There was a time, and it wasn't that long ago, when women in jazz—apart from singers and the occasional pianist—were seen by many observers as unsolicited interlopers whose impact in what was essentially a male bastion could be no more than minimal at best. Needless to say that is no longer the case, as women's voices have become ever stronger and more ubiquitous, no longer confined to "traditional" roles once largely defined by their male peers. Today's women not only sing or play piano, they have become proficient on brass, woodwinds, bass, drums and other instruments once thought to be the exclusive province of men, not only holding their own but in many cases even outshining their male counterparts.

Which is a digressive way of introducing the reader to vibraphonist