Philadelphia jazz singer reclaims the mic with new lyrics and a modern message
This Jazz Appreciation Month, a Philadelphia jazz artist is putting a fresh spin on an old genre — using her lyrics to speak directly to today's women.
Singer, composer and arranger Lora Sherrodd is currently crowdfunding for the 2026 release of her jazz album, "The Boss," which reimagines jazz through a modern, female perspective. While sticking to the traditional musical structure of jazz, Sherrodd writes entirely original lyrics — ones she says reflect her own life and the lives of women she knows.
"I fell in love with jazz really young," Sherrodd said. "I was 12 when my mom was in a swing band — I would go to her rehearsals."
Sherrodd grew up watching her mom play bass, and she later studied jazz professionally in college and graduate studies. But even as her musical skills developed, she says she didn't always have the tools to tell her own stories on stage.
"Most of the music that we sing in jazz is written by men, from a male perspective," Sherrodd said. "Even songs about love are written from a male gaze."
Much of the jazz vocal canon includes songs about longing for male affection or lyrics Sherrodd finds outdated — like the 1960s tune "Girl Talk," which describes women chatting about dresses, hair, and men, with lines like, "The weaker sex, the speaker sex, we mortal males, behold."
"For me, I don't really connect to the lyrics, so it's not something I want to be a part of my set," she said.
Instead, she began writing her own songs — including the empowering title track, "The Boss," inspired by the Girl Scouts' "Ban Bossy" campaign.
"At the time, I was the only woman in my jazz program, and that feeling is always there — am I being bossy, or am I just running rehearsal?" Sherrodd said.
Another track, "Une femme d'un certain âge" (French for "A woman of a certain age," a term used to describe older women) is a love letter to getting older, with lyrics like:
"Pepper and salt don't only season a plate... I can't wait to be a woman of a certain age..."
In "Twenty-Something," she tackles the pressures placed on young women.
"They keep on asking me questions… when will you marry, have some kids…go start a family..."
Across all nine tracks, Sherrodd keeps the swing, harmony and form of jazz intact — but rewrites the message.
"We're still swinging, we've still got the harmony, we've still got the forms," she said. "I love the genre. And that's why I want to make it relatable."
Sherrodd is currently crowdfunding the album, which she hopes to release in 2026. Her message to jazz fans — and to the genre itself?
"I'm the boss."
Sherrodd's fundraising concert takes place Thursday, May 1, at 7:30 p.m. at Black Squirrel Club in Fishtown.
