Claire Daly’s Mary Joyce project is full of great music, and an incredible back story to boot.
“Saxophonist Claire Daly has always been a true original and, as it turns out, part of that is in her DNA. Mary Joyce Project: Nothing To Lose is a musical/genealogical journey through the life of Daly’s father’s first cousin, Mary Joyce, who lived her life the way she wanted to, rather than succumbing to societal expectations for women during the ’30s and beyond. As the press materials note, “She satisfied a restless and courageous spirit with a wide range of adventurous exploits—Hollywood actress, nurse, stewardess, bush pilot, and bar owner. She was the first non-native Alaskan to dogsled the 1000 mile run between Juneau and Fairbanks (in 1936), the first ham radio operator in the Alaskan Territories, and the only woman to run supplies for the Allies by dogsled in World War II.” ”
Read the rest of the description on AllAboutJazz.com
And check out a live performance of the music: