In The Context Of Concord Records
As well as producing and recording herself and other musicians on her label Halcyon Records, the Improv Records label had proved to be a good connection for Marian McPartland in 1976 and 1977. Her recording career was further consolidated by signing with Concord Jazz Inc in 1978. A subsidiary label of Concord, The Jazz Alliance, has been another label of huge importance to Marian by releasing 32 selected Piano Jazz programs on CD. Still under The Jazz Alliance label, but with different catalogue numbers from the original releases, several programs of Piano Jazz are being reissued with a new cover design. The reissued programs are sessions with Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, Dave Brubeck, Dizzy Gillespie, Rosemary Clooney, Carmen McRae, Chick Corea, and Lionel Hampton. The original Teddy Wilson session has now been re-released, and recent interviews with Steely Dan, Bruce Hornsby, Elvis Costello and John Medeski are now available in the new design packaging,along with the Shirley Horn interview. (There may be other re-releases since the completion of this thesis)
Concord Records began as a way of recording the music that president Carl Jefferson loved, and the success of the label is the result of a particular management style that demands enthusiasm for the music the label puts out and that respects tradition without allowing the business to be limited by it. Glen Barros, current president of Concord Records, proclaims, 'Our A & R principle in each genre is to find artists we think are great and to let them do their thing.' If the policy of Concord Records is to support the music in the marketplace, then Marian McPartland has been the beneficiary of this support.
Fittingly, Marian McPartland's first release under Concord Jazz Inc was Marian McPartland: From This Moment On in 1978. This was another milestone in what proved to be a significant year during which Marian also began performing with symphony orchestras and launched her radio program Piano Jazz.
For her first Concord album, Marian McPartland chose Jake Hanna, who had worked with her in
Boston, and on and off during the Hickory House years, and an old friend. She teamed him with young bassist Brian Torff, originally from England. She had heard Torff with Mary Lou Williams and Cleo Laine before he worked with Marian for two years at The Carlyle. At the time of recording this album, Torff was also George Shearing's bassist of choice. Carl Jefferson, then president of the company, produced the album, which was recorded in December 1978 in San Francisco, CA.
Leonard Feather, in his liner notes to Marian McPartland: From This Moment On, wrote:
[Marian McPartland] has progressed over the years from being a competent but derivative British import to a mature artist of complete self-assurance. She is an exceptionally lyrical ballad performer, enriching and expanding the harmonic and melodic essence of every theme. This album, in short, offers renewed evidence that Marian McPartland has it all together. In recent years she has served on the committees of jazz organizations and arts councils; has succeeded as disc jockey, journalist and lecturer/clinician; continues to run her own record label Halcyon ('But I'll record for anyone else who wants me!'), and during the past year has been conducting intensive research for a book on the history of women in jazz (Feather, 1979).
In May 1979, Marian McPartland recorded Portrait Of Marian McPartland. According to one source, it is listed in the Festival Records Catalogue as D39501 and with Concord Jazz Inc as CJ4101-2. Her choice of fellow musicians was again Brian Torff on bass and Jake Hanna on drums, this time joined by Jerry Dodgion, alto saxophone and flute. Recorded at Sunwest Recording Studios in Hollywood, CA, the session was applauded for its excellent musicianship and superb engineering, with the album again produced by Carl Jefferson. Phillip Elwood of the San Francisco Examiner provided the liner notes:
At one time I regularly reviewed all jazz recordings on Pacifica Radio out of Berkeley, CA. McPartland's discs, even some 78 rpms, came my way in the early 1950s from a couple of record companies. Invariably the blurb accompanying them began with such condescending remarks as, 'Although a woman, Marian McPartland' or, 'It is surprising that Marian McPartland so aptly captures the style of.'. Jazz folk in the know support McPartland because she is a magnificent pianist - and a fine group and session leader; also an outstanding composer, a bright and genial conversationalist, and a quite serious professional artist (Elwood, 1979).
This album contained some contemporary material such as Herbie Hancock's 'Tell Me A Bedtime Story' and Chick Corea's 'Matrix'. It also included 'Wind Flower' by Sara Casey, evidence of Marian's support for another female composer.
For her third offering on Concord Jazz Inc, the Marian McPartland Trio with Torff and Hanna performed live at the August 1979 Concord Jazz Festival in Concord, CA. As with the two previous Concord albums, Marian includes one of her own compositions in the playlist. The liner notes to Marian McPartland: At The Festival refer to the 'near telepathic relationship' of the trio. The album was another example of Marian's support for female musicians, especially in this public arena:
On the last three tunes on the album, the trio is joined by the strong, big-toned and lyrical alto saxophone of Mary Fettig Park, [who] teaches and plays around Concord, California. She is 26 years old and has been performing professionally since high school. She traveled in 1973 with the Stan Kenton band and played on Kenton's 7.5 On The Richter Scale. This recording should introduce her to a wider audience. Certainly this is Marian's intention. The pianist recognizes her responsibility as a highly visible, successful woman in jazz (Ullman, 1979).
Next in the Concord Jazz Inc series came Marian McPartland's duo album with George Shearing, recorded in March 1981, at Soundmixers, New York. George Shearing And Marian McPartland: Alone Together captured their shared British heritage and effortless rapport. 'They share several identifiable qualities as masters of jazz piano: unerring taste, a flair for elegance and high style. A fascination with fine timeless melodies, and both bring an original composition to the album, as well as a shared improvisation on a theme by Carl Jefferson' (Sudhalter, 1981).
In June 1982, for Marian McPartland's fifth Concord Jazz Inc release, Marian McPartland: Personal Choice, also recorded at Soundmixers, New York, she retained Jake Hanna on drums, and brought in Steve La Spina on bass after bassist Brian Torff left to join George Shearing. In keeping with the focus on women in jazz during this period, the liner notes make the comment:
Marian continues to grow as a player, moving closer and closer to the essence of jazz. It is inconceivable that anyone today could write of her 'woman's touch' as a DownBeat reviewer did, disparagingly, in the early 1970s. The concept does not apply. She has the technique, the forthright inventiveness, the expressiveness of a first-rank jazz pianist. Gender is irrelevant (Ramsey, 1982).
Of interest is the fact that drummer Hanna and bassist La Spina had never played together before. This is remarkable given that Hanna was one of the great timekeepers in jazz, and had been on no fewer than 63 Concord LPs. Marian first encountered Steve La Spina when he sat in with her several years earlier at Rick's Café Americain in Chicago. He subsequently worked with her at The Carlyle, and appeared as part of the trio on the Halcyon Records album Live At The Carlyle in 1979. The pianist and bassist had worked together as a duo prior to this recording. A feature for him on Personal Choice was the tricky Oscar Pettiford tune 'Tricotism'. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, tricotism is a medical condition in which there are three undulations for each beat of the heart (Ramsey, 1982).
Marian McPartland's long-awaited solo album Willow Creek And Other Ballads came to fruition in the depths of a New York winter in January 1985, ironically featuring the tune 'The Things We Did Last Summer'. Leonard Feather's comments about Marian McPartland's ballad playing on her first Concord Jazz Inc release are intensified in these solo interpretations, as her touch and talent are again most impressive on ballads. According to MacFadyen, her approach demonstrates fine musical artistry:
On her first attempts she ornaments extensively, embroidering, adding texture to the tune. Then she reverses direction and begins to pare the piece down, eliminating any excess, cutting and trimming until she's sculpted something extraordinarily fine. She locates a haunting undertone beneath each song's surface, like smoke in a fog, and refines it with each successive take. The melody is built around a few linked phrases, but she invests them with emotional resonance, and they seem like much, much more (MacFadyen, 1985).
With alto saxophone and flute player Mary Fettig Park as leader, another recording for Concord took place in San Francisco, CA, in January 1985. Mary put together a quartet with Marian McPartland on piano, Ray Brown on bass and Jeff Hamilton on drums. The album was entitled In Good Company.
Then, in March 1987, the Marian McPartland Quartet recorded a tribute album to the music of Billy Strayhorn on Concord Jazz Inc, with Jerry Dodgion on alto saxophone, Steve La Spina on bass, and drummer Joey Barron. The album was entitled Marian McPartland: Plays The Music Of Billy Strayhorn. Their renditions range from Marian's solo version of 'Lotus Blossom', one of Strayhorn's last compositions, to the haunting 'Day Dream'. From solo to trio to quartet interpretations, the musicians do justice to the rich musical mosaic laid down by Strayhorn.
The trio version of the brooding ballad 'Lush Life' demonstrates Marian's belief that 'knowing the lyrics to a song can often provide the player with a better understanding of the composer's intent, a notion fully evident when one listens to this cut' (Short, 1987).
In 1987, when interviewed for Jazz Journal International, Marian McPartland said:
I haven't issued anything recently on Halcyon because I now feel a loyalty to Concord since they started putting out so many albums under my name. I've been with Concord for about seven years now and they've issued seven albums. Carl Jefferson has been very supportive, but of course the Halcyon sides that I made in the seventies are still being distributed and in fact I see quite a lot of them in record stores in Europe and there is still fairly good distribution world wide.I have a distributing company that handles it now because I'm too busy, but all the Halcyon recordings are still available (Voce, 1987: 7).
Marian McPartland appeared for the Music Masters label in July 1987, on an album entitled Piano Players And Significant Others, possibly with a rhythm section. The other pianists were Ralph Sutton, Dick Hyman, Derek Smith, Roger Kellaway, Jay McShann and Dick Wellstood.
Marian McPartland's tribute to another significant artist was recorded for Concord Jazz Inc in Hollywood, CA, in January 1990 - Marian McPartland: Plays The Benny Carter Songbook. This album featured Benny Carter as composer and alto saxophonist, bassist John Clayton, Harold Jones on drums, and Marian on piano. Benny Carter was featured on five of his compositions. Not since the 1960s had an entire collection of Benny Carter originals been recorded by anyone other than the composer. Another first was Marian's rendition of the evocative 'Lonely Woman' written in the mid-1930s. Ed Berger of the Institute of Jazz Studies wrote:
McPartland and Carter share many musical traits. Their styles reflect a respect for melody, as well as harmonic sophistication.The repertoire encompasses six decades and a multiplicity of moods (Berger, 1990).
A landmark solo recording for Marian McPartland took place at the Maybeck Recital Hall, Berkeley, CA, on January 20, 1991. Marian's concert was Volume Nine in the series put out by Concord Jazz Inc featuring solo pianists in concert. The series is recorded in the chapel-like surrounds of this performance space before a select appreciative audience. For Marian McPartland: Live At Maybeck Recital Hall Volume Nine, Marian's set list included, among standards written in the 1920s and 1930s, two of her own compositions - 'Twilight World' and 'Kaleidoscope', the fast-paced theme written to announce her broadcasts of Piano Jazz. Her improvisation on this theme was spontaneous, as she had never extended it beyond the opening phrase before. Her eclectic tastes and adventurous spirit are evident in all selections and 'her improvisations on old songs redefine them and transmute them into concert pieces' (Gourse, 1991).
The Marian McPartland 1993 recording for Concord Jazz Inc, Marian McPartland: In My Life, showcased another emerging artist, saxophonist Chris Potter. Marian had discovered Potter in Columbia, South Carolina, six years earlier when he was fifteen. Marian was attending a memorial party for radio producer, Dick Phipps, when Potter sat in with the group playing. Marian was impressed, and exposure on this recording helped to propel Potter's career. On this January 1993 disc, Marian also introduced bassist Gary Mazzaroppi and drummer Glenn Davis, who would continue to perform regularly with her on concert and recording dates. In My Life was dedicated to her late husband, Jimmy McPartland, and the final track is a poignant rendition of 'Singin' The Blues', the tune associated with Bix Beiderbecke Other personal remembrances on the album are 'Moon And Sand' honoring her friend composer Alec Wilder, and 'For Dizzy', a McPartland 'portrait' celebrating Dizzy Gillespie (Terkel, 1993).
Performances were recorded in July 1993 to mark the 25th Anniversary of Carl Jefferson's Concord Jazz Inc label. Marian McPartland was requested to record four numbers with her trio, featuring Bill Douglass on bass and Omar Clay on drums, as well as three numbers with saxophonist Chris Potter. The sessions were recorded over two separate days on July 30 and 31. The McPartland tracks appeared on Fujitsu-25th Concord Jazz Festival - Silver Anniversary Set, along with performances by guitarist Howard Alden and pianist Gene Harris and their groups.
Also in 1993, Marian McPartland was one of ten pianists who recorded 100 Gold Fingers for ABC Piano Playhouse. When the collective group made a tour to Japan, Marian was unable to travel, so she recommended young pianist Lynne Arriale as her replacement.
In 1994, Marian McPartland conceived the idea of an entire album devoted to the music of Mary Lou Williams, who had a marvelous way of moving her music with the times. Marian discussed this ability with the author of the liner notes for the album:
That ability is what I always liked about her. She was forever changing and improving; unlike so many musicians, she didn't just reach a pinnacle and stay there. She has always wanted to be one jump ahead of whatever was going on - she used to say that she wanted to surprise people and be in the vanguard of whatever was being done, musically. And she really was (Albertson, 1994).
The sidemen for this Concord Jazz Inc release were Bill Douglass on bass and Omar Clay on drums. Besides featuring a good cross-section of Mary Lou's compositions, Marian's original composition 'Threnody' (meaning lament) conveyed the depth of Williams' spirituality. The album, Marian McPartland: Plays The Music Of Mary Lou Williams, captured the flavor and diversity of Williams' music as well as the impact of her creativity and pioneering spirit (Albertson, 1994).
On August 25, 1994, Marian McPartland appeared on NPR's Morning Edition to speak with host Bob Edwards about this project, saying that her biggest challenge was to capture Williams' restless creative spirit. Marian also spoke of Mary Lou's complete sense of swinging, something she always admired.
In 1995, Marian McPartland combined the personnel from the previous two Concord Jazz Inc releases by using Bill Douglass on bass and Glenn Davis on drums for a live recording in Yoshi's Nitespot in Oakland, CA. The Marian McPartland Trio: Live At Yoshi's Nitespot album, released in 1996, was another swinging date for the trio. Again Marian included an original among the standards, the meditative 'Silent Pool'. Regarding the tight collaboration of the trio, the liner notes read:
For Marian McPartland, one of the arch trioists in an age of trios, it has proved an intriguing and rewarding dwelling indeed - full of space to accommodate the expansions and contractions of whim and inspiration (McDonough, 1996).
The writer goes on to say that 'during her sixteen years hosting her NPR program Piano Jazz, Marian McPartland has conducted a procession of intimate seminars on the ways and means of contemporary jazz piano. It's helped to keep her ears (and ours, for that matter) open and her style in motion' (McDonough, 1996).
Marian McPartland kept her style and her compositions in motion for her next Concord Jazz Inc recording, Marian McPartland With Strings: Silent Pool. This 1997 release involved the orchestral writing and arranging of Marian McPartland's compositions by talented pianist/arranger Alan Broadbent, who was quoted as saying:
Her compositions have truly classical qualities, like art songs. I like to think of them as compatible, in the way a great piano concerto is compatible, with performances by other pianists, with that certain organic relationship that happens between soloist and orchestra (Sudhalter, 1997).
Comparison of several of these performances with earlier McPartland records of the same compositions shows consistent growth, and a steady accumulation of wisdom. For Marian, she felt enveloped by the sound and texture of the orchestra, and described her maturation as a stylist thus:
I guess it's sort of nice after all to be older, and still be able to see yourself as a work in progress, still developing. It's kind of a summing-up of what you've found out, what you are still finding out. Better than just playing what you know, by rote. I have no patience with that (Sudhalter, 1997).
Recorded from September 1997 through to January 28, 1998, Just Friends featured Marian improvising duetting with her pianistic colleagues. None of Marian's fellow pianists needed an elaborate introduction: Dave Brubeck, Tommy Flanagan, Gene Harris and George Shearing are veterans, while Geri Allen and Rene Rosnes are two of the 'brightest pianistic lights to come along in recent years' (Teachout, 1998). Each pianist is heard in a pair of contrasting numbers, and 'who but Marian McPartland, after all, could have served as the perfect partner to so wide-ranging and stylistically diverse a group of pianists, while never for a moment submerging her own quiet yet unmistakable individuality?' (Teachout, 1998). A review in The Toronto Star described Marian McPartland's style as 'fresh and creative' (Chapman, 1998).
It would appear that during this period, there was a name change from Concord Jazz Inc to Concord Records Inc, according to the CD cover details for Marian's next release Marian McPartland: Just Friends. Following Carl Jefferson's death, this recording was masterminded by Executive Producer Glen Barros and Producer John Burk, who assumed the roles of president and vice-president of Concord Records.
Many fellow performers came out to duet with Marian McPartland at her eightieth birthday celebration in 1998 at New York's famous Town Hall. Marian staged a reunion with her Hickory House sidemen bassist Bill Crow and drummer Joe Morello. A reviewer wrote:
Crow's firm, resonant bass lines and Morello's light, swinging touch supported McPartland's spirited improvisations and the interaction among the three was seemingly effortless perfection (Gitler, 1998: 53).
This occasion led to an invitation to record live for Concord Records Inc at the new Birdland club on West 44th Street, a concert which took place on September 16 and 17, 1998. Bill Crow recalled driving out to Marian's Long Island home to look over a list of tunes, and the three musicians meeting early in the evening at Birdland to get the feel of the room and give the recording engineer time to get a balance:
Over forty years had passed since our long run at the Hickory House, and I doubted that we could recapture in just two nights the musical unity we had developed over a period of years. But as soon as we began to play in Birdland's friendly setting, the music came flooding back to us, and I think we got very close to the rapport we had achieved in the 1950s. Of course, each of us had developed our music individually during the intervening years, and we brought that growth and experience with us to Birdland. Marian retrieved several of our old arrangements from her legendary memory, and added a few new things as well. She managed to find something special for each of us to do during each set (Crow, 1999).
Marian McPartland's Hickory House Trio: Reprise is a treasured souvenir of the spirit of the original trio.
In the year 2000, Marian McPartland fulfilled a dream when she devoted her next Concord album to her mentor, Duke Ellington. Marian McPartland: The Single Petal Of A Rose, The Essence Of Duke Ellington took its inspiration from a delicate painting of a rose done by Marian was she was a fifteen-year-old. Recording took place again at the Maybeck Studio for the Performing Arts, with bassist Bill Douglas. The crystal clear, beautifully balanced sound captures the richness of the Ellington repertoire and Marian's Duke-ish explorations at the Baldwin grand piano. Marian's original 'Cerulescence' is rated 'a worthy inclusion in a collection dedicated to an American musical genius who loved his fans almost as much as his music' (Elwood, 2000).
Recorded late in 2000 and released in 2001 on Concord Records Inc was a live performance from Chicago's landmark club, Joe Segal's Jazz Showcase, of Marian McPartland and Willie Pickins:
The pair work cozily together despite major differences in their styles - Pickens leans to the bluesy side with busier rhythms and a thundery attack, while classically trained McPartland's sentimental approach leaves lots of space.McPartland has paired with many pianists on her NPR show, but this album with the underrecorded veteran Pickens may be one of her all-time best collaborations (Lee, 2002).
A 2002 Concord Records Inc release was culled from two sets of the Marian McPartland Trio at the jazz room Shanghai Jazz in Madison, New Jersey. The title of this release was Marian McPartland Trio With Joe Morello And Rufus Reid: Live At Shanghai Jazz. Marian's sidemen for this occasion were Rufus Reid on bass and Joe Morello on drums. Aiming for variety, Marian featured a Mary Lou Williams composition, an original by Rufus Reid, an avant garde drums/piano exchange 'A Snare And A Delusion', and an impromptu 'Shanghai Blues', her own composition (Deffaa, 2002).
In 1998, Concord Records Inc released Marian McPartland: The Concord Jazz Heritage Series, a compilation of previously released material from 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1996 and 1997. Marian McPartland's twelve tracks complement the Concord Jazz Heritage Series, bringing back some of the many highlights from Concord's rich legacy of recorded music, and this retrospective is dedicated to Carl Jefferson (Yanow, 1998).
In another series of retrospective releases, The Jazz Alliance arm of Concord Records has combined two of Marian McPartland's earlier recordings in a 2-CD package entitled Contrasts. Released in 2003, this album gives new life to two earlier Jazz Alliance recordings - Marian McPartland: Plays The Music Of Alec Wilder and Marian And Jimmy McPartland: A Sentimental Journey, and honors two influential musicians in her life.
Concord Records has also released a series of Moods albums featuring different artists. On Jazz At Week's End Marian McPartland plays her composition 'A Delicate Balance'; on Jazz At Night's End she performs another composition 'Stranger In A Dream'; on Dinner By Candlelight her selection is 'It Never Entered My Mind'; and on Brazilian Romance Marian performs 'Meditation'.
As part of Concord's ongoing program of releasing back-to-back seminal recordings at a budget price, the company has reissued in 2004 another 2-CD set of earlier material entitled Marian McPartland: Windows. This release combines Portrait Of Marian McPartland and Marian McPartland: At The Festival.
Reviews in reputable jazz journals and newspapers throughout the world continue to pay tribute to Marian McPartland's voluminous recorded output (see Reviews). Again, it is testimony to her generosity of spirit that so many other musicians have benefited from recording with her, or being recorded by her, since 1946. Her discography now stands at over 100 titles, and she is also a Grammy-nominated composer (see Discography). Glen Barros, president of what is now named Concord Music Group, regards Marian as an ambassador for jazz, labelling the lyrical quality of her work 'pure elegance'.
Released in 2005, Marian McPartland & Friends: 85 Candles - Live In New York features the cream of jazz all-stars on stage with her at Birdland celebrating her 85th birthday in 2003. Released by Concord Music Group, this 2-CD 22-track collection splendidly captures the spirit and verve of the evening (Ouellette, 2005).
Concord Music Group (CMG) was formed in 2004 with the merger of Concord Records and Fantasy Records. In 2005, the company welcomed Telarc Records to the family.
To the date of completion of this study, Marian McPartland has recorded over 60 albums with the Concord organization. Her complete Concord Discography is available at: http://www.concordmusicgroup.com
NPR CLASSICS
Two recordings featuring Marian McPartland were released by NPR Classics in the 1990s. One was An NPR Jazz Christmas With Marian McPartland And Friends (1997) and the other Portraits (1999). Marian provided the extensive liner notes for both recordings. On the Christmas album, the ‘friends' were trumpeter Jon Faddis, with Peter Washington on bass, pianist Keith Ingham, vocalist Nnenna Freelon, pianists Brad Mehldau and George Shearing, vibraphone player Joe Locke, pianist Jon Weber, vocalist Roseanna Vitro, pianists Bob James and Frank Kimborough, Marcia Ball vocals and piano, pianist John Eaton, trombonist J. J. Johnson, pianists Michael Weiss, Renee Rosnes and Darrell Grant, Freddy Cole vocals and piano, and pianist Phil Markowitz. A review in The New York Times rated the album thus:
The calm, collected and jazz-intensive nature of this record almost defeats its own purpose, and that's a high compliment; you might hear it and get involved with it before realizing that it's a Christmas album. The host of Piano Jazz on National Public Radio has invited several of her guests to perform renditions of holiday songs; among the best are Jon Faddis's ‘Jingle Bells', with lots of sly, slurred notes, Marcia Ball's rhythm-and-blues ‘Christmas Is Just Another Day' and a double-piano to ‘Tannenbaum' with Ms. McPartland and Brad Mehldau (Ratliff, 1997: 24).
A follow-up Christmas album entitled An NPR Jazz Christmas With Marian McPartland And Friends II was released in December 2001. A third album in this series, An NPR Jazz Christmas With Marian McPartland And Friends III, has since been recorded (unknown release date).
In keeping with the Christmas theme, SCETV produced a special radio program for the 2004 Christmas season, Marian McPartland's 'A Child's Christmas In Wales', with Marian reading Dylan Thomas's words and providing her own musical improvisations (http://pianojazz.npr.org/).
Marian revealed how the concept of one pianist improvising a musical portrait of another came about for the NPR Classics Portraits album:
These pieces came about through Chick Corea, who first came on the show in 1979. Chick and I had known each other for several years and we were very comfortable playing together, so I was quite surprised when he suddenly turned to me with a little smile, and said, ‘Now I'm going to do a musical portrait of you.' For a moment, I was quite puzzled, but knowing Chick to be the master of improvisation that he is, I felt that this had to be something special. So I sat back and enjoyed it. The piece he improvised was very charming and very lyrical. I loved it! Afterwards, I told Chick (jokingly!) that I was glad that he didn't include my nose in the portrait (McPartland, 1999).
Marian returned the compliment by 'portraying' her guest, and to incorporate this new and creative way of playing into her radio program, all she had to do ‘was to visualize the guest, whoever he or she might be, and then put my thoughts and that picture under my fingers and onto the keyboard':
In the past twenty years I have created quite a few of these short musical tributes to some of my guests. Improvisation has always been the mainstay of Piano Jazz, and sometimes some ‘in the moment' vignettes seem to add an extra element of surprise to the proceedings (McPartland, 1999).
This is exactly what she did during her Piano Jazz interview with Dudley Moore in 1982:
The idea stayed in my mind as something I like to do from time to time, so when I had Dudley Moore on the show I improvised a tune for him and it sounded so good that I had Ellen Rowe, a fine young pianist and arranger, transcribe it and arrange it for a string group. 'A Portrait Of Dudley Moore, what is that?' people were asking. Everybody was expecting it to be funny, but it was a straight ahead romantic piece. It describes Dudley to a 'T' (Voce, 1987: 8-9).
In 1995, Marian referred to the portrait of Dudley Moore as ‘fun. He's such a puckish personality, with a wonderful musical background and a delightful romantic nature' (Laber, 1995: 10). (See references)
However, Marian dwelt on the romantic rather than the comedic side of Moore's nature in this musical portrait. Now that Dudley Moore has passed, this portrait offers a lingering memory of his spirit in music. Marian has portrayed the following artists - Tony Bennett, Wynton Marsalis, William F. Buckley, Jr., Paul Shaffer, Dizzy Gillespie, Ruth Laredo, Bobby Short, Marcia Ball, Chick Corea, Eddie Palmieri, Helen Merrill, Mercer Ellington, Roberta Piket, Murray Horwitz, Bud Powell, Branford Marsalis, Fred Hersch, Judy Collins, Willie Ruff, Carmen McRae, Dudley Moore, Randy Weston and Ray Charles. The portrait of Carmen McRae was the longest at 5.10, and the portrait of Dizzy Gillespie was 3.36. ‘For Dizzy' has been arranged and orchestrated, and Marian performed this ballad with the Greenwich Symphony Orchestra in 1995.
[This researcher treasures a copy of this recording of Marian McPartland playing with The Greenwich Symphony in 1995]
References
Feather, L. (1979) Liner Notes to Marian McPartland: From This Moment On, Concord Jazz Inc
Elwood, P. (1979) Liner Notes to Portrait Of Marian McPartland, Concord Jazz Inc
Ullman, M. (1979) Liner Notes to Marian McPartland: At The Festival, Concord Jazz Inc
Sudhalter, R. M. (1981) Liner Notes to George Shearing And Marian McPartland: Alone Together, Concord Jazz Inc
Ramsey, D. (1982) Liner Notes to Marian McPartland: Personal Choice, Concord Jazz Inc
MacFadyen, J. Tevere (1985) Liner Notes to Marian McPartland: Willow Creek And Other Ballads, Concord Jazz Inc
Short, B. (1987) Liner Notes to Marian McPartland: Plays The Music Of Billy Strayhorn, Concord Jazz Inc
Voce, S. (1987) 'Marian McPartland', Jazz Journal International, vol. 40, no. 3, March, pp. 6-9
Berger, E. (1990) Liner Notes to Marian McPartland: Plays The Benny Carter Songbook, Concord Jazz Inc
Gourse, L. (1991) Liner Notes to Marian McPartland: Live At The Maybeck Recital Hall Volume Nine, Concord Jazz Inc
Deffaa, C. (1993) Liner Notes to Marian McPartland: In My Life, Concord Jazz Inc
Albertson, C. (1994) Liner Notes to Marian McPartland: Plays The Music Of Mary Lou Williams, Concord Jazz Inc
Edwards, B. (1994) 'Marian McPartland Discusses Jazz Great Mary Lou Williams', Morning Edition, NPR, August 25
McDonough, J. (1996) Liner Notes to The Marian McPartland Trio: Live At Yoshi's Nitespot, Concord Jazz Inc
Sudhalter, R. M. (1997) Liner Notes to Marian McPartland With Strings: Silent Pool, Concord Jazz Inc
Teachout, T. (1998) Liner Notes to Marian McPartland: Just Friends, Concord Records Inc
Chapman, G. (1998) 'Friends Keep McPartland Fresh', The Toronto Star, September 5
Gitler, I. (1998) 'McPartland At 80: A Piano Celebration, JazzTimes, July/August, pp. 53-54
Crow, B. (1999) Liner Notes to Marian McPartland's Hickory House Trio: Reprise, Concord Records Inc
Elwood, P. (2000) Liner Notes to Marian McPartland: The Single Petal Of A Rose, The Essence Of Duke Ellington, Concord Records Inc
Lee, N. A, (2002) 'Marian McPartland And Willie Pickens: Live At The Jazz Showcase', JazzTimes, March
Deffaa, C. (2002) Liner Notes to Marian McPartland Trio With Joe Morello And Rufus Reid: Live At Shanghai Jazz, Concord Records Inc
Yanow, S. (1998) Liner Notes to Marian McPartland: The Concord Jazz Heritage Series, Concord Records Inc
Ouellette, D. (2005) Liner Notes to Marian McPartland & Friends: 85 Candles - Live In New York, Concord Music Group
Unknown author (2003) 'Marian McPartland - Biography, Discography', Available: http://www.concordmusicgroup.com [April 7, 2003]
Ratliff, V. (1997) ‘From Sacred To Silly: Chestnuts Roasting On The CD Player’, The New York Times, December 5, p. 24
McPartland, M. (1997) Liner Notes to An NPR Jazz Christmas With Marian McPartland And Friends, NPR
(2004) NPR Piano Jazz program - Marian McPartland's 'A Child's Christmas In Wales' (http://pianojazz.npr.org/)
McPartland, M. (1999) Liner Notes to Marian McPartland: Portraits, NPR
Laber, R. (1995) ‘Inside Jazz With Marian McPartland', Clavier, April, pp. 8-11 © 1995 The Instrumentalist Publishing Co., reprinted with permission from Clavier
Concord Discography
CCD-4086-2 Marian McPartland: From This Moment On
CCD-4101-2 Portrait Of Marian McPartland (also on Festival D-39501)
CCD-4118-2 Marian McPartland: At The Festival (Guest Mary Fettig Park)
CCD-4171-2 George Shearing And Marian McPartland: Alone Together
CCD-4202-2 Marian McPartland: Personal Choice
CCD-4272-2 Marian McPartland: Willow Creek And Other Ballads
CCD-4326-2 Marian McPartland: Plays The Music Of Billy Strayhorn
CCD-4412-2 Marian McPartland: Plays The Benny Carter Songbook
CCD-4460-2 Marian McPartland: Live At The Maybeck Recital Hall Volume Nine
CCD-4561-2 Marian McPartland: In My Life
CCD-7002-2 Fujitsu 25th Concord Jazz Festival - Silver Anniversary 2-CD set
CCD-4605-2 Marian McPartland: Plays The Music Of Mary Lou Williams
CCD-4712-2 The Marian McPartland Trio: Live At Yoshi's Nitespot
CCD-4745-2 Marian McPartland With Strings: Silent Pool (also in SACD Format)
CCD-4805-2 Marian McPartland: Just Friends
CCD-4853-2 Marian McPartland's Hickory House Trio: Reprise
CCD-4895-2 Marian McPartland: The Single Petal Of A Rose, The Essence Of Duke Ellington
CCD-4968-2 Marian McPartland And Willie Pickens: Ain't Misbehavin' - Live At The Jazz Showcase
CCD-4991-2 Marian McPartland Trio With Joe Morello And Rufus Reid: Live At Shanghai Jazz
CCD-4824-2 The Concord Jazz Heritage Series: Marian McPartland
CCD2-2233-2 Marian McPartland: Windows
CCD2-2218-2 Marian McPartland & Friends: 85 Candles - Live In New York
The Jazz Alliance
TJA-10025 Marian And Jimmy McPartland: A Sentimental Journey
TJA-10029 Ambiance: The Marian McPartland Trio
TJA-10016 Marian McPartland: Plays The Music Of Alec Wilder
TJA-10008 Concert In Argentina: Marian McPartland And Friends
TJA- 12044 Marian McPartland: Contrasts (double album)
Piano Jazz Programs Released On The Jazz Alliance
TJA-12001 Dave Brubeck
TJA-12002 Teddy Wilson
TJA-12003 Rosemary Clooney
TJA-12004 Bill Evans
TJA-12005 Dizzy Gillespie
TJA-12006 Eubie Blake
TJA-12007 Dick Wellstood
TJA-12008 Barbara Carroll
TJA-12009 Clark Terry
TJA-12010 Bobby Short
TJA-12011 Red Richards
TJA-12012 Dick Hyman
TJA-12013 Stanley Cowell
TJA-12014 Mercer Ellington
TJA-12015 Benny Carter
TJA-12016 Milt Hinton
TJA-12017 Jess Stacey
TJA-12018 Jack DeJohnette
TJA-12019 Mary Lou Williams
TJA-12020 Alice Coltrane
TJA-12021 Kenny Burrell
TJA-12022 Amina Claudine Myers
TJA-12023 Dave McKenna
TJA-12024 Henry Mancini
TJA-12025 Roy Eldridge
TJA-12026 Lee Konitz
TJA-12027 Joe Williams
TJA-12028 Oscar Peterson
TJA-12029 Lionel Hampton
TJA-12030 Jay McShann
TJA-12031 Les McCann
TJA-12032 Charles Brown
CD Re-releases Or New Releases On The Jazz Alliance
TJA-12041-2 Rosemary Clooney
TJA-12042-2 Dizzy Gillespie
TJA-12043-2 Dave Brubeck
TJA-12038-2 Bill Evans
TJA-12040-2 Chick Corea
TJA-12039-2 Carmen McRae
TJA-12033-2 Oscar Peterson
TJA-12045-2 Mary Lou Williams
TJA-12046-2 Lionel Hampton
TJA-12047-2 John Medeski
TJA-12048-2 Steely Dan
TJA-12049-2 Elvis Costello
TJA-12051-2 Bruce Hornsby
TJA-12052-2 Teddy Wilson
TJA-12053-2 Shirley Horn
Concord Records has also released a series of Moods albums featuring different artists. For this series Marian McPartland has recorded selections:
CCD-5200-2 Jazz Moods: Brazilian Romance
CCD-5201-2 Jazz Moods: Dinner By Candlelight
CCD-5202-2 Jazz Moods: Jazz At Night's End
CCD-5203-2 Jazz Moods: Jazz At Week's End
Other Recordings
LP 1169 (1980) Bubba Kolb Trio (Marian McPartland on one track)
Concord Jazz CJ-273 (1985) Mary Fettig Quartet: In Good Company (Marian McPartland on Piano)
Music Masters (1987) Piano Players And Significant Others (Marian McPartland is featured on several titles, possibly with a rhythm section)
Concord Jazz CCD-4645 (1994) There Again (Marian McPartland accompanies singer Eden Atwood on two titles)
Chesky JD-198 (1999) Clark Terry: One On One (Marian McPartland on one track)
Concord Music Group CCD-2121-2 George Shearing: Duets (Marian McPartland on some tracks)
NPR Classics
JA CD 0005 (1997) An NPRJazz Christmas With Marian McPartland And Friends
JA CD (2000) An NPR Jazz Christmas With Marian McPartland And Friends II
JA CD An NPR Jazz Christmas With Marian McPartland And Friends III
NPR CD 0010 (1999) Mairian McPartland: Portraits
Reviews
Samples of reviews of the albums surveyed in this section of the website follow:
Marian McPartland: Personal Choice
Marian McPartland deserves to be called a 'Giant Of Jazz' in this, her third album for Concord. This album, produced by Concord President Carl E. Jefferson, is most appropriately named. She is quoted in the liner notes as saying that these eight selections are her favorite tunes and her back-up duo of bassist Steve LaSpina and drummer Jake Hanna are her favorite musicians (John S. Brodhead, Jr., The Courier News).
Marian McPartland: Willow Creek And Other Ballads
The music is unique in that it shows Marian concentrating on an area of her playing which no one else can match - the delicate and sensitive interpretation of the romantic ballad. She extracts the best from a series of unhackneyed tunes and explores their possibilities with improvisations which make the blood race. This is the paradox, for her playing manages to be both discreet and exciting at the same time. One who so persistently writes down her own talents in order to show off those of others does not dazzle deliberately. But, make no mistake, dazzle she does. The outstanding track is her own composition, 'Willow Creek', a ballad that rivals the best of the standards here, and matures before the ears as a deeply satisfying jazz performance (Steve Voce, Jazz Journal International).
Marian McPartland: Plays The Music Of Mary Lou Williams
To bring together the strong jazz shapes of Mary Lou Williams's tunes and the clean cut improvisational skills of Marian McPartland is a recipe for success. In the event, the musical meal produced is excellent; a lightly swinging rhythm team support to the full and the pianist spins out her 'improvised, mainstream polite bebop' (her words). Eleven of the ingredients are composed by Williams, and McPartland seasons and cooks and the outcome is for the truly discerning palate (Barry McRae, Jazz Journal International).
Marian McPartland: Plays The Music Of Billy Strayhorn
It is again a case of a superb pianist playing the music of a master composer. In this case, she is assisted by the very accomplished [Jerry] Dodgion who, like McPartland, woos rather than rapes and, if possible, the Strayhorn songbook is enhanced (Barry McRae, Jazz Journal International).
Marian McPartland: Plays The Benny Carter Songbook
If jazz producers have any brains at all, this will be the first of many Benny Carter songbooks, with or without the composer. In his over 60 years in jazz, Carter has written many felicitous, indelible and acutely swinging tunes, as this album proves. Pianist McPartland is a perfect interpreter of Carter, being a sophisticated player who never shortchanges the melodies and harmonies of a composition. (George Kanzler, The Sunday Star-Ledger).
Marian McPartland: Live At The Maybeck Recital Hall Volume Nine
Marian McPartland is a musician with skill and good taste. She chooses attractive melodies to play, enhancing them with immaculate chord voicings. The theme to Marian's radio show ‘[Kaleidoscope] Theme From Piano Jazz' is bright and lively. Ellington's little known piece 'Love You Madly' may come to be a more general favourite like 'What Am I Here For'; it would be ideal for small group jazz. Marian's sensitive touch makes 'Easy Living' elegant and charming. The best of the brighter titles is Ornette Coleman's 'Turnaround'. Alec Wilder's 'I'll Be Around' ends the live recital with harmony and melody blending agreeable (Ray Spencer, Jazz Journal International).
Marian McPartland With Strings: Silent Pool
On Silent Pool Marian McPartland achieves a unity with the orchestrations that some jazz musicians seem to find difficult. Alan Broadbent's wall-to-wall scores offer a luxurious context as well as some dramatic intros ('Twilight World' and Fred Seykoura's lush cello overture to 'Stranger In A Dream').
But it's the pianist's own mood music. She asserts herself through the design of her compositions in this case, not the give-and-take of her trio. In the process, she turns each piece into a little faux-concerto in which piano and orchestra accommodate each other like a couple of strangers on a train enjoying a romantic one-time encounter. As a melodist, McPartland can be straightforward ('Castles In The Sand') but is more likely to be politely elusive, almost intangible, not unlike Stephen Sondheim. Pieces such as 'There'll Be Other Times' and 'With You In Mind' leave you not so much with a tune in your head, but a state of mind not easily recaptured (John McDonough, DownBeat).
[Marian's] an exemplary writer who, here at least, shows herself incapable of composing anything substandard. McPartland is committed to developing strong melodies - a tough lesson that most wannabe jazz writers don't have the ear or patience to develop. There's a shadowy feminine feel to her work that's reminiscent of Bill Evans. To be fair, considering her impressive four decades-plus in the business, she's surpassed such comparisons (Dave McElfresh, Cadence).
Marian McPartland is one of those rare jazz musicians who has never developed what critics call a 'mature' style. Silent Pool is a felicitous pairing of two unique musical sensibilities, with Alan Broadbent's string arrangements sharing center stage with McPartland's lyrical compositions and beautifully nuanced piano work. Always open to new musical situations, McPartland jumped at the opportunity to record with strings, a dream only a handful of jazz musicians have fulfilled due to the prohibitive expense. Recording with strings used to be considered a way to popularize improvisers: with the already beloved McPartland, it's simply one more path for a tireless musical explorer (Andrew Gilbert, www.salon.com).
Marian McPartland: Just Friends
Jazz piano duetting is a difficult art.The participants need to be strong rhythmically and above all need to have quick ears and hands and display good taste and self control, really listening to what is going on.This is cultured, intelligent music beautifully recorded, in varied moods and tempos. The ability of all the participants to integrate their playing with Marian (and vice versa) is remarkable (Pat Hawes, Jazz Journal International).
Dave Brubeck's broad, exuberantly showbizzy chordings complement McPartland on an extended version of 'Gone With The Wind'. It's filled with sweet moments, like their quick switch into music-box pointillism, which leads into a gorgeous counterpoint sequence before returning to the head (Beatrice Richardson, www.jazzreview.com).
Marian McPartland's Hickory House Trio: Reprise
From the opening 'I Hear Music', cunningly re-harmonized, there is so much to enjoy. The varied programme serves as a potent reminder that there was a time when good melodies abounded. Marian plays 'Stella By Starlight' and 'Last Night When We Were Young' solo. Both beautiful performances. Audio quality is first rate and a quietly attentive audience obviously enjoyed every moment. Contrary to the title of the final track - just occasionally 'things are what they used to be' (Pat Hawes, Jazz Journal International).
Lest anyone think Marian McPartland is merely the matriarch of jazz radio hosts, take a listen to her new CD Reprise where we get to hear her still adroit talent in full. The album is called Reprise because McPartland reunites her favorite trio from the mid-50s that used to play the Hickory House club in New York City - the drummer Joe Morello and bassist Bill Crow. This live recording was a follow-on from Marian's 80th birthday celebration at Birdland, and makes the 40-year absence seem like yesterday. McPartland has a beautiful way with ballads. Standards like 'Stella By Starlight' and 'Last Night When We Were Young' come across as elegiac, as McPartland takes them solo with her rich chordal sound. Morello and Crow embellish with soft textures and light touches, but it's her pensive piano playing that really shines through. Taken as a return to the old form for McPartland, Morello and Crow, it's a great bit of nostalgia and a beautiful continuation of an already prolific career (Kyle O'Brien, The Oregonian).
Marian McPartland Trio With Joe Morello And Rufus Reid: Live At Shanghai Jazz
Old associations aside, McPartland is not about nostalgia, except in the choice of composers whose work she cherishes. She gives Mary Lou Williams' 'Scratchin' In The Gravel' a medium tempo that nudges Reid and Morello into a groove encouraging a thoughtful bass solo and an exchange of four-bar phrases saturated with Morello's wit and impeccable time (Doug Ramsey, JazzTimes).
This album was recorded when Marian McPartland had just breezed past her 83rd birthday. She is joined by drummer Joe Morello and bassist Rufus Reid. On medium to slow music, Marian McPartland is still sublime. Staple devices of conventional piano trio jazz sound are completely rejuvenated, and her driving original 'Shanghai Blues', over Reid's booming bass-walk, splutters and fizzes with stabbed chords, steely runs, stretching and inversion of phrases and emphatic low-register declamations. Just a straight-ahead jazz piano set, but a heart-warming one from both the human and the musical aspect (John Fordham, The Guardian).
Marian McPartland: On 52nd Street
A historically valuable finding that accompanies this reissue is the new discovery that legendary recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder was responsible for the remarkable sound quality that distinguishes this set. The ability to get the kind of clarity in a live club that Van Gelder achieved as early as 1953 marks this work as a milestone in his career as well (Chris Hovan, www.jazzreview.com).
Marian McPartland: Windows
In a time where a woman's association with jazz was, at best, relegated to the role of vocalist, McPartland not only emerged as a performer of significance, but one who showed considerable forward-thinking. While she has to be considered a mainstream artist, her style is more harmonically sophisticated than many of her peers, and certainly that of her husband, the late Jimmy McPartland. With the release of Windows, part of Concord Records' ongoing program of releasing back-to-back seminal recordings at a budget price, we get to hear McPartland at the top of her game on a pair of releases originally released in 1979 and 1980.
Windows is an appropriate title for a reissue that gives us a snapshot of McPartland at a particularly fine point in time; what is encouraging for us all is that she continues to prove that one is never too old to take on new challenges (John Kelman, reposted on www.indiejazz.com from www.allaboutjazz.com).
Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz With Guest Milt Hinton
Milt Hinton was well into his eighties at the 1991 session, and a double CD had been released on Chiaroscuro to celebrate his life in jazz. Marian McPartland and Milt differ in race, gender, generation and nationality, so the conversation between these two musicians displays a rare understanding. It is the interplay of piano and bass on several tracks which makes the whole session riveting, and the pleasure they express after each duet makes it mandatory to tune into the conversation (Graham Colombe, Jazz Journal International).
Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz With Guest Oscar Peterson
This particular broadcast was recorded in February 1980, and the guest was probably the finest. The session is fascinating. Marian McPartland is a very accomplished pianist herself and she is there in position to conduct a most interesting interview with the great man and play some very worthwhile and enjoyable duets with him on 'Like Someone In Love', 'Falling In Love With Love' and 'Cotton Tail' (Don Mather, www.musicweb.uk.net).
Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz With Guest Carmen McRae
This series of recordings is taken from radio broadcasts, this one from 1985, originally recorded on The Jazz Alliance, and now reissued with a new cover design. They tell you something about the pianists that she interviews that no amount of reading from books can give. Marian McPartland's empathy with her guests gives a unique insight into their character. This empathy is aided by her own capability as a jazz pianist, she is a very interesting and extremely musical player with a lovely jazz feel about everything she does (Don Mather, www.musicweb.uk.net).
Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz With Guest Lionel Hampton
This excellent series documents the National Public Radio broadcasts of its program titled Piano Jazz. The show features the great Marian McPartland duetting with such stellar pianists as Chick Corea, Jason Moran, Oscar Peterson, Dave Brubeck, and the great Lionel Hampton. They duet on such songs as 'Teach Me Tonight', Hampton's classic 'Flying Home' and 'Sweet Georgia Brown' (Paula Edelstein, All Music Guide).
From Liner Notes Of Selected Recordings During This Period
Marian McPartland: At The Festival
Recorded at the Concord Jazz Festival, this set ranges from Cole Porter's 'I Love You' to Chick Corea's 'Windows'. Marian is supported by bassist Brian Torff and drummer Jake Hanna, both sensitive and listening musicians. The album features two tunes by women - 'Willow Weep For Me' by Ann Ronell, and Marian's own composition 'In The Days Of Our Love' (Quoted from Liner Notes by Michael Ullman).
Marian McPartland: Willow Creek And Other Ballads
Alone with a perfectly tuned piano on a snowy New York day in January, Marian McPartland makes it feel like July with her tender and reflective version of 'The Things We Did Last Summer'. Her touch and talent are most impressive on ballads, and with Stevie Wonder's 'All In Love Is Fair' she builds a melody around a few linked phrases yet invests them with deep emotional resonance (Quoted from Liner Notes by J. Tevere MacFadyen).
Marian McPartland: Live At The Maybeck Recital Hall Volume Nine
The solo artistry of Marian McPartland is heard at its best in the pristine setting of Maybeck Recital Hall, and this concert was recorded soon after the death of her husband Jimmy McPartland. Her sixteen selections cover a wide spectrum - from Ellington to Brubeck to classic ballads, and even Marian's own composition 'Kaleidoscope' (the theme from Piano Jazz) which had never been extended in a spontaneous improvisation before (Quoted from Concord Jazz Press Release - May 6, 1991).
Marian McPartland: The Single Petal Of A Rose, The Essence Of Duke Ellington
Marian McPartland, long an admirer of Ellington, has attained the highest ranks of jazz performers in her piano interpretations of his music, and Bill Douglass's full-bodied bass tones support her ideas in ways reminiscent of the Ellington-Jimmy Blanton combination. Marian effortlessly recreates the Duke-ish style and acknowledges earlier recordings, as well as creating distinctive renditions of her own (Quoted from Liner Notes by Philip Elwood).
Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz With Guest Bill Evans
Every pianist in the jazz world (and many in the classical world) admires Bill Evans. More than a legend, more than a cult figure, Bill seems almost messianic in his influence, and his music has become a valuable part of jazz history. The gently moving, tender melody of 'Waltz For Debby' set the tone for the afternoon. I've heard 'All Of You' on Bill's records and I've also heard him play it in person, but I've never heard him illustrate a tune so graphically in answer to my question about 'playing against the time'. 'In Your Own Sweet Way' simply evolved as we played it. This is a wonderful tune to improvise on, and when we got into some eight-bar exchanges, I was totally lost in the excitement of it all. 'The Touch Of Your Lips' was a total piano lesson, enlightening to all of us, and I think even those who don't play piano can follow Bill through every stage very clearly. After talking about different keys, Bill played the beautiful, seldom played Duke Ellington tune 'Reflections In D'. The interview with Bill Evans on Piano Jazz is very precious to me (Quoted from Liner Notes by Marian McPartland).
