Celebrating Women’s History Month Through BK’s Female Music Scene

As the month of March — Women’s History Month — gets underway, Brooklyn Roads celebrates some of the many ever-so-talented women who have graced the borough through their wide range of musical abilities and flair.

First up is singer-songwriter and hit sensation Norah Jones. A Manhattan born, and Brooklyn bred artist, Jones first hit the scene with her 2002 multi-platinum debut album Come Away With Me. With hits like “Don’t Know Why,” Jones takes the music world by storm with her fusions of pop, folk, jazz, blues, and even country. Her latest and seventh studio album, “Pick Me Up Off the Floor” debuted at number 87 on the US Billboard top 200 list.  

Keeping in the realm of folk, Grammy winner Aoife O’Donovan has called Brooklyn her home for many years, as her music has graced our ears and playlists for the past 20+ years. Co-founder of the Grammy-winning all female folk trio “I’m With Her,” O’Donovan’s latest music projects include her Grammy-nominated 2022 album Age of Apathy, where she paid homage to her Brooklyn and New York roots with songs such as “B61” and the title track, “Age of Apathy.” 

Classically trained pianist turned guitar fiend Alice Lee can’t call Brooklyn her native home, but after spending years traveling the country and the world, she settled into the borough to create her now eclectic signature sounds. With big-name inspirations such as Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Amy Winehouse, Mary J. Blige, and others, Lee allows her distinct songwriting and vocals to mesh her love of both jazz and rock, with innovative electronic instrumentation. Catch her at Sunny’s in Red Hook on Sundays performing to her heart’s content. 

Roxanne Quilty, Mariela Flor Olivo, and Tallen Gabriel are the driving forces behind the group Camp Bedford. With band member and Brooklyn Roads 2020 Artist On Our Radar Flor Olivo, this trio of incredibly talented artists tell folk-pop-rock stories rooted in poetry, nature, pop and bluegrass. Playing guitar and cello, the recently formed group stands out from the rest with their earthy and mysterious sound. 

Beareather Reddy is a female powerhouse who echoes the sounds of jazz and blues greats before her including Ma Rainey and Ida Cox, among others. Crediting her choice of singing blues to her living in Brooklyn for a majority of her life, her renditions of classic songs from the genre can be heard in her 2011 album Beareather Sings The Classic Blueswomen.  An inspiring story of the Georgia native who retired from her corporate day job to pursue “a music of the soul,” Reddy performs in venues all over with her band, The Brown Liquor Sounds. 

As we celebrate women everywhere this month, we think of the many melodic contributions across all genres that women have granted us throughout history — especially those who call Brooklyn their home.