Women in Jazz: Ruth Goller

Bassist Ruth Goller of Acoustic Ladyland, writes about her experience as a female jazz instrumentalist and the decisions she has made to further her career.

Today I was inspired by the International Women’s Day to write a few words.

When I first started playing the Bass in bands it felt very natural - I was little aware that there weren’t many other women doing the same thing - I never really questioned this. But slowly I began to realise that I would sometimes be treated differently to my fellow band members - by sound engineers, audience, or other musicians (for example - sometimes it would be assumed that I didn’t really know how to work my own gear!). It was, and still is, a long learning process for me to understand in what situation I feel comfortable in, and what I want to support. It took a while of saying no to certain things, and in general being careful about what work I took on. Soon I started saying no to all girl-bands or bands that expected me to wear something different to what I wanted to. I don’t want to be judgemental - as I understand the pressure that comes with these things, and because I recognise that people make certain decisions for different reasons - but one of the most enjoyable aspects about music for me is the equality between the people that make it - so making a band where all the musicians have to be women (for a non-musical reason) seemed contradictory to this. Also wearing something provocative or sexy is just not my style, so I felt that it was not honest of me to do this on stage – I felt like I couldn’t support this just to be a selling-point for a band.

It is very important to me to be the same person on stage that I am in my own head. This really helps musicians to be better respected for their choices, and personally I found myself in a much better environment and working with lovely and amazing people/musicians that share the enjoyment of making music based on equality (both musically and personally) - I find it inspiring to see the way that musicians like Ingrid Laubrock, Nikki Illes and Alice Grant (to name just a few) have done just that.

London Jazz Festival Review (6): Bojan Z, Seb Rochford, Ruth Goller

Bojan Z, Ruth Goller, Seb Rochford
(Vortex, Monday 15th November, Review by Chris Parker, photo credit: Richard Kaby)

Another London Jazz Festival night, another jam-packed house.

Pianist/keyboard player Bojan Z last brought this trio to the Vortex a couple of years back (14th July 2008, to be precise), and produced 'an absorbing, pleasingly cluttered sound that both bristled with vitality (keyboards and drums striking sparks off each other over Ruth Goller 's selfless bass) and, despite relatively tricksy time signatures, packed a viscerally funky punch, while simultaneously accommodating the most florid of runs or the sturdiest of basic riffs from Zulfikarpasic'.

They performed in a strikingly similar fashion on this occasion, although Goller was perhaps more prominent, louder and more assertive, alternating as required between a steady anchoring role and a strident eloquence, particularly effective in her bouts of interplay with the protean Seb Rochford, who must be one of the most resourceful and adaptable drummers working today.

It was Bojan Z, however, who set each piece's tone, selecting the precise keyboard texture and timbre (from 1970s-Milesian squirting howl to clattering Fender Rhodes and even relatively straightforward fleet acoustic runs) for material that ranged from powerful originals with the aforementioned tricksy time signatures but none the less driving rhythms to pleasantly nervy funk and the odd nod to inspirations such as Ornette Coleman (a searing, tumbling visit to 'Women of the Veil'). After two vibrant, varied, punchy sets, the trio received an ovation enthusiastic enough to encourage them to perform an encore, a tribute all three richly deserved.