New in Music City:
Nashville’s Women in Jazz: ‘Redefining the Standards’
Nashville’s Women in Jazz made history at RCA Studio B with their debut album Redefining the Standards –– the first all-women album recorded at the legendary recording studio!
The organization was founded in 2017 by vocalist Abigail Flowers and flautist / multi-instrumentalist Danielle Sopchak, with the guidance and leadership of vocalist and community organizer Alayna Renae Anderson, to support and promote women and gender-expansive musicians. Since then, Nashville Women in Jazz has established itself as an advocate for greater representation in the city’s jazz community. Through concerts, educational programs, and collaborations, the organization provides equal opportunities for musicians while fostering a sense of community among artists working across Middle Tennessee. Its mission centers on visibility and creating inclusive, safe spaces where musicians can connect and develop their craft.
Alongside original music, Redefining the Standards features new arrangements of jazz standards, placing contemporary voices in conversation with songs that have long been part of the jazz tradition. The project offers listeners a chance to hear familiar material through a different lens while introducing new compositions from artists working in Nashville today. The album was recorded at the legendary RCA Studio B, making it the first all-women recording project in the studio’s history.
Opened in 1957, RCA Studio B has become one of the most influential recording spaces in the country. It is often referred to as the birthplace of the “Nashville Sound”, where Producer Chet Atkins and engineer Bill Porter helped develop the polished Sound, a style that brought country music to broader audiences through smoother arrangements and vocal harmonies. More than 35,000 songs have been recorded at the facility, making it one of Nashville’s most celebrated landmarks. Today, the studio is preserved and operated through the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, allowing visitors to experience a space that helped define Nashville’s identity as the Music City.
The historic studio has hosted some of the most influential female pop and country artists. The country legend Dolly Parton recorded some of her iconic tracks in RCA Studio B, including Jolene and I Will Always Love You. Country Hall of Famer Connie Smith recorded her single Once A Day in 1964 during her first-ever session in Studio B. The track spent eight weeks at number one, making Smith the first female artist to reach the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart with a debut.
Redefining the Standards is dedicated to another music legend, Anita Kerr, whose work played an essential role in the development of the Nashville Sound. As leader of the Anita Kerr Singers, she contributed vocal arrangements and performances to hundreds of recordings during the 1950s and 1960s. Her work earned multiple Grammy Awards and influenced generations of producers and arrangers.
The dedication also recognizes the countless women whose work in music has gone unnoticed or uncredited. Female producers, arrangers, instrumentalists, vocalists, and songwriters have shaped jazz and pop music for generations, even when history has failed to acknowledge their contributions.
Redefining the Standards represents more than a debut release. It represents visibility in a space where women have long contributed to music’s success but have rarely been at its center. Recorded in one of Nashville’s most storied studios and dedicated to a pioneering figure of the Nashville Sound, the album offers a reminder that history is ever-evolving and that diverse voices have always been part of the story.
Nashville Women in Jazz will celebrate the release of the album with two performances: An free album release show will be held on June 25 from 7 to 10 p.m. at Urban Cowboy in Nashville. A second, ticketed performance will take place on July 2 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the National Museum of African American Music.
Additional information about the performances and album can be found at https://www.nashvillewomeninjazz.com/.
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Nastassja is a Hong Kong native who called Boston home for 7 years. She graduated with a BS in Journalism from Emerson College and is currently located in Fort Smith, Arkansas. When she isn’t writing or reading, you can find her crocheting and spending time with her husband, dog, and two cats.
