Dee Dee Bridgewater (née Denise Garrett, May 27, 1950) is an American
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
singer and actress. She is a three-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, as well as a
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...
-winning stage actress. For 23 years, she was the host of National Public Radio's syndicated radio show ''JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater''. She is a
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
Goodwill Ambassador for the
Food and Agriculture Organization
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)french: link=no, Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture; it, Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite per l'Alimentazione e l'Agricoltura is an intern ...
.
Biography
Born Denise Eileen Garrett in
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...
, she was raised
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
in
Flint, Michigan. Her father, Matthew Garrett, was a jazz trumpeter and teacher at Manassas High School, and through his playing, she was exposed to jazz early on. At the age of sixteen, she was a member of a Rock and
R&B trio, singing in clubs in
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
. At 18, she studied at
Michigan State University
Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...
before she went to the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Univ ...
. With the school's jazz band, she toured the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
in 1969.
The next year, she met trumpeter
Cecil Bridgewater
Cecil Bridgewater (born October 10, 1942) is an American jazz trumpeter.
Biography
Bridgewater was born in Urbana, Illinois and studied at the University of Illinois. He and brother Ron formed the Bridgewater Brothers Band in 1969, and in the 197 ...
, and after their marriage, they moved to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, where Cecil played in
Horace Silver
Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silver (September 2, 1928 – June 18, 2014) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger, particularly in the hard bop style that he helped pioneer in the 1950s.
After playing tenor saxophone and piano at sc ...
's band. In the early 1970s, Bridgewater joined the
Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra as lead vocalist. This marked the beginning of her jazz career, and she performed with many of the great jazz musicians of the time, such as
Sonny Rollins,
Dizzy Gillespie,
Dexter Gordon
Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and actor. He was among the most influential early bebop musicians, which included other greats such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gi ...
,
Max Roach
Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was an American jazz drummer and composer. A pioneer of bebop, he worked in many other styles of music, and is generally considered one of the most important drummers in history. He work ...
,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Rahsaan Roland Kirk (born Ronald Theodore Kirk; August 7, 1935Kernfeld, Barry.Kirk, Roland" ''The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz'', 2nd ed. Ed. Barry Kernfeld. '' Grove Music Online''. '' Oxford Music Online''. Retrieved February 1, 2009-. "The yea ...
,
Wayne Garfield
Wayne K. Garfield (January 21, 1952 - September 9, 2022) was an American composer, collaborating songwriter, vocalist, social entrepreneur, community activist, and producer, who was born in 1952 in New York City. He co-founded of the music coll ...
, and others. She performed at the
Monterey Jazz Festival in 1973. In 1974, her first solo album, entitled ''Afro Blue'', appeared, and she performed on Broadway in the
musical ''
The Wiz
''The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz"'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls (and others) and book by William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L. Frank Baum's children's novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' ...
''. For her role as
Glinda the Good Witch
Glinda is a fictional character created by L. Frank Baum for his ''Oz'' novels. She first appears in Baum's 1900 children's classic ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', and is the most powerful sorceress in the Land of Oz, ruler of the Quadling Cou ...
she won a
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...
in 1975 as "Best Featured Actress", and the musical also won the 1976
Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album
The Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album has been awarded since 1959. The award is generally given to the album producer, principal vocalist(s), and the composer and lyricist if they have written a new score which comprises 51% or more play ...
.
![Ddbridg014](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Ddbridg014.JPG)
She subsequently appeared in several other stage productions. After touring
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
in 1984 with the musical ''
Sophisticated Ladies
''Sophisticated Ladies'' is a musical revue based on the music of Duke Ellington. The musical ran on Broadway in 1981–83, earning 2 awards and 8 nominations at the 35th Tony Awards.
Production
''Sophisticated Ladies'' opened on Broadway at th ...
'', she moved to
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
in 1986. The same year saw her in ''Lady Day,'' as
Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop s ...
, for which role she was nominated for the
Laurence Olivier Award, as well as recording the song "''Precious Thing"'' with
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...
, featured on her album ''
Victim of Love''.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, she returned from the world of Pop and
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B (or simply R&B) is a popular music genre that combines rhythm and blues with elements of pop, soul, funk, hip hop, and electronic music.
The genre features a distinctive record production style, drum machine-backed rhythm ...
to Jazz. She performed at the
Sanremo Music Festival
The Sanremo Music Festival, officially the Italian Song Festival () and commonly known as just (), is the most popular Italian song contest and awards ceremony, held annually in the city of Sanremo, Liguria. It is the longest-running annua ...
in Italy and the
Montreux Jazz Festival
The Montreux Jazz Festival (formerly Festival de Jazz Montreux and Festival International de Jazz Montreux) is a music festival in Switzerland, held annually in early July in Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline. It is the second-largest annual ...
in 1990, and four years later, she finally collaborated with
Horace Silver
Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silver (September 2, 1928 – June 18, 2014) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger, particularly in the hard bop style that he helped pioneer in the 1950s.
After playing tenor saxophone and piano at sc ...
, whom she had long admired, and released the album ''
Love and Peace: A Tribute to Horace Silver''. Performed also at the
San Francisco Jazz Festival
San Francisco Jazz Festival is an annual three-week music festival produced by SFJAZZ, a non-profit organization dedicated to jazz and jazz education.
Notable performers
1995
Jack DeJohnette, Keith Jarrett, Christian McBride, Charles McPherson ...
(1996). Her 1997 tribute album ''
Dear Ella'' won her the 1998
Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album
The Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works (songs or albums) in the vocal jazz ...
, and the 1998 album ''
Live at Yoshi's'' was also worth a Grammy nomination. Performed again at the
Monterey Jazz Festival (1998). She has also explored on ''
This Is New'' (2002) the songs of
Kurt Weill, and, on her next album ''
J'ai deux amours'' (2005), the French Classics.
![Hancock Bridgewater](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Hancock_Bridgewater.JPG)
Her album ''
Red Earth'', released in 2007, features Africa-inspired themes and contributions by numerous musicians from
Mali
Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mali ...
. Performed at the
San Francisco Jazz Festival
San Francisco Jazz Festival is an annual three-week music festival produced by SFJAZZ, a non-profit organization dedicated to jazz and jazz education.
Notable performers
1995
Jack DeJohnette, Keith Jarrett, Christian McBride, Charles McPherson ...
(2007). On December 8, 2007, she performed with the
Terence Blanchard
Terence Oliver Blanchard (born March 13, 1962) is an American trumpeter and composer. He started his career in 1982 as a member of the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, then The Jazz Messengers. He has composed more than forty film scores and performed ...
Quintet at the
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...
in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
She tours frequently, including overseas gigs around the world. October 16, 2009 found her opening the Shanghai JZ Jazz Festival, in which she sang tunes associated with
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...
, along with Ellington compositions and other jazz standards.
As a Goodwill Ambassador to the
United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, Bridgewater continues to appeal for international solidarity to finance global grassroots projects in the fight against world hunger. Awarded Honorary Doctorates from
University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
and
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...
, Bridgewater makes a concerted effort to mentor and nurture young artists.
In April 2017, Bridgewater was the recipient of an
NEA Jazz Masters
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), every year honors up to seven jazz musicians with Jazz Master Awards. The National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Fellowships are the self-proclaimed highest honors that the United States bestows upon ...
Award with honors bestowed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and in 2018 was awarded the 2018 Maria Fisher Founder's Award by the
Thelonious Monk/Hancock Institute of Jazz. She is currently on tour worldwide in support of her latest CD, “''
Memphis...Yes, I'm Ready''”.
Philanthropy
Bridgewater has a long history of philanthropy and advocacy. Her appointment as UN Goodwill Ambassador to the FAO, as well as the ASCAP Foundation Champion Award, along with her ongoing work with UNESCO for World Jazz Day coupled with her recognition as a Doris Duke Artist set in motion her founding of The Woodshed Network. Launched in 2019, The Woodshed Network was conceived as a program for Women in Jazz, to provide professional support and accelerate careers through mentorship, knowledge sharing and community interaction. The program is a collaboration between Dee Dee Bridgewater as Artistic Director, (DDB Productions + DDB Records), Tulani Bridgewater-Kowalski as Associate Artistic Director (Bridgewater Artists Management), and 651 ARTS with funding by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. The first year's alumna include Erinn Alexis (sax),
Lakecia Benjamin
Lakecia Benjamin is an American jazz, funk, and R&B saxophonist.
Benjamin was born and raised in New York City. She grew up in a Dominican neighborhood in Washington Heights, Manhattan and played merengue, salsa, and Latin music.
As a touring m ...
(sax), Darynn Dean (vocals), Sarah Hanahan (sax), Kennedy (vocals), Amina Scott (bass), and Sequoia Snyder (piano). Program mentors included
Sheila Jordan
Sheila Jordan (born Sheila Jeanette Dawson; November 18, 1928) is an American jazz singer and songwriter. She has recorded as a session musician with an array of critically acclaimed artists in addition to recording her own albums. Jordan pionee ...
,
Arthel Neville
Arthel Helena Neville (born October 20, 1962) is an American journalist, television personality, and weekend anchor for Fox News, based in Manhattan alongside co-anchor Eric Shawn.
Neville is the daughter of Doris Neville and Art Neville, a Gramm ...
, Marilyn Rosen (Marilyn Rosen Presents), Alisse Kingsley (Muse Media Public Relations), Maureen McFadden (DL Media), Jett Galindo (The Bakery LA), Shirazette Tinnin, Fanny Delsol (Motema), Simma Levine (NJ PAC), Robin Tomchin (Motema), Stacie Negas (Sony Masterworks), and Lisa Jefferson (LRJ Account Management) with Bridgewater-Kowalski serving as moderator.
Acting
Dee Dee had appeared in such films as the 1979 film ''
The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh
''The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh'' is a 1979 American sports/fantasy comedy film directed by Gilbert Moses and coproduced by David Dashev and Gary Stromberg. It was produced by Lorimar and distributed by United Artists.
The film was shot on loc ...
'' and the 1984 film ''
The Brother from Another Planet
''The Brother from Another Planet'' is a 1984 American science fiction film, written and directed by John Sayles. The low-budget film stars Joe Morton as an extraterrestrial trapped on Earth.
Plot
A mute space alien crash-lands his ship on Elli ...
''. She has made a guest appearance in the hit sitcom ''
Benson Benson may refer to:
Animals
*Benson (fish), largest common carp caught in Britain
Places Geography
Canada
*Rural Municipality of Benson No. 35, Saskatchewan; rural municipality
*Benson, Saskatchewan; hamlet
United Kingdom
* Benson, Oxfordshire ...
'' and the hit sci-fi fantasy TV series ''
Highlander: The Series''.
Film and Television credits include:
*''
Everybody Rides the Carousel
''Everybody Rides the Carousel'' is a 1975 independent animated film about the stages of life. It was directed by John Hubley and written and produced by Hubley and his wife Faith. Among the cast are Meryl Streep, Dinah Manoff, and Lane Smith an ...
'', Stage 7, 1976
*''
The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh
''The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh'' is a 1979 American sports/fantasy comedy film directed by Gilbert Moses and coproduced by David Dashev and Gary Stromberg. It was produced by Lorimar and distributed by United Artists.
The film was shot on loc ...
'' as Brandy, 1979
*''
Benson Benson may refer to:
Animals
*Benson (fish), largest common carp caught in Britain
Places Geography
Canada
*Rural Municipality of Benson No. 35, Saskatchewan; rural municipality
*Benson, Saskatchewan; hamlet
United Kingdom
* Benson, Oxfordshire ...
'' as Michelle, 1980
*''
Another Life'' as Samantha Marshall, 1982
*''
Night Partners
''Night Partners'' is a 1983 American TV movie by director Noel Nosseck starring Yvette Mimieux and Diana Canova. It was based on a true story about a project to help victims of crime in Arizona.TV NOTEBOOK
The Globe and Mail 12 Mar 1983: P.5.
R ...
'' as Gloria, 1983
*''
The Wiz
''The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz"'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls (and others) and book by William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L. Frank Baum's children's novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' ...
'' as Glinda, the Good Witch of the South (TV version of Broadway Musical), 1983
*''
The Brother from Another Planet
''The Brother from Another Planet'' is a 1984 American science fiction film, written and directed by John Sayles. The low-budget film stars Joe Morton as an extraterrestrial trapped on Earth.
Plot
A mute space alien crash-lands his ship on Elli ...
'' as Malverne Davis, 1984
*''
Highlander: The Series'' as Carolyn Lamb in "The Beast Below" (Season 1, Ep.16), 1993
*"Falstaff on the Moon" (short film), 1993
*''Corps plongés'' (It's Not About Love) as "la femme au verre du lait", 1998
*''
Go West! A Lucky Luke Adventure'' as Molly, 2007
Personal life
Bridgewater is the mother to three children, Tulani Bridgewater (from her marriage to
Cecil Bridgewater
Cecil Bridgewater (born October 10, 1942) is an American jazz trumpeter.
Biography
Bridgewater was born in Urbana, Illinois and studied at the University of Illinois. He and brother Ron formed the Bridgewater Brothers Band in 1969, and in the 197 ...
),
China Moses
China Moses (born January 9, 1978, in Los Angeles) is an American singer and television host.
Life and career
Born in Los Angeles, California, China Moses is the daughter of jazz singer Dee Dee Bridgewater and director Gilbert Moses. She r ...
(from her marriage to theater, film and television director
Gilbert Moses) and Gabriel Durand (from her last marriage to French concert promoter Jean-Marie Durand). Her eldest daughter, Tulani Bridgewater, attended the
Mirman School for Gifted Children in Los Angeles, CA. She went on to graduate from the
Ecole Active Bilingue in Paris, France at age 16, going on to graduate from
Vassar College
Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States, closely foll ...
. She serves as Bridgewater's manager under her firm Bridgewater Artists Management and runs Bridgewater's production company and record label (DDB Productions, Inc. And DDB Records). Daughter China Moses is an accomplished singer, songwriter, producer, radio host and
MTV VJ (France). Her critically acclaimed albums have earned her an international reputation as heir to Bridgewater's legacy. Moses tours worldwide, occasionally sharing the bill with Bridgewater.
Awards and honors
Grammy Awards
The
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
s are awarded annually by the
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is famous for its Grammy Aw ...
. Bridgewater has won two Grammys with eight nominations.
Other accolades
* First American to be inducted into the Haut Conseil de la Francophonie
*
Commandeur dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Award (France)
*
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...
, Best Featured Actress in a Musical, ''
The Wiz
''The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz"'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls (and others) and book by William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L. Frank Baum's children's novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' ...
'', 1975
*
Laurence Olivier Award Nomination, Best Actress in a Musical, “Lady Day”, 1987
*
AUDELCO
AUDELCO, the Audience Development Committee, Inc., was established in 1973 by Vivian Robinson to honor excellence in African American theatre in New York City.
AUDELCO presents the Vivian Robinson/AUDELCO Recognition Awards (also known as Viv awa ...
Award, Outstanding Performance in a Musical-Female, ''LADY DAY'', 2014
*
ASCAP
The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...
Foundation Champion Award, 2017
*
NEA Jazz Masters
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), every year honors up to seven jazz musicians with Jazz Master Awards. The National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Fellowships are the self-proclaimed highest honors that the United States bestows upon ...
, 2017
*
Doris Duke Performing Artist Award The Doris Duke Artist Award is undertaken by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and designed to "empower, invest in and celebrate artists by offering multi-year, unrestricted funding as a response to financial and funding challenges both unique t ...
, 2018
*Thelonious Monk
Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz
The Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz is a non-profit music education organization founded in 1986. Before 2019, it was known as the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, but was then renamed after its longtime board chairman, Herbie Hancock.
The i ...
Maria Fisher Founder's Award, 2018
* - A Life for Jazz Award, Stuttgart Jazz Open, 2019
*
Memphis Music Hall of Fame
The Memphis Music Hall of Fame, located in Memphis, Tennessee, honors Memphis musicians for their lifetime achievements in music. The induction ceremony and concert is held each year in Memphis. Since its establishment in 2012, the Hall of Fame has ...
, 2019
Discography
As guest
*
Frank Foster – ''
The Loud Minority'' (
Mainstream
Mainstream may refer to:
Film
* ''Mainstream'' (film), a 2020 American film
Literature
* ''Mainstream'' (fanzine), a science fiction fanzine
* Mainstream Publishing, a Scottish publisher
* ''Mainstream'', a 1943 book by Hamilton Basso
Mu ...
, 1972)
*
Stanley Clarke
Stanley Clarke (born June 30, 1951) is an American bassist, film composer and founding member of Return to Forever, one of the first jazz fusion bands. Clarke gave the bass guitar a prominence it lacked in jazz-related music. He is the first ja ...
- ''
Children of Forever'' (
Polydor
Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States ...
, 1973)
*
Roy Ayers
Roy Ayers (born September 10, 1940) is an American funk, soul, and jazz composer, vibraphone player, and music producer. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at Po ...
– ''
Coffy
''Coffy'' is a 1973 American blaxploitation film written and directed by Jack Hill. The story is about a black female vigilante played by Pam Grier who seeks violent revenge against a heroin dealer responsible for her sister's addiction.Gary A. ...
'' (Polydor, 1973) – as Denise Bridgewater
*
Buddy Terry
Edlin "Buddy" Terry (January 30, 1941 - November 29, 2019) was an American jazz musician and alto/tenor sax player. He was born in Newark, New Jersey. In the 1960s and 1970s Terry made albums for Prestige Records and Mainstream Records. He played w ...
– ''
Lean on Him
''Lean on Him'' is an album by American saxophonist Buddy Terry released on the Mainstream label in 1973.[Norman Connors
Norman Connors (born March 1, 1947) is an American jazz drummer, composer, arranger, and producer who has led a number of influential jazz and R&B groups. He also achieved several big R&B hits of the day, especially with love ballads. He is pos ...](_blank)
– ''Love from the Sun'' (
Buddah, 1974)
*
Cecil McBee – ''
Mutima'' (
Strata-East, 1974)
*
Charles Sullivan – ''
Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Bible
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
'' (Strata-East, 1974)
*
Carlos Garnett
Carlos Garnett (born December 1, 1938) is a Panamanian-American jazz saxophonist.
Biography
Garnett was born on December 1, 1938, in Red Tank, Panama Canal Zone. He was interested in jazz after hearing the music of Louis Jordan and James Mood ...
— ''
Black Love
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete Absorption (electromagnetic radiation), absorption of visible spectrum, visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or fi ...
'' (
Muse
In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the ...
, 1974)
*
Stanley Clarke
Stanley Clarke (born June 30, 1951) is an American bassist, film composer and founding member of Return to Forever, one of the first jazz fusion bands. Clarke gave the bass guitar a prominence it lacked in jazz-related music. He is the first ja ...
– ''I Wanna Play for You'' (
Nemperor
Nemperor Records was an American jazz and pop music record label active from 1974 to 1986. It was distributed by Atlantic Records from 1974 to 1977 and then CBS Records from 1978 until the label was absorbed by subsidiary Epic Records. The lab ...
, 1979)
*
Hollywood Bowl Orchestra The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra (HBO) is a symphony orchestra which is managed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association and plays the vast majority of its performances at the Hollywood Bowl.
John Mauceri led the orchestra from its founding in 1990 ...
– ''Prelude to a Kiss: The Duke Ellington Album'' (
Philips Classics
Philips Classics Records was started in the 1980s as the new classics record label for Philips Records. It was successful with artists including Alfred Brendel, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Sir Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fie ...
, 1996)
*
Ray Brown — ''
Some of My Best Friends Are...Singers'' (
Telarc
Telarc International Corporation is an American audiophile independent record label founded in 1977 by two classically trained musicians and former teachers, Jack Renner (recording engineer), Jack Renner and Robert Woods (producer), Robert Woods. ...
, 1998)
*
BWB – ''Groovin (
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
, 2002)
*
Christian McBride
Christian McBride (born May 31, 1972) is an American jazz bassist, composer and arranger. He has appeared on more than 300 recordings as a sideman, and is an eight-time Grammy Award winner.
McBride has performed and recorded with a number of j ...
– ''
Conversations with Christian
''Conversations with Christian'' is a studio album by American jazz bassist Christian McBride. It was released on via Mack Avenue label.
Background
This is the tenth album by McBride as a leader. The album is special because it consists of 13 ...
'' (
Mack Avenue
Mack Avenue Records is an independent record label in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan.
Background
Mack Avenue was founded in 1999 by Gretchen Carhartt Valade, a jazz fan and chair of the American apparel company Carhartt. The company is a sponsor ...
, 2011)
Film soundtrack
*''
Coffy
''Coffy'' is a 1973 American blaxploitation film written and directed by Jack Hill. The story is about a black female vigilante played by Pam Grier who seeks violent revenge against a heroin dealer responsible for her sister's addiction.Gary A. ...
'' (Dir.
Jack Hill
Jack Hill (born January 28, 1933) is an American film director in the exploitation film genre. Several of Hill's later films have been characterized as feminist works.
Early life
Hill was born in Los Angeles, California. His mother, Mildred (n ...
, 1973) — performer: "Coffy Baby", "Coffy Is the Color (Main Title)" - as Denise Bridgewater
*''
Try This One for Size'' (Dir.
Guy Hamilton
Mervyn Ian Guy Hamilton, DSC (16 September 1922 – 20 April 2016) was an English film director. He directed 22 films from the 1950s to the 1980s, including four James Bond films.
Early life
Hamilton was born in Paris on 16 September 1922, w ...
, 1989)
*''
The Brother from Another Planet
''The Brother from Another Planet'' is a 1984 American science fiction film, written and directed by John Sayles. The low-budget film stars Joe Morton as an extraterrestrial trapped on Earth.
Plot
A mute space alien crash-lands his ship on Elli ...
'' (Dir.
John Sayles
John Thomas Sayles (born September 28, 1950) is an American independent film director, screenwriter, editor, actor, and novelist. He has twice been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, for ''Passion Fish'' (1992) and '' ...
, 1984) — performer: "Getaway", "Boss of the Block"
*''Présumé dangereux'' (Dir. Georges Lautner, 1990) — performer: "Turning Round"
*''
La Vengeance d'une Blonde
''La Vengeance d'une blonde'' is a 1994 French comedy film directed by Jeannot Szwarc.
Plot
Gérard Breha is journalist on a Breton regional channel. He host, happy, his last Show, as he has been named host to the 23 hours newsreader on the large ...
'' (Dir.
Jeannot Szwarc
Jeannot Szwarc (born November 21, 1939) is a French director of film and television, known for such films as '' Jaws 2'', ''Somewhere in Time'', ''Supergirl'' and '' Santa Claus: The Movie''. He has also produced and written for TV.
Life and c ...
, 1994) - performer with
Philip Bailey
Philip James Bailey (born May 8, 1951) is an American R&B, soul, gospel and funk singer, songwriter and percussionist, best known as an early member and one of the two lead singers (along with group founder Maurice White) of the band Earth, ...
: "
People and Places"
*''
Monster-in-Law
''Monster-in-Law'' is a 2005 romantic comedy film directed by Robert Luketic, written by Anya Kochoff and starring Jennifer Lopez, Jane Fonda, Michael Vartan and Wanda Sykes. It marked a return to cinema for Fonda, being her first film in 15 year ...
'' (Dir.
Robert Luketic, 2005) — performer: "Into My Soul"
*''
Elsa & Fred'' (Dir.
Michael Radford
Michael James Radford (born 24 February 1946) is an English film director and screenwriter. He began his career as a documentary director and television comedy writer before transitioning into features in the early 1980s. His best-known credits ...
, 2014) — performer: "Step 1"
References
External links
* – official site
*
*
*
Dee Dee Bridgewaterinterview at Rockwired.com
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bridgewater, Dee Dee
1950 births
Living people
20th-century African-American women singers
African-American jazz musicians
American women jazz singers
American jazz singers
Jazz musicians from Michigan
Musicians from Flint, Michigan
Musicians from Memphis, Tennessee
American expatriates in France
Knights of the Ordre national du Mérite
Grammy Award winners
Michigan State University alumni
Sanremo Music Festival winners
Tony Award winners
Traditional pop music singers
Singers from Michigan
21st-century American women singers
Jazz musicians from New York (state)
Jazz musicians from Tennessee
Record producers from Tennessee
Record producers from Michigan
African-American actresses
Verve Records artists
Food and Agriculture Organization
American stage actresses
21st-century American singers
African-American Catholics
21st-century African-American women singers
Okeh Records artists