Marian McPartland

She died recently. She must have been in her 90s. I listened to her occasionally on NPR at the obscure hours when her 'piano jazz' show was on...like 3:30 PM on Sunday....or 11:30 PM at night. Here's a review of her music.

But I have a more personal recollection of her:

Shortly after I joined IBM, I began ...around late 1960 maybe...to travel to work at the Time Life Building around 6th avenue between 50th and 51st streets. I was part of a team that developed the first 'autocoder'...a software system that translated an English language-like computer programming instructions into machine readable code...a so-called 'compiler.' 

At night I would wander around, rather than sit in a hotel room, and I landed at the Hickory House on 52nd street where Marian McPartland played regularly... seated at a grand piano elevated above a round bar that filled the entire room. She liked the lights...I learned from a bartender.... bright...so the atmosphere was not like a dark referential jazz club such as Charlie Byrd's...the Showboat Lounge...on Columbia Road in Adams Morgan in Washington, DC where during his sets no one moved ...even the waitresses sat quietly...often taking the time to smoke which was allowed.

Jazz had sort of moved by then originally from Harlem, then down to 52nd street, then on downtown to the village.

I went to the Hickory House often enough that Marian McPartland would recognize me...I went entirely during the week and still early in the evening. I was back home in Washington on the weekends with Katherine and the children. 

I would be conspicuous siting at the bar listening...often the only patron. One evening during a break, she stopped by my stool and said hello and I introduced myself and we talked for a few moments...a few awkward exchanges about how much I enjoyed her music and where was I from...you know the routine.

She was British...and I later learned that she had met and married an American GI musician during the war and had given up a classical piano career to come to the US and play jazz with him and thenon her own.

Thereafter on some occasions she would acknowledge me and she seemed to remember my name...at least Jim...because she would say 'hello Jim' silently from her perch on the piano stool above me. I stopped going to the Hickory House, of course, as soon as the job at Time Life ran out, and I never saw her again in person, except once, until several years ago when Katherine and I and Judith and Marvin listened to her in the Rotunda of the National Gallery in Washington. I attempted to see her back stage, if I recall, but was unsuccessful.

Katherine and I became fans of Charlie Byrd

while we lived in Washington and listened to him fairly often at the Showboat. When we went to live in France and I returned maybe twice or three times a year to DC for a few days for business ...and having little to do in the evenings after work, I would call Felix Grant,

Felix Grant

who MC'ed a jazz program at WMAL in Washington for years and would often play Charlie Byrd's music, and ask him where Charlie Byrd was playing that evening. This was in the 1970's and it wasn't easy to find out because Charlie often played in some obscure club not carried in the papers.  We started to chat after several calls and he asked what other jazz performers I liked, and I said Marian McPartland.

Charlie Byrd had come under the influence of Django Reinhardt in Paris, during the war, took up the classical guitar and studied with Segovia. He still is my favorite jazz musician. Marian McPartland plays a light, almost classical, melodic jazz not so much in great favor of those who like Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Mingus, or Miles Davis.

I probably called Felix Grant 10 times over almost 5 years.

In the early 80s, Charlie opened his own club...I think it was the "Byrd's Nest"...in Georgetown. 

I came to town shortly thereafter. Katherine would have stayed in Paris. Lauren was in school at Henri IV and Sloopy...our first Golden Retriever...was with us....Tripp and Chris would have been in college. I called Felix as usual. Although his was a very popular radio program, he would often be in the studio there alone...maybe with an engineer.. and if you called the right number he would answer. In addition to telling me where Charlie was playing, we would chat for a few seconds and sometimes Marian McPartland's name would come up, although I never told him about the Hickory House.

By this time, he recognized my voice ...we had never met...and instead of telling me where Charlie was playing, he said...I have a surprise for you...Charlie has opened a new club...I was planning on attending after my show tonight...why don't you join us...he has a very special guest.

I joined him at Charlie Byrd's place.

The surprise guest was Marian McPartland.

After her set, she and Charlie walked out from backstage and sat at what looked like a special "owner's" table...'stampt tisch' as the German's call it... in the club. Charlie immediately spotted Felix Grant...Felix was a well known personality to jazz performers and fans in those days, I recall, and motioned for him to come over.

Felix turned to me and said ...come on with me... I'll introduce you.

We go over to the table and Charlie introduced Felix to Marian... she knew 'of him' of course...and Felix in turn...with a certain satisfied look.. started to introduce Marian to me, when she interrupted him to say:

"Hello Jim...it's been a long time since the Hickory House."