Flying High, Still Soaring: A Celebration of Jazz's Leading Ladies

In this special episode of Backstage Bay Area, host Steve Roby sits down with Suzanne Wadowski, founder and executive director of Jazz at the Ballroom and the Songbook Ink label, and Champian Fulton, pianist, vocalist, and musical director, to discuss their upcoming concert and new album celebrating the legendary female vocalists of the swing era and 1950s jazz.

Episode Highlights:

• The origins of Jazz at the Ballroom, which began as an intimate salon series in Suzanne's Hillsborough home—once owned by Bing Crosby—and grew into a nationwide concert series

• How the album focuses on the pivotal 1950s shift when singers stepped away from big bands into smaller, more intimate musical settings

• The importance of highlighting women not just as interpreters but as composers and architects of jazz, featuring songs like "Just for a Thrill" by pianist and composer Lil Harden Armstrong

• A look at the high-energy track "Swing, Brother, Swing," originally recorded by Billie Holiday, performed by rising vocalist Tahira Clayton

• The creative vision behind the March 15th concert at the historic Presidio Theater—a venue with deep roots in the era, where servicemen once gathered for live performances

• The resilience and artistic integrity of female jazz pioneers who faced significant obstacles yet profoundly influenced popular music

Featured Songs:

"Just for a Thrill"

"Swing, Brother, Swing"

All music provided by the artists and used with their permission.

Show Details:

Experience Flying High, Still Soaring live at the Presidio Theater in San Francisco on Sunday, March 15th at 2:00 PM.

Tickets: https://www.presidiotheatre.org/show-details/flying-high-still-soaring

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