Jazz Alliance
2006
Piano Jazz: McParland / Medeski
About This Album
Jazz purists may scoff at some of Marian McPartland's guest choices in the early years of the new century, inviting pop/rock players like Elvis Costello, Bruce Hornsby, and Walter Becker and Donald Fagen of Steely Dan, on to her long-running series Piano Jazz. But the fact is that the subject of discussion is still piano jazz, no matter who the invited guest is, and Marian McPartland is a great conversationalist with a vast and personal knowledge of jazz history. So it really shouldn't be a surprise that her session with jazz maverick John Medeski for Piano Jazz: McPartland/Medeski, is just as enjoyable and informative as any of her shows. In conversation, Medeski discusses his classical training and how he started playing jazz piano. He also mentions that Medeski, Martin & Wood actually started as a piano trio and describes their evolution towards electric music. The two discuss their love of Monk, with Medeski turning in a solo version of "Ba-Lue Boliver Ba-Lues Are," and McPartland and bassist Gary Mazzaroppi join him for a fun "Bemsha Swing." McPartland seems a bit surprised when Medeski pulls out Harold Arlen's chestnut "Out of This World," and they discuss Duke Ellington's Money Jungle, which was the model for the version of "Caravan" they do here.
Track List (try tracks 2,4,6,8,10,12 and 16)

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