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Ellington's Sacred Concert

Sunday, March 7, 2004 at 7 pm
Tuesday, March 9, 2004 at 7:30 pm

Featuring the Luckman Jazz Orchestra
Meet Ann Patterson

James Brown may have crooned, “This is a man’s world,” but for jazz saxophonist Ann Patterson, that sentiment just didn’t wash. Indeed, Dallas-born Patterson, after earning degrees in classical oboe performance and music education from the University of North Texas and the University of Illinois respectively, started listening to jazz bands while in college, admitting to then getting hooked.

“I wanted to play jazz but it was the 1960’s, and I didn’t really have the confidence and nerve to play until after the women’s movement,” recalls Patterson. “I moved to California in the 70’s, when the message of the movement encouraged me to get into jazz. That’s when I started studying the sax.”

The rest, as they say, is sonic history: Patterson, decidedly a ground-breaker, is probably best known as the leader of the acclaimed all-female band, Maiden Voyage. Founded in 1980, the 17 women have performed at the Concord, Monterey and Playboy Jazz Festivals, as well as having toured Japan three times. With Patterson playing lead alto sax from the podium, the gals have also gigged at the Hollywood Bowl, the Kennedy Center and appeared on the Tonight Show hosted by Johnny Carson.

“The obstacles,” she says, “were finding enough good players.”
Today, Maiden Voyage, who still counts two women in the band from its early days, performs only a handful of times a year. “It’s more a labor of love,” explains Patterson, who has, instead, embarked on her own voyage. Besides having jammed over the years in the big bands of Jack Sheldon, Bill Berry, Buddy Colette and others, Patterson has made ambitious forays into academia.

Currently studying for a doctorate at USC (she’ll be Dr. Patterson in another year), the musician has taught at the University of Wisconsin, and locally at Cerritos College, California State University at Dominguez Hills and El Camino College. In fact, Patterson was named Jazz Educator of the Year in 2000 by the Los Angeles Jazz Society. As artist-in-residence at an elementary school, the saxophonist currently conducts an after-school program that runs two days a week for 10 weeks.

While Patterson says she does a little bit of everything in terms of playing to earn a living, including “jazzuals” — parties where jazz is called for as opposed to pop and rock music, she still finds time to practice daily. A good thing, as Patterson needs her chops when performing with the Luckman Jazz Orchestra, where she is the sole female.

“I usually don’t think about that,” she says. “Fortunately, being the only woman isn’t an issue. I’m just one of the musicians, which is great. It’s such an honor,” she adds, “to be playing with people like Jack Nimitz and Bennie Maupin. I’m learning so much from those guys.”

As for playing Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concert music, Patterson gushes, “There is this magical power in the music that’s greater than the sum of its notes. It’s our responsibility to let that power be heard — to not get in the way of that.”

Some of L.A.’s best jazz artists make up the Luckman Jazz Orchestra, performing with the Chorale in these concerts. Victoria Looseleaf profiles four members — Leon “Ndgugu” Chancler, Bennie Maupin, Jack Nimitz and Ann Patterson.