CARTWRIGHT, Joan

Joan Renée Cartwright is an American jazz and blues vocalist, pianist, composer, educator, author and music historian, born in Queens, New York. She began performing at the age of four and later studied music and communication at La Salle University. During a career spanning more than four decades, she has performed and taught in the United States, Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Cartwright writes vocal and instrumental jazz and blues. Her best-known composition, Sweet Return, was recorded by trumpeter Freddie Hubbard as the title track of his 1983 album. Her songs also include Nobody’s Husband, Oh, Baby!, Treat Me Right and You Don’t Have to Marry Me, Delray Blues, Dreamin’ and Loneliblue. Her publications include In Pursuit of a Melody, a collection containing forty songs and lyrics.

In 2007, Cartwright founded Women in Jazz South Florida, an organisation dedicated to promoting women composers and performers in jazz.