Brava Jazz Publishing

In pursuit of music that would diversify the UNT One O’Clock Lab Band’s setlists, Alan Baylock (composer, arranger, conductor) discovered that the major publishing outlets offered very few, if any, big band charts composed and/or arranged by women. He spent significant amounts of time researching and purchasing one chart at a time from various sources. He thought that there had to be a better way! He considered how he could lend his strengths in jazz arranging, copywork, and bandleading to help the visibility of women in the field of big band jazz composing and arranging and formed the idea of a publishing company that distributes music exclusively composed and/or arranged by women. 

In early 2022, the idea for what would become Brava Jazz Publishing grew roots in reality when Alan met Annie Booth (composer, arranger, pianist) at a presentation she gave for the UNT Jazz and Gender Equity Initiative. Annie’s experiences in advocacy for women and young women in jazz inform a meaningful part of her career as an educator and bandleader. Her experience as a big band writer, coupled with her entrepreneurial spirit, made her a terrific match in this endeavor. 

Brava Jazz Publishing was incorporated in the fall of 2022 and its official launch date is International Women’s Day, March 8, 2023. Our mission is to support and champion women composers and arrangers in the field of big band jazz by creating a platform for their music to be widely published and distributed. And our promise is to expand the recognition and number of women composing and arranging for big band and to provide a definitive resource for jazz ensemble directors to diversify their setlists effortlessly through the performance of the highest quality music composed and/or arranged by women. We offer a diverse array of music for all ability levels from middle school to professional and boast an artist roster of some of the brightest composers and arrangers working in the field today.