Home » Jazz Articles » Radio & Podcasts » Paul de Barros: Chronicling Marian McPartland's Life in Jazz
Paul de Barros: Chronicling Marian McPartland's Life in Jazz
Click the play button to listen
Throughout his storied career, Paul was editor and critic at the Seattle Times and has written for Downbeat and Earshot Jazz, amongst other outlets. He is also the author of Jackson Street After Dark: The Roots of Jazz in Seattle (Sasquatch Books, 1993), but today, he joins us to talk about the updated edition of his book Shall We Play That One Together? The Life and Art of Jazz Piano Legend Marian McPartland (University of South Carolina Press, 2024), which contains a new preface detailing the challenges of writing a biography about an often headstrong, living subject. The preface alone is worth the price of admission.
From 1978 to 2011 (33 years for those counting at home), Marian McPartland hosted the weekly national radio program Piano Jazz, wherein she helped popularize jazz and jazz musicians through interviews and in-studio performances. Pick a name, almost any name—they were on Piano Jazz.
Marian passed away in 2013 at the age of 95. She lived a fascinating life as a complex, able woman in the difficult world of professional music.
Paul's book is a special document of a special person and her unique times.
About Marian McPartland
Tags
PREVIOUS / NEXT
Become a Sustaining Member
Since 1995, All About Jazz has championed jazz as an art form and supported the musicians who create it. Over three decades, it has grown into one of the world's leading jazz resources, serving hundreds of thousands of readers, musicians, presenters and industry professionals each month.
Help Build the Future of All About Jazz
Your support helps us continue building All About Jazz for the next generation—expanding our editorial coverage, preserving jazz history, developing new community features and creating better ways to discover the music and the people behind it.
Become a sustaining member for as little as $20 per year and you'll immediately enjoy an ad-free experience along with access to subscriber features and future articles for a full year.
Together, we're not simply sustaining All About Jazz—we're building its future. Thank you for being part of the journey.
