Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz Database

[Ken Dryden]

I found the pdf database of Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz artists, which include most recording dates, initial broadcast date and some repeated schedules by quarter only. The database is neither 100% accurate or inclusive of every show, but it is very thorough for the most part. Thanks to McPartland's biographer Paul de Barros for sharing this information with me.

Please note there are no music files within this link, just the schedule by artist.

Among the shows omitted are the special fundraising shows with a single artist that were not compilations or repeats of previously broadcast music.

Feel free to ask any questions, I'll try to be of help.

https://archive.org/details/piano-jazz-index

It seems to be both viewable on line and downloadable.

 

 

[Teasing the Korean]

Several years back I stumbled upon a link to the Henry Mancini show.  It was fantastic.

[Ken Dryden]

There were a few duds ammong the many guests, the worst of which was Paul Shaffer. McPartland told me that when invited, he said he was familiar with the program, but they only played one duet and Marian had to carry the music alone the rest of the way. Dick Phips, the show's original producer, was bad about pushing his friends to be on the show, regardless of their playing chops. She declined to invite them.

At one point there were some Piano Jazz shows that were downloadable, but that seems to be in the past. One problem with the online versions is that some of them have been truncated. The Ruby Braff program was ruined by an unnecessary voiceover added by the modern announcer on the last song that was not present in the original program, it seem all of the digitized shows available online have been truncated to around 57 minutes, whereas they could be up to but not over 59 minutes for NPR. PIano Jazz might have the artists accidentally comment over the intro or outro to a song, or respond verbally to something the other played, but voiceover on top of performances has always pissed me off. No one tunes into a jazz show to hear an announcer interupting music.

 

[sgcim]

I heard the Paul Shaffer one. I think he tried to play "Emily". It was pretty sad. He must have been relieved when Letterman told him when he was hired for the job to not play any jazz.

Letterman hated jazz.

You should get some type of organissimo prize for this Ken. You're the best!

[Teasing the Korean]

Here is the Mancini episode:

https://www.npr.org/2015/04/17/400361715/henry-mancini-on-piano-jazz

[Ken Dryden]

The Mancini Piano Jazz was released on CD.

[Teasing the Korean]

On 3/18/2022 at 8:32 PM, Ken Dryden said:

There were a few duds ammong the many guests, the worst of which was Paul Shaffer. 

Kind of like the What's My Line shows with Wally Cox.  He did only two.  He was terrible.

[Ken Dryden]

The dud guests were inevitably from outside of jazz, though Marian deliberately invited some non musicians like Nat Hentoff. There was a bit too much talk on some shows, while it is fun to imagine how much music was recorded but never aired.

[bertrand]

I have the Andrew Hill and Freddie Redd shows which are wonderful.

[Ken Dryden]

I enjoyed Gerry Mulligan’s appearance, he left his sax behind and played piano.

Several shows were my introduction to artists, especially Dorothy Donegan and Nellie Lutcher.

[Stonewall15]

Was Dorothy Donegan session released on CD?

[Ken Dryden]

9 hours ago, Stonewall15 said:

Was Dorothy Donegan session released on CD?

Sadly, it wasn't. I recorded the broadcast from either the satellite download or the NPR reel sent to my station, so the show is in my vast Piano Jazz collection. I even provided a few of the shows for Paul de Barros, McPartland's biographer, in addition to some other broadcasts and out of print LPs/CDs he didn't have.

[Stonewall15]

Has Joanne Grauer session ever been released on CD?

[Ken Dryden]

No and I have it on cassette, but I think it is one I recorded at my station after some idiot messed with the variable speed knob. I haven’t digitized it as yet for that reason.

Joanne Grauer was new to me when I heard that show.

Edited April 24, 2022 by Ken Dryden

[Stonewall15]

Do you plan to digitize the show? I would really like a CDR.

[Ken Dryden]

On 4/25/2022 at 2:24 PM, Stonewall15 said:

Do you plan to digitize the show? I would really like a CDR.

If I can find someone to help me pitch correct it. I learned the problem when I exchanged some PJ shows with the late George Ziskind, he recognized the source tape ran slightly slow. Others ran slightly too long to be the correct speed, no NPR jazz broadcast show (aside live broadcasts) runs more than 59 minutes, including all credits.

Edited April 27, 2022 by Ken Dryden

[Monk Sphere]

Hi, I've been trying to research Piano Jazz, as well as locate a lot of the older episodes, and the .pdf database mentioned is very good as a guide.  Ken is right that it is neither 100% accurate (DD Jackson's 2000 show is missing, for instance) or inclusive.  Another useful information resource is the Sessionography that the late Dr. Michael Frohne published in 4 parts, which is still on the web under his jazz research website, Jazz Realities:

https://jazzrealities.blogspot.com/search/label/Marian%20McPartland

Frohne was trying to get information on every Piano Jazz show and combed all the old NPR websites, musicians, as well as key NPR staff who produced or were connected to the programme.  He is pretty successful, while still being neither 100% accurate (he has the wrong Bobby Short episode for the CD release on The Jazz Alliance, for example) or inclusive.

This wonderful programme is still waiting for its definitive guide!