No jazz musician has ever been heard more on public radio than the late Marian McPartland, the host of NPR's Piano Jazz for more than 40 years. But for all her ubiquity, how well did we really know her?
This special episode of Jazz Night in America — a celebration of McPartland's centenary (March 20) as well as a timely offering for Women in Jazz month — features personal insights from her longtime producer, Shari Hutchinson, and her granddaughter, Donna Gourdol. We'll also hear outtakes from Piano Jazz, featuring guests like singer Sarah Vaughan and pianists Mary Lou Williams and Geri Allen. And of course, we'll hear the voice and piano of McPartland herself, a grande dame and NEA Jazz Master who was never anything but herself.
