Marian McPartland Lives up to Her Legend: Radio and Piano Star makes rare Appearance in Suttons Bay & Petoskey

July 21, 2004

With the presidential election on the horizon, talk turns every so often to first ladies. One first lady will make a special appearance in Suttons Bay this Saturday, July 24.
No, Laura Bush is not coming. No, Hilary Clinton isn’t coming either.
Even better than the presidential first ladies is a visit by Marian McPartland, the first lady of jazz. She will headline the 12th Annual Suttons Bay Jazz Festival at the harbor downtown. The popular festival attracts several thousand jazz lovers from all over the Midwest.
Festival organizers Piper and Harry Goldson have continued their reputation of putting together a full day of great jazz music that begins at noon with the Suttons Bay High School Jazz Band, followed by performances from Marcus Belgrave (his Louis Armstrong Tribute), The Jeff Haas Double Quartet, The Harry Goldson Quintet featuring Jim Cooper and David Hay and the evening finishes with The Marian McPartland Trio that features Jim Cox on bass and drummer Charlie Braugham. Both are legendary players out of Chicago.

GOT RESPECT
McPartland, now 86, earned her title as the first lady of jazz from her 66-year career performing professionally all over the world:a career that has earned her the respect of some of jazz music’s most legendary players and even the likes of Elvis Costello and Willie Nelson. Who are big fans of Ms. McPartland.
For jazz lovers, McPartland is known to millions of listeners for her weekly radio show “Piano Jazz” on NPR. She started the show 26 years ago and it remains the longest running jazz program in broadcast history. The one-hour program features McPartland playing piano duets with legends and newcomers to the scene. Oscar Peterson, Dizzy Gillespie, Bob James, Herbie Hancock, Eubie Blake, Tony Bennett and several hundred other legends have appeared at the piano with McPartland. Costello, Nelson, Bruce Hornsby, Norah Jones Alicia Keys, Boz Scaggs and Steely Dan all have appeared on her program as well.
“Musicians know good musicians,” said Willie Nelson. “She is one of the best ever. She does her homework. I have fond memories of doing her show and listen to it often.”

MILLIONS OF FANS
Her show is so popular that her producers receive hundreds of CDs and requests every year from many stars and unknowns to appear on her program. A few years back McPartland introduced the world to 13-year-old Eldar Djangirov who at the time was attending the Interlochen Center for the Arts Camp.
“He was sort of a protegè of mine,” said McPartland. “He is only 17 and just performed at the White House. Elder is a delightful person and has so much talent.”
While her program has given her millions of fans, it was her work as a pianist that built her reputation among several jazz circles. McPartland has recorded more than 70 albums and has performed live with several jazz greats. Many, like Duke Ellington, Oscar Peterson, Artie Shaw and Billy Strayhorn, would stop in and perform with her trio at the famed Hickory House on New York’s legendary 52nd Street. During her run at the club from 1952 to 1960 a who’s who of celebrities, politicians, musicians and Broadway and Hollywood stars would come to watch McPartland perform.
Born in England, McPartland met legendary Chicago jazz musician Jimmy McPartland in 1944 while entertaining American and British troops in Belgium. (Jimmy McPartland attended the same high school as Harry Goldson. Austin High School in Chicago produced several jazz greats, including Benny Goodman.) The two fell in love, married and moved to Chicago before landing in New York City where McPartland lives today (Port Washington on Long Island). Jimmy McPartland passed away in 1995 at the age of 88.
McPartland, who has traveled all over the world and performed at the best clubs and venues, is looking forward to performing in Northern Michigan.

DOUBLE SHOT
“I played Petoskey several years ago and absolutely loved it there,” said McPartland. “I hear Suttons Bay is equally as nice. I have also performed at Interlochen. It has been years since I have been to Northern Michigan and now I am performing up there twice in a month (McPartland returns to Petoskey August 20). I hope people are willing to come to see me twice.”
McPartland could play here for a month straight and sell out every night. We get legends here every so often, but not many like her.
Of greater concern to McPartland is the future of music in schools.
“There are still a lot of people trying in the schools,” said McParltand. “It is a real shame but the first thing they cut back is to me one of the most important things, music and art. Then they want to spend millions on a football stadium that is used a few days out of the year. The accent on sports in schools has gotten way out of hand. Now they want the taxpayers to foot the bill on a billion dollar football stadium in Manhattan, and when I think of how that money could be better spent it makes me angry.”
She has expressed interest in doing more to promote music in the schools.
“I have given a lot of thought about it lately, about doing more,” said McPartland. “I go to the high school in my community and perform with the kids. I guess the challenge today is that most kid’s attention spans are about nil and they are all into rock and rap and it is pretty hard to get through to them. With music programs being eliminated kids are being shortchanged and they don’t even realize it.”

FILING THE VOID
For the student and fan alike, McPartland’s weekly “Piano Jazz” program (airs locally on IPR FM 88.7 on Sunday night at 5 p.m.) has filled the educational void. Her guests join her at the piano to perform some of Jazz’s greatest pieces of all time.
It must be great to meet so many of the genre’s best?
“Actually most of my guests I already know,” said McPartland. “Occasionally there are guest I have not met like Norah Jones, who like Elder attended Interlochen. It was interesting to me to learn that Norah listened to my show when she was in school. She and her mother are big fans of mine, so meeting her was a delight. We remain good friends. It is funny the jazz critics don’t like her much; the New York papers give her terrible write-ups. I guess it is because she is not into hard swinging jazz. I don’t know if I would even call what she does jazz -- it is simply delightful music.”
McPartland has no desire in retiring from either the stage or her weekly program. She tapes the program in New York, sometimes doing several shows in one week. She is constantly thinking about who to have on next.
“I would like to get Elvis Costello and Dianna Krall on together,” said McPartland. “I have had both on individually and now that they are married to each other it would be fun to have them on together.”
In addition she is constantly looking for new youthful talent.
“I recently discovered Taylor Eigsti,” said McPartland. “He will join me for my annual Tanglewood live taping of the show this September. He is just fabulous. He will make a perfect guest because at 19 he plays as good as anyone twice his age and he is very funny.
So how does country star Willie Nelson fit into all of this?
“He was a big fan of the show so I had him on a few years ago and it was great. Willie knows all the great jazz tunes so he was a wonderful guest,” said McPartland. “He invited me to join him at one of his concerts and that was a real hoot for me, and I know all of his tunes so it was a lot of fun.”
After doing 1,000-plus shows, any difficult guests?
“Well for the most part everyone has been easy to work with,” said McPartland. “I had Dorothy Donegan, who has since passed away, on and she was very competitive with me during on the show. She seemed to always try and one up me. She was a wonderful pianist and is missed.”
While her weekly radio program is a joy seeing McPartland perform in person is a real treat and something that happens only about 30 times a year.
“I love to perform and when I have some free time I often go to the city and sit in with someone,” said McPartland. “Jazz music is picking up again in popularity so it is a real joy to be out there performing.”

LAZY LISTENERS
Any thoughts about the smooth jazz movement and how it has impacted jazz over all?
“I know I sound contemptuous but the average listener seems unable to listen to a tune that has more than three chords,” said McPartland. “It seems that people are just too lazy to pick up on a good tune. Smooth jazz appeals to them but really how many versions, many quite awful, do we need of ‘Take Five’? Oh well, the same can be said for what they call pop music today. I remember when the music of Benny Goodman was the rock and roll music of his day and then Chubby Checker showed up on the scene and that was the end of everything.”
Okay, so no smooth jazz for Suttons Bay. So how will you choose your set list for the JazzFest? After all, you know thousands of songs.
“Oh I don’t know, I make out a rough list of tunes and I always make sure I have a Bill Evans tune in there,” said McPartland. “I will do a lot of my own tunes and I will feel out the audience as to their interests. We have a tendency to come up with things on the spur of the moment.”
Don’t wait for the spur of the moment to get tickets. This one could easily sell out as they are limited and at $20 in advance ($30 at the gate if any are left) it is easily the best musical value all summer in Northern Michigan. It will truly be a special day and it will be tough for festival organizers to top themselves next year.
For festival director Piper Goldson it is a very special day on two counts.
“We have tried to get Marian in the past but it didn’t work in her schedule, so we are very excited,” said Goldson. “On a personal note this is also like a CD release party for Harry. He will release his eighth CD, ‘Flirtations,’ the day of the festival and will perform pieces from it.”
For advanced tickets call (231) 271-4444. Visit www.leelanau.com/jazzfest to learn more about the Suttons Bay Jazz Festival and about all of the artists performing that day. For tickets to McPartland’s August 20 appearance in Petoskey contact the Crooked Tree Arts Council at (231) 347-4337.