March 21, 2008: Marian McPartland B-Day Bash!
Thursday, March 20th, 2008 is Marian McPartland’s 90th birthday. Not only is she a talented and influential jazz pianist, she is also one of the most important voices in jazz education, having hosted a show on NPR for almost 30 years. “Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz” features guest artists who play with McPartland and talk informally about their careers. It’s a treasure of, as Sun Ra would say, history, herstory, and mystery. If you think it’s odd pairing McPartland with Ra, check out her show with Cecil Taylor. . . Today, we’ll listen to music from her long career, starting with her classic trio from NYC’s Hickory House. Happy birthday Marian McPartland!