Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz

Ragtime Pianist And Early Jazz Musician Eubie Blake On Piano Jazz in 1980

Grant JacksonNPR Music — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 17:42:00 +0000

This week, Piano Jazz digs deep into the archives with a session featuring James Herbert "Eubie" Blake. He was the last of the known living original ragtime pianists when he appeared on the program in 1980 with host Marian McPartland.

Marian McPartland's Storied Life, Told 'In Good Time'

NPR StaffNPR Music — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 10:31:00 +0000

More than half a century ago this week, on Aug. 12, 1958, some of the greatest jazz musicians of the day assembled in Harlem at what was, for them, the ungodly hour of 10 a.m. Fifty-seven players came to East 126th Street to have their picture taken for Esquire magazine.

Freelance photographer Art Kane bunched them together in front of the steps of two brownstones. Some neighborhood kids plunked down on the curb — so did pianist-bandleader Count Basie.

Gerald Wiggins On Piano Jazz

editor — Tue, 29 May 2012 22:32:00 +0000

Piano Jazz remembers jazz piano master Gerald Wiggins, who died in 2008, in a session recorded in 1992.

Born in 1922 in Harlem, N.Y., Wiggins began learning classical piano at a young age. He was a student at New York City's High School of Music and Art when he discovered jazz through pianists Teddy Wilson and, later, Art Tatum.

In Case You Missed It: Kate McGarry on Piano Jazz

Sat, 26 May 2012 01:55:39 +0000

Singer-songwriter Kate McGarry has traveled many musical paths, from Celtic music to swing and various genres in between. She's held a top spot on the WRTI Jazz Hot 11 list for several weeks. Listen to her perform on Piano Jazz here.

Daryl Sherman Pays Tribute To Johnny Mercer On Piano Jazz

editor — Fri, 11 May 2012 18:45:00 +0000

Piano Jazz welcomes pianist and singer Daryl Sherman. The ineffable performer has played most of New York's jazz spots, cabarets and supper clubs since arriving in the city in the mid 1970s.

Sherman just recently wrapped a 14-year run at the Waldorf Astoria's Cocktail Terrace, where her performances of music from the American Popular Songbook — on Cole Porter's hand-painted Steinway no less — transported audiences back to the fabled elegance of mid-20th century Manhattan.

Clark Terry On Piano Jazz

editor — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Clark Terry plays the trumpet and flugelhorn, sings and composes — that's what he's done for more than 60 years. His earliest band experience was on the bugle with the Tom Powell Drum and Bugle Corps. In high school, he took up the valve trombone. Prior to entering the service, he played riverboat jobs in St. Louis, and then was stationed at the Great Lakes Naval Station from 1942 to 1945.

Jimmy McPartland On Piano Jazz

editor — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:49:00 +0000

Piano Jazz celebrates the late, great Jimmy McPartland: early jazz cornetist, singer, and the husband and mentor of host Marian McPartland. This week's program features highlights from Jimmy McPartland's 1990 guest appearance on Piano Jazz, and a centennial celebration of his birth from the 2007 JVC Jazz Festival.

The program begins with a selection of New Orleans tunes. The up-tempo "Struttin with Some Barbeque" is performed by Marian McPartland and friends, and from 1990, Jimmy McPartland sings and plays cornet on "St. James Infirmary," "Basin St.

Beegie Adair On Piano Jazz

Grant Jackson — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:43:00 +0000

Pianist and Nashville mainstay Beegie Adair has worked with the best country bands in Music City USA, including a three-year stint on The Johnny Cash Show. But on this week's episode of Piano Jazz, she swings through her deep knowledge of jazz and standards.

Adair opens the session with a lesser-known tune by Helen Merrill: the melancholy "If You Go," a beautiful, cinematic melody with a gripping Old World feel. The modest Adair calls the tune a warm-up: "It's the first tune of the day; I always feel like you should throw it back...

Sherrie Maricle On Piano Jazz

Sandy Hayden — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:58:00 +0000

Drummer, music educator and band leader Sherrie Maricle is known for leading her all-female big band, the DIVA Jazz Orchestra. But their full, explosive sound does not require the entire orchestra, as Maricle demonstrates on Piano Jazz with a scaled-down, trio version of DIVA featuring Noriko Ueda on bass, Tomoko Ohno on piano and Maricle on drums.

Maricle's musical experience began in the fourth grade.

Nnenna Freelon: Piano Jazz At Tanglewood

David Lyon — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:17:00 +0000

The annual recording of Piano Jazz at the 2008 Tanglewood Jazz festival fell nearly halfway between two important milestones — Marian McPartland's 90th birthday, celebrated in March of 2008, and the 30th Anniversary of Piano Jazz, which we celebrate in 2009. It was truly an extravagant concert, as three wonderful performers took their turns on stage with McPartland.

Mulgrew Miller was first to join her in Seiji Ozawa Hall.