About

Modern jazz and experimental vocalist Meghan Gilhespy is an innovative voice from the diverse Vancouver jazz scene. Currently based in Montréal, Meghan is an Assistant Professor at Concordia University. As the first woman in Canada to obtain a DMA in Jazz, her research examines the cultural politics of experimental jazz vocalization. Meghan has published in The Journal of Jazz Studies, and has a forthcoming article in the Journal for Critical Studies in Improvisation.

In addition to a long history of conventional jazz performance, including her own published album Vive Le Tour (2016), Meghan has done studio work for Netflix, which has expanded her skills as an experimental vocal improviser. Her performance and pedagogical work continue to push boundaries and raise marginalized voices, contributing to an inclusive and equitable Canadian artistic sphere.

Writing + Research

Journal Articles

Gilhespy, M. (2025). “June Tyson: On Erasure and Relevance.” Journal of Jazz Studies 16 (2): 290–303. https://jjs.libraries.rutgers.edu/index.php/jjs/article/view/319.

Gilhespy, M. (accepted, forthcoming). “Christine Duncan and DB Boyko’s Improvisations: The Sounds and Gender Politics.” Critical Studies in Improvisation / Études critiques en improvisation. Special issue: “Reimagining Gender.”

Reviews

Gilhespy, M. (2021). “RIPM Jazz (Database).” Review of the RIPM Jazz Periodicals database. CAML Review / Revue de l’ACBM 49 (1). https://doi.org/10.25071/1708-6701.40399.

Gilhespy, M. (accepted, forthcoming 2026). Review of Blues Mamas and Broadway Belters: Black Women, Voice, and the Musical Stage, by Masi Asare. MUSICultures.

Manuscripts in Preparation

Gilhespy, M. (in preparation; intended submission December 2026). “Textbook Mothers: Maternal Narratives in Jazz Historiography.” Jazzforschung / Jazz Research, vol. 57 (2028), special issue: “Jazz and the Popular.”

Gilhespy, M. (in preparation). “Jazz Reanimated: White Women’s Cringe Performance of Scat Singing.” Paper to be presented at the Australasian Jazz and Improvisation Research Network (AJIRN), Australia, November 2026.

Magazine Articles

Gilhespy, Meghan. 2021. “Understory: Exploring the Roots of Artistic Interdependence”. WholeNote Magazine. https://www.thewholenote.com/index.php/newsroom/blog/general-music/31172-understory-exploring-the-roots-of-artistic-interdependence

Gilhespy, Meghan. 2021. “From Move To Checkmate”. WholeNote Magazine. https://www.thewholenote.com/index.php/newsroom/beatcolumns-sp-2121861476/choral-jazznotes/31152-from-move-one-to-checkmate

Gilhespy, Meghan. 2021. “Music and the Movies: Fire Music”. WholeNote Magazine. https://www.thewholenote.com/index.php/newsroom/blog/music-and-the-movies/31319-music-and-the-movies-fire-music

Gilhespy, Meghan. 2020. “The Oud & The Fuzz: Community Building in Challenging Times”. WholeNote Magazine. thewholenote.com/index.php/newsroom/blog/general-music/30561-the-oud-the-fuzz-community-building-in-challenging-times