Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz

Since April 1979, legendary pianist Marian McPartland has welcomed a stellar line-up of jazz artists for one hour of conversation and improvisation on her Peabody Award-winning program. Each week, McPartland, with her engaging personality and improvisational savvy, hosts a variety of performers in her radio living room.

Piano Jazz is a forum for jazz legends and influential performers as well as up-and-coming talents. Oscar Peterson, Herbie Hancock, Dave Brubeck, Diana Krall, Max Roach, Cassandra Wilson and Tony Bennett are among the over 500 guests who have joined McPartland to create dynamic duets and discuss their lives and music.

A production of South Carolina Educational Radio and distributed nationally by NPR, Piano Jazz is the longest-running national performance program on public radio and was called "an oasis of intelligence and grace and probably the best hour of jazz on the airwaves" by The Washington Post.

In 2000, McPartland was named an NEA American Jazz Master and received the ASCAP Lifetime Achievement Award and the Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Award for her contributions to jazz.

Current Show Listing

May 22 - Laurence Hobgood
Pianist Laurence Hobgood has been a fixture on the Chicago jazz scene for years. He has recently come to prominence as pianist, musical director and co-producer for the much-celebrated jazz singer Kurt Elling. An exceptional soloist and trio leader in his own right, Hobgood performs his own tune "The Smuggler" and joins McPartland on "Things Ain't What They Used to Be."

May 29 - Frank Morgan
Saxophonist Frank Morgan led a life compelling enough for the big screen. A protégé of Charlie Parker, Morgan's budding career as a jazz musician took a dark turn that led to drugs, prison, and, ultimately, redemption through music. In this memorial broadcast of his 2004 Piano Jazz appearance, Morgan talks about the ups and downs of his life and performs "Sophisticated Lady" and "Billie's Bounce."

June 5 - Elizabeth Doyle
Singer, pianist and composer Elizabeth Doyle is one of Chicago's most captivating performers. She blends a dreamy vocal style with swinging piano playing, deftly accompanying herself on both classic standards and her own unique compositions. Doyle begins the hour at the piano, playing "Blame It on My Youth" before pulling together all of her talents, singing and playing on her own tune "Black Coffee Today."

June 12 - Joe Wilder
This program honors the legendary trumpeter Joe Wilder, a 2008 recipient of the Jazz Masters Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. Wilder is known for his warm lyrical sound and his mastery of the trumpet, whether he's playing jazz or classical music. In this encore broadcast, Wilder and bassist Rufus Reid join McPartland for "It's Easy to Remember" and "Far Away Places."

June 19 - Warren Vache
Warren Vache is a remarkable horn player -- proficient on the trumpet, cornet, and flugelhorn. With a warm tone, astounding chops, and his own unique style, Vache has a strong sense of his jazz lineage. His mastery of the traditional jazz repertoire is evident as he joins McPartland, bassist Gary Mazzaroppi, and drummer Glenn Davis for "Basin Street Blues" and "Louisiana."

June 26 - Stephane Grappelli
Piano Jazz celebrates the centennial of Stephane Grappelli, one of the jazz world's greatest violinists. Grappelli first found fame in France with Django Reinhart's Quintette du Hot Club. He went on to an illustrious career playing with everyone from Oscar Peterson to Paul Simon to Yo Yo Ma. In this encore program, the always elegant and ever witty Grappelli joins McPartland on "Pennies from Heaven" before showing off his keyboard skills on a piano duet of "Anything Goes."