The Artistry of… Christine Jensen
Christine Jensen is a WIJO (Women in Jazz Organization) mentor. The WIJO mentor definition is simple and resounds as very much about time. The program provides the opportunity for young women and non-binary people in jazz at the college level to learn from the pros in a safe and supportive environment. The organization’s mission is clear and I think also speaks to some of the focus of Christine’s outstanding artistry: Women In Jazz Organization intends to help level the playing field in jazz, so that women and non-binary people have equal opportunity to participate in and contribute to jazz, leading to an improved and more rich, diverse and successful art form.
Based in Montreal, the sax player leads her own orchestra, the Juno Award-winning Christine Jensen Orchestra, one of a few like it in the jazz world, including the Maria Schneider Orchestra.
Her original music is truly her voice. It is described as compelling and as being in three dimensions. The focus is keen, and this quote by The Globe and Mail’s J.D. Considine captures this element of Jensen’s artistry: “Evoking the lean, cerebral drive of Miles Davis’s classic late-sixties quintet… ideas mattered more than dazzle.” Jensen shares her passion for composition and creativity at Montreal’s McGill University, leading some very lucky future generations of artists.
The Artistry of… airs Wednesday evenings on Dinner Jazz with John Devenish.