The Best of Marian McPartland on YouTube

I've spent the better part of the day listening to old episodes of NPR's Piano Jazz. I highly recommend tracking down the Willie Nelson episode, which is such a fun and unexpected pairing of legends. And if you are in the mood for some great bass, check out the Ron Carter and Esperenza Spaulding shows. You can't go wrong. Here are some clips of various interviews and performances with Marian throughout the years.

Remembering Marian McPartland, 1918-2013

I woke up to the news this morning that Marian McPartland had passed away at her home in Long Island, New York.  She was 95.  Marian was no doubt one of my biggest music inspirations, and I will always remember with the highest regard the first time I heard her show, and then, many years later, the first (and only) time I was fortunate enough to see her play.

Although I am a huge fan today, I did not grow up listening to jazz, and much of my exposure to the genre did not come until my late teens when I began to explore music beyond the rock and folk I grew up with.  Around this same time, during my first summer home from being away at college, I heard Marian’s Piano Jazz, and through the show I was educated and introduced to many new artists.  With her comforting British accent, Marian talked to her guests like they were old friends catching up on lost conversation.  And in large part, these were in fact long-time friends of hers.  The guests and her swapped stories about shows played at The Hickory House, where Marian enjoyed a long standing residency from 1952 to 1960, and gave us listeners a taste of what it was like to live and play in an era where thriving jazz clubs scattered the streets of New York City.  This intimacy set Piano Jazz apart from any other show I’d heard before.  It was like listening to my grandmother telling stories from her youth, if my grandmother grew up alongside the likes of Dizzy, Mingus, and Monk, instead of on a Midwest farm.  I fell in love with it all.  “Shall we play that one together?” she would say to her guest.  And so began the music that was beloved by her many listeners and fans for decades on end. 

I saw Marian play at Yoshi’s, a jazz club in Oakland, California, in 2007.  It was shortly after she turned 89, but you would not have a sense of her age by the way she played.  Though she used a walker to help her get around onstage, she led her trio through two solid sets of her own compositions and jazz standards.  She didn’t miss a beat.  I was obviously thrilled to be seeing one of my heroes, and throughout the night, kept thinking to myself, “Damn, if we could all be so lucky—to not only be alive and in good health at 89, but to be leading a band of men half her age with such strength and grace.”  What a gal, that Marian McPartland. 

In recent years (through the help of her grandchildren), Marian maintained an active presence on Facebook.  She posted many pictures and videos of her peers, and fortunate for us, used it as a way to communicate with her fans.  I shared this blog with her, particularly the posts in which she was highlighted in the entries about women and jazz music.  I am happy to say that she read them, and replied to me that she enjoyed them.  I am grateful for her many years as a dedicated host, and for all of the knowledge of jazz she imparted on me and other listeners.  And thankfully, in the digital age we live in, there are hours upon hours of archived shows available for us to listen to.  She may be gone, but her music lives on.

The Girls in the Band, cont.

Earlier this week, we featured our interview with "The Girls in the Band" director Judy Chaikin.

One of the most recognizable women featured in the film is the legendary Marian McPartland, who is perhaps best known as the long-time host of NPR's Piano Jazz.  For those not familiar with the show, check it out immediately.  The weekly broadcasts provide a wealth of rich interviews and duets with Ms. McPartland and her guests.  She is no longer taping new shows, but NPR still airs the program each week pulling from its deep archive.

When speaking with Ms. Chaikin, we discussed the reoccurring notion that women's jazz groups are often perceived as mere novelty acts, and their members are nottaken seriously as musicians.  "Now's The Time",  recorded in 1977, will rest any lingering doubts that skeptics may be holding on to.

The session, which features the all-women ensemble of Mary Osborne (guitar), Marian McPartland (piano), Vi Redd (saxophone), Lynn Milano (bass), and Dottie Dodgion (drums), is an incredibly hip and swinging collection of jazz standards.  The recordings demonstrate mastery of each instrument, and the improvised solos do not hold anything back.  They are as melodically innovative and forceful as their male counterparts. 

The album was recorded live at the Monticello Room in Rochester, New York on June 30, 1977.  The set begins with "Now's the Time",  a blues standard written by Charlie Parker.  It is a natural choice for the opening tune, as the swinging upbeat tempo calls the audience to attention and lets them know what is in store for the next hour to come.  But I can't help but wonder if this song selection was just a coincidence, or if "Now's the Time!" is a call for listeners to wake up an take note of these women.  By 1977, the women's liberation movement was well underway and feminists around the country were actively demanding equality in the home and workplace.  Why not equality on the center stage of the jazz club as well?  These five women certainly prove there is no reason why this should not be the case. Take a listen and you will surely agree! 

The Girls in the Band: An Interview with director Judy Chaikin

"The Girls in the Band", a documentary film that captures the stories of female jazz musicians from the 1930s to present time, will be playing in Los Angeles this weekend.  Click here for details and ticket information. 

I recently spoke with director Judy Chaikin after the film's New York City debut at the Lincoln Center.  In the interview, Ms. Chaikin discusses her inspiration for the film, and how her own views of women musicianship evolved throughout its making.

Read full interview after the jump.