Piano Jazz Shorts

In the 1950s, New York's 52nd Street was a jazz mecca. The Hickory House was known for its sizzling steaks and a swinging jazz trio led by a young female pianist with a British accent and a God-given touch.  Marian McPartland, bassist Bill Crow, and her drummer, the late Joe Morello, held court at the Hickory House for almost ten years. The trio reunited in 1990 for this special Piano Jazz, including performances of "Skylark" and "I'm Beginning to See the Light."

Composer/arranger Gerald Wilson has charted the course for some of the legends of jazz, including Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie. Wilson got his start as a trumpet player with Jimmie Lunceford's big band, but was soon recognized as a composer, arranger, and big band leader with a wealth of sophisticated musical ideas and total dedication to the infinite possibilities of jazz. Host McPartland improvises a musical portrait in honor of Wilson.

Piano Jazz swings into the holiday season with a special program of Christmas music. McPartland and her guests from seasons past share their favorite memories and perform yuletide classics and original holiday tunes. Guest artists include George Shearing, Tony DeSare and Dena DeRose.

Italian pianist Stefano Bollani stretches the limits of the imagination with improvisations that range from quirky to transcendent. Virtuoso technique and a keen harmonic sense bolster Bollani’s improvisations, which owe as much to Charlie Parker and Oscar Peterson as to Sergei Prokofiev and Frank Zappa. Bollani performs an original, “Buzzilare,” and Scott Joplin's classic, “Maple Leaf Rag.”

The Montclair Women's Big Band keeps the jazz ensemble tradition alive and swinging in the San Francisco Bay area. Trumpeter and veteran bandleader Ellen Seeling brings along tenor sax Jean Fineberg and drummer, Allison Miller to this Piano Jazz recorded in 2007. They join McPartland and bassist Gary Mazzaroppi for quintet versions of "Georgia" and "St. Thomas."

Bassist Eddie Gomez has held down rhythm sections and set the groove for some of the heavyweights of jazz—from Bill Evans to Miles Davis to Chick Corea and Marian McPartland herself! His masterful touch and sense of swing shine through, whether he's grooving in the background or bringing the bass up front. He joins McPartland for a set including favorites "Turn Out the Stars" and "Stella By Starlight."

Pianist Kenny Werner is a musician for whom creativity is a credo and improvisation a way of life. Transforming brilliant technique into unbridled creativity is not only Werner's musical mission; it's the subject of his popular book, Effortless Mastery. He and McPartland get together on a pair of Bill Evans tunes – "Very Early" and "Waltz for Debbie."

Alto sax player and composer Lee Konitz is an icon of the cool jazz school. He played with Claude Thornhill's influential orchestra and was in the studio for Miles Davis' Birth of the Cool sessions. Konitz continues to hone his craft aft er seven decades on the band stand. On this Piano Jazz, Konitz and McPartland present a master class in the art of the standard, including performances of "All The Things You Are" and "Stella By Starlight."

Saxophonist, composer and NEA Jazz Master Jimmy Heath is the middle child of the illustrious jazz family, the Heath Brothers. A bebop player and big band leader, Heath also performed with Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespieand John Coltrane. In 2001, Heath joined McPartland and bassist Rufus Reid for an hour of unforgettable talk and music including "You've Changed" and Jimmy's most famous tune, "Gingerbread Boy."

Singer/songwriter Boz Scaggs was a member of the original incarnati on of The Steve Miller Band. On the success of their first two albums he launched a solo career that spawned 14 albums and earned him a Grammy. Scaggs has explored jazz elements in the past decade and brings his seasoned vocals and well-honed musicianship to tunes including "Easy Living" and "But Beautiful."

Piano Jazz celebrated its 30th anniversary with a return visit from pianist, composer and arranger Dick Hyman, who first appeared on season one of the show in 1979. Always the fleet-fingered pianist and versatile musician, Hyman performs Gershwin, Jobim and a James P. Johnson rag before winding up the hour with McPartland on an improvised blues tune.

Composer, arranger, conductor and pianist Lalo Schifrin has authored some of the most famous music in film and TV history. His works include the original Mission: Impossible theme and the scores to Cool Hand Luke and the Dirty Harry films. Schifrin performs his tune, "Down Here On The Ground," and joins McPartland for a duet of "Woody'n You."

Pianist John Bunch learned to arrange for big bands while held captive in a German POW camp. After WW II he worked with Woody Herman and Benny Goodman, and was Tony Bennett's pianist for a number of years. Piano Jazz remembers Bunch with this 1991 session, as he performs "Something to Live For," and duets with McPartland on "What Is This Thing Called Love?"

Ron Carter has set the standard for modern jazz bass players. He rose to fame with Miles Davis and went on to work with Stan Getz and Thelonious Monk, among others. His work spans 2000 albums and success as a bandleader, composer and educator. He joins McPartland for a set including two Oscar Petti ford tunes – "Bohemia After Dark" and "Blues in the Closet."

Vocalist/pianist Tony DeSare got his big break playing the lead in the Off-Broadway musical Our Sinatra and has been a pillar of retro cool ever since. But he also performs original music along with sets of beloved standards. This week, DeSare sings and plays his deliciously romantic original, “How I Will Say I Love You,” and McPartland backs him on “Memories of You.”