While the Kennedy Center's annual Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival should be applauded for honoring the women of this great American art form, it is a shame that it is even necessary. While artists such as the festival's namesake and a host of others have made major contributions to jazz, the fact of the matter is that this music is still heavily male dominated. When asked how she viewed the festival, drummer par excellence Allison Miller (pictured) chose to look at it from a broader perspective.

"I don't look at it like something where women need a jazz festival," Miller told DCist. "But women need a community in this genre of music and it’s more like a gathering and celebration of women."

Miller will be performing at the festival's sold out finale on Saturday along with the Bay Area's swingin' Montclair Women's Big Band. The performance will feature special guest Vicki Randle, the talented vocalist/percussionist who is beamed into the homes of millions as part of Jay Leno's Tonight Show Band. Also on the bill that evening is another outstanding drummer, Cindy Blackman, best known for her decade of work backing rock star Lenny Kravitz. Other notable performers of the three-day festival, which begins tonight, include vocalist Sheila Jordan, 2007's Women in Jazz Competition Winner, Helen Sung, drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, and keyboardist Keiko Matsui.

Miller's performance is particularly noteworthy to fans of the local jazz scene because though she has lived in New York for over a decade, her roots lie in the D.C. area. Growing up, she studied with Walter Salb, one of the most respected teachers and musicians in the area, who passed away in 2006 at the age of 79. She cites her high school years as an important period in her musical development.

"Montgomery County had such a great school program for jazz," Miller recalled. "Ron Kearns was running the All County Jazz Band and it almost felt like you were part of a sports team."

Miller has now moved on to bigger and better things. In addition to leading her own jazz group, she spends much of her time on the road with the likes of singer-songwriters Ani DiFranco and Natalie Merchant. Her other credits include pianist Kenny Barron, guitarist Mike Stern, and songstress Norah Jones. As if her performing career was lacking, she still finds time to maintain a slate of students at Pennsylvania's Kutztown University.

"It's something I always wanted to do," she said of her teaching. "It’s never been something I’ve relied on financially and as I get older, it’s getting more and more important."

Miller credited her teachers for instilling in her the desire to pass her knowledge along to the next generation of musicians, but her experiences within the local jazz scene probably also played a role. As an up-and-coming artist, she played with and benefited from the experience of established veterans such as bassists James King and Keter Betts, as well as guitarist Charlie Byrd.

"I loved the D.C. scene when I was growing up," she said. "There was such a strong sense of feel-good jazz and it had a soulful and bluesey feel. It formed the way I play."

The 13th Annual Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival begins tonight and runs through Saturday, featuring daily free shows on the Millennium Stage and nightly ticketed events. Saturday's show is sold out, but tickets are available for performances tonight and tomorrow. $35

Image from Allison Miller's MySpace page