Mother of Pearl is Vancouver’s all female jazz and blues quartet. Each of its members is an accomplished artist in her own right, pursuing diverse musical careers including music therapist, opera percussionist, piano teacher and studio musician. Between them they have decades of performing experience in an encyclopedic array of ensembles and genres. In 1996 a Vancouver women’s arts festival brought them together to play what was intended to be a one-time concert of jazz performed by women. Like many one night stands, it was so much fun that a decade later they are still at it. Today pianist Brenda Baird; bassist Wendy Solloway; drummer Lauri Lyster and alto saxophonist Ingrid Stitt are an integral and active part of Vancouver’s burgeoning jazz milieu.

Having celebrated their tenth anniversary Mother of Pearl can look back at many accomplishments and forward to new creative challenges- “We continue to develop the concept which originally inspired us to form the ensemble- to build the visibility of women as creators and performers of jazz”.