A jazz concert featuring pianist and vocalist Mala Waldron, celebrating women’s history month and contributions black jazz musicians have made to the u.s. military.

This concert is curated by Vincent Ector, presented in partnership with Black Veterans for Social Justice, and made possible with funding from Mid-America Arts Alliance Creative Forces®.

ABOUT CREATIVE FORCES:
Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network • Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs that seeks to improve the health, well-being, and quality of life for military and veteran populations exposed to trauma, as well as their families and caregivers.

ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Mala Waldron (pronounced MAL-uh) is a native of NYC whose first paid gig was playing keys and singing back-up vocals with a local R&B band, “Liquid Pleasure” at the Elk’s club at age 15.  Shortly after joining, the band was signed to RCA records  (Midland International.)  She later enrolled at SUNY, Old Westbury to study African-American Music with Makanda Ken McIntyre, Richard Harper, Andrei Strobert, Warren Smith and Amina Claudine Myers, earning a Bachelors Degree.

Mala’s music career has taken her all over the world doing performances in such countries as Japan, France, Italy, Belgium, Russia, Belarus & China.  She has performed on some of NYC’s most prestigious stages, including the Iridium Jazz Club, the Blue Note, the Jazz Standard, the 55 Bar, Brooklyn’s BAM Cafe, and at the Kennedy Center (Millennium Stage in Washington D.C.

She has done numerous international tours and festivals, including, Hennessy-Moet Asian XOXO Jazz Tour (with shows in China, Taiwan & Malaysia), the Catania Jazz Fest, Corinaldo Jazz Fest and Farfa Voice Fest (Sabina) as well as festivals in the U.S., a highlight of which was the Annual Diet Coke Women in Jazz Festival (JALC) opening for Patrice Rushen.

As an educator, Mala has done vocal and composing workshops in Italy, and participated in the WBGO Kids Jazz Concert Series lat the Newark Museum and Jitterbugs – Jazz for Kids (Jazz Forum Arts.) She was a featured performer on the Chapman Stage at the first annual Coltrane Day Festival.  She was featured in the recently published book, Giving Birth to Sound: Women in Creative Music (Renate da Rin and & William Parker editors) and can be seen in the documentary film, ‘The Girls in the Band,” directed by Judy Chaikin.

Recordings as a featured artist include: “Lullabye,” (solo debut and tribute to godmother, Billie Holiday,) “He’s My Father.” (duo project with father, pianist/composer – Mal Waldron) and “Always There,” named one of JazzUSA’s TOP 10 CDs. Mala is also a member of the Firey String Sistas ensemble.