Curt’s Jazz Cafe blog has a wonderful Unsung Women of Jazz series, and on Curt’s recommendation I checked out Dorothy Ashby, and have been listening to Hip Harp and In a Minor Groove in the studio. Every time I listen, I catch a few bars where I’m not sure what instrument she’s playing, and then I remember it’s the harp. Dorothy Ashby and her husband had a theatre company in Detroit, and her creativity manifested in composing, playing, and in finding ways to make the harp hip to other jazz musicians. Frank Wess plays flute on In a Minor Groove, and I am glad to be introduced to him via Dorothy Ashby. I could only imagine playing with his tone when I was taking flute lessons.