#103: Dee Dee Bridgewater with Marcus Miller

This week's episode, recorded during the Journey of Jazz Cruise on the West Coast, features Dee Dee Bridgewater in conversation with co-host Marcus Miller, sharing stories from her remarkable five-decade career. The interview explores her journey from setting big goals at age seven to her life in Paris, discussing how she overcame adversity and developed the tools to succeed both artistically and professionally.

Key Takeaways

• Early Ambitions & Idols: Dee Dee decided at the age of seven that she would be an internationally known jazz singer, well-respected by musicians, and would live in Paris, France—all of which came true. Her greatest idol was Nancy Wilson, whom she admired for her voice, style, and class, along with Lena Horn and Diahann Carroll.
• The Importance of Storytelling: Dee Dee transitioned from focusing primarily on musical notes and melody to telling the story of a song. This shift was heavily influenced by her time in the Broadway production of The Wiz and working with its director, her second husband, Gilbert Moses.
• Life in France: Dee Dee lived in Europe for 24 years. Her celebrity status in France was jump-started when a poster of her from the musical Sophisticated Ladies was used throughout Paris. She found great success, including filling 3,000-4,000 seat theaters after a successful duet with Ray Charles.
• Josephine Baker Connection: Dee Dee served as the honorary president of the Josephine Baker Association. Her great aunt, Lahi G. (Ladi G E), was responsible for bringing Josephine Baker to Paris and is referenced in Baker's biographies.
• China Moses's Start: When Dee Dee was offered a rock album deal with Virgin Records, she declined it and instead convinced the label to sign her daughter, China Moses, who was 16 at the time. Dee Dee acted as a "tough mama," refusing to critique China's style, ensuring China's success stemmed solely from her own efforts.
• The Thad Jones School: Dee Dee's musical education primarily came from the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, which she joined before John Fattis. Thad Jones gave her the nickname "Renion" and taught her to learn by ear, often changing arrangements mid-song ("We're going back to letter C").
• The Woodshed Network: Dee Dee founded the Woodshed Network in 2019 for young women in jazz to create a safe space and provide them with essential business tools for successful careers. The idea originated after she observed issues while on the faculty of the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead program.

Host and Guest Information

RoleNameDetails from Source
Guest | Dee Dee Bridgewater | Charismatic and expressive jazz singer, career spanning five decades. Discusses her album Just Family (produced by Stanley Clark) which features the song "Maybe Today". Winner of a Tony Award for The Wiz.
Interviewer/Host | Marcus Miller | Co-host of the Journey of Jazz Cruise. Provided the theme music: "High Life" from the album Aphrodesia on Blue Note.
Host | Lee Mergner | Host of Jazz Cruises Conversations podcast.

Send us a text

• Listen to more episodes of Jazz Cruises Conversations on Spotify, iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts. The back catalog contains more than a hundred interviews from past sailings.
• Theme Music: Provided by Marcus Miller from his song "High Life" on his album Afrodeezia on Blue Note.