Black Excellence: Lucille Dixon Robertson
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucille_Dixon_Robertson
Lucille Dixon Robertson (27 February 1923 – 23 September 2004) was a jazz double-bassist. She grew up in New York City and she successfully auditioned for the All City High School Orchestra. She studied under Frederick Zimmermann of the New York Philharmonic for 15 years.[1]
A church pianist, jazz bassist, bandleader and symphony manager, Lucille Dixon defied the norms of her time. A Black woman who played the contrabass, considered “a man’s instrument,” Dixon faced discrimination throughout her extensive music career.
Born in Harlem on Feb. 27, 1923, young Lucille Dixon played piano for her father’s church services. She picked up the bass in high school, and studied with the New York Philharmonic’s principal bassist Frederick Zimmerman.