Meet Samantha Fierke | Jazz Vocalist and Composer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Samantha Fierke and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Samantha, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
Even within the jazz industry, many continue to deny how misogyny plays a role in the treatment of vocalists. Female instrumentalists are uniquely affected by misogyny in the industry every day, but with vocalists it tends to be more covert and is left unaddressed. The culture sets an expectation for us to be unintelligent, while completing the circle with sub-par expections in education. When I step onto the bandstand I can feel the eyes of my male peers dart around as if to say “alright guys, we gotta play simple.” I tend to be left with more so-called power and responsibility to call tunes, set key, tempo, and form, while leading everyone through it, but I’ve noticed that it tends to be set that way because I’m not expected to be capable of following someone else’s lead. The missing puzzle piece in connecting this to misogyny is that historically women in jazz have been either locked out of the industry entirely or relegated to the only “feminine” role as a singer. We must realize that singers are just horn players that can speak through their horn.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am continually falling in love each day with the nature of jazz. It is a living thing that breathes and grows into itself with every new day. A lot of people unfamiliar with its intricacies may not immediately recognize my original music as jazz, but that is the tradition it grows from. I often call what I do fusion, but even that comes with a set of expectations which I often weave in and out of. Jazz in essence is fusion. It’s the same soup used over as well as the best casserole from your leftovers. The values of improvisation, exploration, and rebirth allow jazz to take many forms and I am lucky enough to be finding my very own. Im excited to be witness to my own unraveling nature within the music.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Loyd Warden

Loyd Warden is so many people in my life — he is my teacher, my drummer, my producer, my friend, and most of all my mentor. He has sat with me through hardships and coached me through my greatest moments in life. Aside from my parents and their unwavering guidance and support, everything I am is because of Loyd. A vocalist and a drummer tied together through a one-of-a-kind bond.

Website: https://samdoesjazz.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sam_does_jazz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samdoesjazz

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh1WEOBnJdyrZyWeiOyegjw

Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/73VtebsFRXgulahZnwh57m?si=WDvQ-SrFQ-aGb_tWskI1xA

Image Credits
Sarah Mosteller Jeff Bassinson