Mary Osborne

An exceptionally skilled electric guitarist, Mary Osborne delivered direct, exuberantly swinging, and imaginative performances whose core inspiration was Charlie Christian, supplemented by the refined touches and wit of Les Paul. She ranked among the few women of her era to breach jazz’s entrenched gender barrier, yet never received the full measure of acclaim her talent warranted. Versatile from childhood, she played violin in a school orchestra and, by age 15, performed on violin, guitar, and bass while also singing and dancing in a family trio. After hearing Charlie Christian with Al Trent’s band in Bismarck, she concentrated on the electric guitar and became one of its earliest jazz practitioners. Extensive touring followed with ensembles led by Buddy Rogers, Dick Stabile, Terry Shand, Joe Venuti, and Russ Morgan. Producer and critic Leonard Feather encouraged her to record alongside Mary Lou Williams, the Beryl Booker Trio, Coleman Hawkins, Mercer Ellington, Ethel Waters, and Wynonie Harris. From 1952 to 1960 she appeared regularly on Jack Sterling’s daily CBS radio program. Eventually she and her husband made their home in Bakersfield, CA, where she continued occasional performances. Even late in life she remained a commanding soloist; at the 1990 Playboy Jazz Festival her set with Lionel Hampton nearly eclipsed the headliner. Her strongest work from those sessions appears on the Mary Lou Williams and Beryl Booker selections from Bluebird’s The Women: Classic Female Jazz Artists.