Comparing The Works Of Mary Lou Williams And Jane Ira Bloom

Mary Lou Williams and Jane Ira Bloom are very distinct artist, yet have some things in common. Mary Lou Williams was born on May 8th, 1910 in Atlanta Georgia and past away in May 28th, 1981 in Durham, North Carolina. Williams was a child prodigy and began her career at age 10. She wrote many types of music like swing, blues, and bebop, but later added sacred music to her career (1). Along with 350 other songs, she composed “St. Martin de Porres” in 1963. She was the first jazz composer to write sacred music (1). Jane Ira Bloom was born on 1955 in Boston Massachusetts. Bloom was commissioned by NASA to write an orchestral piece and was the recipient of the Guggenheim fellowship award for composition in 2007. Bloom composed “Ready for anything”

First, they are both women making an impact in Jazz history. Both handworkers and dedicated to creating beautiful music since they were young. Williams started playing music at ge 10, while Bloom started at age 12 (4). Williams and Bloom’s passion is what lead them to their careers and allowed them to compose inspiring music. To me, Mary Lou Williams’s “St. Martin de Porres” was very inspiring. I love listening to the soothing melody and wind-like sounds. The lyrics are almost angelical and give of a church-like feeling. The high pitch sounds scared me a first, but it sets the tone. The song creates a hopeful mood for me; it sounds very positive. It is also very relaxing to listen to it. At first, the song is very slow and quite but as it continues, it builds up very loudly and more lyrics are added. Midway through the song, a piano solo from Mary Lou Williams begins giving the song more rhythm. After, the lyrics become louder and more constant. I believe the song, being a sacred song, was meant to sooth the audience and inspire happiness in the readers. I am able to visualize a church or ceremonial setting as I listen, and almost feel the song reflects a prayer. Through the song, you can tell Mary Lou Williams was a very religious woman and praised St. Martin de