Rockefeller drug laws. Today, they have transformed their communities with ownership, education, and advocacy.
Likewise, women are claiming space in this green revolution. Mireille Souvenir of NYC Cannabis Exchange, Jessica Nassaint of Renaissant NYC, and Leeanne Mata of Matawana BK are African American and Caribbean
In Full Bloom by Michael J. PoppaDukes Serrano (con’t)
American women who redefined leadership. From application to grand opening, their stories of resilience, brilliance, and breaking the mold are groundbreaking. They are more than cannabis entrepreneurs. They are economic visionaries, community healers, and cultural trailblazers.
In an era where many are searching for meaningful work that aligns with their values, these leaders are creating a blueprint for a future where business and justice coexist. These New Yorkers from historically underserved communities thrive in industries that once criminalized them.
New York is a cannabis mecca for natives, tourists, and anyone who believes in second chances, innovation, and the power of THE PLANT. Whether used for recreation, medicine, or spiritual grounding, cannabis has ushered in a new era with the chance to rewrite the story of American capitalism. At the dawn of this new industry, we see hope turn into action, dreams turn into businesses, and justice turn into legacy. This is more than a movement. It is a moment in full bloom.
“I was driven and compelled to live up to the great history of Philadelphia bassists,” said Brown, whose musicality is nothing less than superb!
Bassist Tyron Brown by Dr. Joan Cartwright
While working as a furniture upholsterer, Tyrone Brown picked up an acoustic bass as a hobby. He was not interested in becoming a professional musician. However, destiny led him to performing onstage with some of the most notable Jazz musicians in Philadelphia and around the world. His brother-in-law, Rashid Ali’s record collection included Charles Mingus’ album The Clown, which inspired him to abandon textiles to become a bassist.
From Philadelphia’s Borgia Café, Barber’s Hall, and The Painted Bride to the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague, Holland, where I encountered him performing with infamous drummer Max Roach and saxophonist Odean Pope in 1990, Brown has accompanied some of the most prolific musicians, including pianists Bob Cohen, Eddie Green, and Sumi Tonooka; vocalists Michelle Beckham, Rachelle Ferrell, and Donna Jean; trumpeters Johnny Coles and Cecil Bridgewater; trombonist Slide Hampton, and Billie Holiday’s drummer Philly Joe Jones. He recorded Confirmation with the Uptown String Quartet, founded as part of the Max Roach Double Quartet and including Max Roach’s Grammy-nominated daughter, also featuring violinist Diane Monroe.
It all started when he audition for a bandleader and “It was magic,” according to Brown, who never returned to upholstering. “I was driven and compelled to live up to the great history of Philadelphia bassists,” said Brown, whose musicality is nothing less than superb!
Bassist Tyron Brown by Dr. Joan Cartwright (con’t)
For 19 years, he toured and recorded with Max Roach, creating some astounding music all over the world. Brown recorded 130 albums, including two Gold records, Live at the Bijou (1977) and Reed Seed (1978) with Grover Washington, Jr. and his band Locksmith. Also, Brown recorded two albums with Philly singer Rachelle Ferrell and four with guitarist Pat Martino. Harpist Gloria Galante co-produced an album with Brown called Kusangala (1994), the name of their ensemble with percussionist Duke Wilson.
As a leader and composer, Brown performed a solo bass concert at the Moers Jazz Festival in Germany in 1996, that led to a recording contract with the festival director, Burkhard Hennen. This was the initiation of the Tyrone Brown String Septet – Emerald Valley that included a collaboration with violinist John Blake, Jr. Their recording, A Sky With More Stars: A Suite for Frederick Douglass (2009), is an 11-part suite set to 13 speeches by the great abolitionist.
In 1970, Brown’s collaboration with pianist Eddie Green and saxophonist Odean Pope began at the Model Cities Cultural Arts Program, where he taught underprivileged children in his old neighborhood. They became known as The Funkiest Band You Never Heard (1999), recording with the ground-breaking funkfusion band Catalyst.
Although Philly impacted Brown’s musicianship, immensely, his tours with Roach and Pope proved to be universally impactful. Tyrone Brown won awards and a fellowship from The Pew Center of Arts & Culture, and he was recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts, Pennsylvania Performing Arts, and The Independence Foundation. He was commissioned to compose music for the University of Rochester and voted Best Acoustic Jazz Bassist by Philadelphia Magazine.
When he was not touring internationally, he, pianist Eddie Green and drummer Jim Miller performed on Friday nights at Slim Cooper’s on Stenton Avenue for local Philadelphia fans. (excerpts from https://jazzphiladelphia.org/hometown-hero-tyrone-brown)
Jonathan Joseph by Bill Meredith
Drummer Jonathan Joseph’s nickname is Hollywood from his hometown in South Florida. He became an international sensation, in the early 1990s, while touring and recording with an array of stars from Jazz/Fusion, from Jeff Beck, Pat Metheny, and Joe Zawinul to pop and rock stars Joss Stone, Ricky Martin, and Martin Barre. In January 2025, the Port St. Lucie-based drummer traveled overseas to the Thailand International Jazz Conference with his gifted Beast Mode Trio, rounded out by keyboardist Tal Cohen and bassist Armando Gola. All three musicians are Grammy Award winners.
Hollywood said, “The festival was at the College of Music at Mahidol University. It was well-run on the technical side with great sound, staging, and lighting. The campus was designed like a jungle with a really natural environment that opened up the entire space.”
He performed in Thailand, previously. “It would be easier to list the countries I haven’t played in like most of the Middle East, the South Pacific, and Russia,” he capitulated.
Born in Miami and a graduate from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, Hollywood studied with acclaimed professor Steve Rucker, with whom he wrote the instructional book Exercises in AfricanAmerican Funk (Hudson Music, 2015) that focuses on fusing contemporary music with the uneven polyrhythms like mangambe and bikutsi from Hollywood’s work with Cameroon-born bassist Richard Bona.
Rhythmically, the lightning-quick drummer felt the gospel of music very early on. He admitted that, “I have no idea where I was the first time I heard music. I suppose it was in my mother’s womb. I know the first time music impacted me was in church. The first time I saw someone playing the drums, I was 5 years old, and life has not been the same since that day.”
Hollywood has toured the world and recorded with numerous Jazz/Fusion all-stars, including Al Jarreau, David Sanborn, Yellowjackets, Randy Brecker, Othello Molineaux, and Mike Stern. He became a songwriter, publishing his compositions through Kobalt Music. He composed for Joss Stone’s collaborative project Project Mama Earth (2017) that featured Etienne M’Bappe on guitar and bass, Nitin Sawney on keyboards and guitar, and keyboardist Jonathan Shorten.
Hollywood wrote Pinda for the debut of Beast Mode Trio on Inner Cat Music with specific instructions for
Jonathan Joseph by Bill Meredith (con’t)
young musicians and composers. “In today’s world, making music does not pay much money,” he said. “It’s important to perform live, and write music with a view of negotiating licensing and sync deals. Those are the only ways of making any money in the business, nowadays.”
The 58-year-old drummer has worked with several female vocalists other than Stone, including Betty Wright, Gabriela Anders, Beverly Knight, Imelda May, Beth Hart, and Rosie Bones. From 2012-2017, he toured worldwide with the late Jeff Beck (1944-2023), which led to his inclusion on the rolls of The Guitarist’s Who’s-Who of drummers that also lists Vinnie Colaiuta, Narada Michael Walden, Terry Bozzio, Simon Phillips, Richard Bailey, Carmine Appice, Cozy Powell, and Aynsley Dunbar.
Still On the Run: The Jeff Beck Story (Eagle Rock, 2018) is a documentary released before the Beck’s death (available on YouTube). It features appearances by Hollywood, Hart, Bones, Colaiuta, May, guitarists Jennifer Batten and Carmen Vandenberg, bassists Tal Wilkenfeld and Rhonda Smith, and keyboardist Jan Hammer.
The late guitarist employed female singers and musicians, consistently, during the second half of his 60-year career, including guitar ace Jennifer Batten, formerly with Michael Jackson. Hollywood worked in Beck’s ensembles with instrumentalists Wilkenfeld, Smith, and Vandenberg, and he understands the challenges women face in the male-dominant music industry. “They have to deal with the usual sexism and misogyny,” he said. “But Tal, Rhonda, and Carmen are excellent and inspirational musicians. I know Jennifer Batten, an outstanding guitarist, but I haven’t worked with her. Not yet, anyway!”
Bill Meredith is a freelance journalist, drummer, percussionist and vocalist, residing in Lake Worth Beach, Florida. His earliest writing appeared in the Kaleidoscope newspaper at Twin Lakes High School, now Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach. He became Editor-in-Chief of the weekly Beachcomber at Palm Beach State College in Lake Worth. Subsequent contributions include features and a bi-weekly TGIF local music column for the Palm Beach Post from 2001-2016, and sports writing since 2009. Also, he wrote for JazzTimes, Modern Drummer, Jazziz, Palm Beach Arts Paper, Florida Weekly, and Palms West Journal, including interviews with Chick Corea, Bela Fleck, Ann Wilson, Elvin Jones, Diana Krall, Steve Vai, Stanley Clarke, Christian McBride, Allan Holdsworth, Chris Robinson, Arturo Sandoval, and Billy Cobham. Musical contributions tally more than 30 album credits with Big Brass Bed, Black Finger, Jason Colannino, The Cravens, Friction Farm, Funky Blu Roots, Rod MacDonald, Smokeboss Militia, and Sub Groove. Meredith toured the East Coast and Midwest with singer/songwriter Fran Snyder. He performed at New Year's Eve celebrations in the Bahamas with singer/songwriter Jonathan Panks, and was the drummer/vocalist for Montreal band Big City, performing throughout the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario. He performed live at SunFest in West Palm Beach, opening for B.B. King, Don Henley, Bonnie Raitt, Sarah McLachlan, Ani DiFranco, Johnny Winter, Queen Latifah, The Outlaws, Jennifer Nettles, Jason Bonham, Edwin McCain, and Firefall.
Inner Cat Music Group (photo)
Benefits of a WIJSF Membership
WIJSF connects musicians. A member and songwriter was seeking a piano player in her area. Through WIJSF she met a piano player and they worked on 3 new songs. Membership provides you with a database of exceptional professional women in jazz. Your $60 annual dues comes with a subscription to Musicwoman Magazine.
Women in Jazz
Go to http://www.wijsf.com/join.htm
You are a man that composes, performs, produces music or you enjoy women musicians in concert. You're a perfect candidate for membership in our organization that promotes women musicians, globally. Membership is $60 annually and benefits include:
• Listing on www.wijsf.com/musicians.htm or www.wijsf.com/members.htm
• Announcements and events in www.wijsf.com/newsletter/newsletter.htm
• Submit a song to compilation CD distributed to Radio DJs www.wijsf.com/compcds.htm
• Features, articles, and discounted ads in MUSICWOMAN/MUSICMAN Magazine (2026)
• Affiliations: Donne in Musica in Rome, Women in Jazz in Serbia, and instrumental Women Association with women musicians, worldwide
• Connection with the South Florida Jazz List
Thanks for all of your support in our mission to promote women musicians, globally!
SouthSinceflorida 2007
Hey! Are you going to the after party? Yes !!! Are you going to the After After Party? Hell No!!!
In this music game, especially as a music producer, which I can speak on, you have power and control over people, but you have to have integrity and not misuse your power. Everyone needs a favor in return for a favor. You have to be careful with those return favors.
Normally, the after party is where you network, after an award show, or industry event. But the After After Party may put you in a uncompromised straight jacket that you can’t get out of and you may get turned out! You will know if you’re in a Danger Construction Zone, if you pay attention, you will see all the signs and you better run.
Being in the industry, you have to be ready to answer these important questions. The questions may seem exciting because you were invited and have the credential passes to all the private events, but you may want to stop and ask yourself which one is the After After Party?
I have no words on Diddy’s behavior. I can’t explain why he made the decision he made. But I can say he was well-groomed and took advantage of his power as a music mogul.
Have you ever thought about or compared Hugh Hefner’s Playboy mansion parties to Diddy’s parties?
I’m not saying Diddy’s behavior is excusable or acceptable. I’m not into any of that freaky shit that Diddy was into. I don’t believe in putting my hands on women.
But these questions remain unanswered:
1. Did Hugh Hefner have Freak Off Parties with high profile celebrity guests like politicians, millionaires, celebrities, athletes, and L.A.’s elites, who attended Playboy Mansion parties throughout the years?
2. Did Diddy pattern his parties after the parties at the Playboy Mansion?
3. Did Diddy forget the rules are different because he wasn’t a white man giving a party at the Playboy Mansion and his name was not Hugh Hefner?
BE CAREFUL HOW YOU ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS OUT LOUD.
10% discount on design projects for WIJSF Members
CD/DVD/LPS | logos | pitch decks | EPKs | posters | promotional items event programs | SM posts | song graphics | etc. | print and online Songwriter, Lyricist (Alt rock, Blues, singer/songwriter) Can write from scripts, storyboards and concepts
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