Terri Lyne Carrington | " New Standards Vol. 1"

Three-time Grammy Award-winning recording artist and NEA Jazz Master Terri Lyne Carrington releases her 11th career album, new STANDARDS vol. 1, set for release on Friday, September 16. Today, Hal Leonard and Berklee Press will introduce Carrington’s debut and one-of-a-kind book, New Standard: 101 Lead Sheets by Women Composers. Curated and edited by Carrington, New Standards highlights compositions that are supplementary and alternatives to the “jazz standards” canon that has served students, teachers, and professionals throughout the development of jazz music.

Since founding the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice in 2018, Carrington, who also serves as the Artistic Director, has promoted equality not just in the genre of jazz, but in the greater artistic world. In conjunction with the release of the historic publication of New Standards: 101 Lead Sheets by Women Composers, Carrington’s star-studded recording, new STANDARDS vol. 1  features special guests recording artists Ambrose Akinmusire, Melanie Charles, Ravi Coltrane, Val Jeanty, Samara Joy, Julian Lage, Michael Mayo, Elena Pinderhughes, Dianne Reeves, Negah Santos, and Somi (Candid Records), backed by bandmates with Carrington on drums, Kris Davis (piano), Linda May Han Oh (bass), Nicholas Payton (trumpet), and Matthew Stevens (guitar). Produced by Carrington and Matthew Stevens, “volume one” is part of a collection of albums to be presented and will include reimagined recordings from the songbook. 

The compositions of New Standards: 101 Lead Sheets by Women Composers span a century, from pioneering composer Lil Hardin Armstrong’s 1922 composition. Other works include the great Mary Lou Williams, Alice Coltrane, Dorothy Ashby, Maria Schneider, Dianne Reeves, Geri Allen, esperanza spalding, Cécile McClorin Salvant, Cassandra Wilson, Nubya Garcia, Mary Halvorson, Nicole Mitchell, and the recently departed Jamie Branch. The book will be available on retail digital platforms everywhere.

Carrington brings her distinct vision, artistry, and thought-leadership into yet another realm of expression - now as a curator, scriptwriter, and author. On Thursday, October 13, in collaboration with the Carr Center, a leading multi-cultural 30-year arts organization in Detroit, where she serves as the Artistic Director, the Carr Center will present and celebrate the opening of New Standards, the first part of Shifting the Narrative: Jazz and Gender Justice Installation, which includes live performances, public programs, educational curriculum, academic symposiums, workshops, and exciting evening concert programming. The installation is open to the public starting Friday, October 14, through Sunday, November 27, 2022.

This installment is a multi-disciplinary exploration that reimagines the shape and sound of jazz through the lens of gender justice. As one of four sections of the full installation, New Standards offers an artistic, biographical, and thought-provoking narrative that spans the past, present, and future of jazz, as well as considers more equitable cultivation of the uniquely American art form.

Elements of the New Standards Installation features works created by multi-disciplinary jazz artists Cécile McClorin Salvant, Carmen Lundy, and Jazzmeia Horn – along with works by award-winning visual artists Monica Haslip, Joe Diggs, Yesmin Tosuner, and Ramsess – ranging from print and sculpture, to collage, textiles, and multimedia. The installation will also feature a stunning portrait collection of thirty influential women instrumentalists by Sherry Rubel. Vocalist and culinary artist Lizz Wright will introduce a recipe inspired by the theme of New Standards, and Detroit visual artists Devin Laster, Yvette R. Rock, Sabrina Nelson, and Carla Harden will be presented. Also, Carrington’s first-ever children’s book, an illustrated poem, Three of a Kind will be introduced. The story centers around the musical partnership of the Allen, Carrington, Spalding (ACS) Trio – Geri Allen, Terri Lyne Carrington, and esperanza spalding. Written by Carrington with illustrations by Ramsess, Three of a Kind is a book for all ages yet is designed to inspire young women to play instruments. Additionally, the installation includes the New Standards film, a collaboration with Carrington and filmmaker Michael Goldman, documenting the creators, the process and the reason for the book and album.

On October 14, the Carr Center will present a panel discussion, “Jazz and Gender: Forging a New Legacy” with educator/scholar and cultural icon Angela Davis; and authors and educators Gina Dent and Robin D.G Kelly, along with Carrington at the Carr Center Performance Studio. Continuing that evening and on Saturday, October 15, the Carr Center in partnership with Midtown Detroit, Inc. will present a concert series, curated by Carrington at eight Detroit cultural and educational institutions and museums including the Detroit Institute of Art, Detroit Historical Museum, Scarab Club, the Carr Center Performance Studio, Detroit Public Library, Detroit Symphony Orchestra-The Cube, the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD), and Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.