In MemoriamJazzTrombone

Pioneering Female Jazz Trombonist Dies at 96

Helen Jones Woods, a member of the World War II-era big band International Sweethearts of Rhythm, died on July 25, 2020, of COVID-19 at the age of 96. Acclaimed as the “first Freedom Riders” by jazz pianist Earl Hines, the International Sweethearts of Rhythm broke gender and racial barriers during World War II and the Jim Crow Era by traveling through the USA and Europe. Woods was also a member of the Omaha Symphony, “only to be fired after her first performance.” – NPR

This article was originally published in NPR on August 5, 2020.

Photo Credit: Kathleen Fallon/Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution

 

Jeremy Smith

Jeremy E. Smith is the Founder and Editor of Last Row Music. He received music degrees from Grace College, Carnegie Mellon University, and The Ohio State University. Currently, Jeremy is the bass trombonist of the Mansfield Symphony Orchestra and performs throughout Ohio, where he lives with his wife and two sons. Smith is a member of the International Trombone Association and the Jazz Journalists Association.