http://www.berkshireeagle.com/headlines/ci_3709625
Tanglewood adds Costello to slate
By Jeffrey Borak, Berkshire Eagle Staff
Friday, April 14
(extract)
LENOX — Punk and hard-rocking Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Elvis Costello, and New Orleans roots and blues piano man Dr. John will perform within hours of each other at Tanglewood's Labor Day Weekend Jazz Festival.
Costello will be Marian McPartland's guest in a live taping of her popular NPR show, "Piano Jazz," Saturday, Sept. 2, at 3 p.m. in Ozawa Hall. That evening at 8, Dr. John and special guests will headline the concert in The Shed. Wynton Marsalis will open.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.bso.org/singleTickets/perfDe ... d=22000013
Tanglewood Jazz Festival: Marian McPartland
Tanglewood
September 2, 2006 3:00 PM
Seiji Ozawa Hall
Lenox, MA
Marian McPartland, pianist
Marian McPartland in a live taping of NPR's "Piano Jazz" with special guest to be announced.
Elvis guesting with Marian McPartland, Lenox, MA, Sept 2 '06
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Apparently, EC is now a 'jazz great'.
This would no doubt greatly amuse the guy who wrote in to Downbeat in regards to their June cover - I believe his exact words were "the individual responsible [for putting Mr. Costello on the cover] should be eliminated".
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=10676
This would no doubt greatly amuse the guy who wrote in to Downbeat in regards to their June cover - I believe his exact words were "the individual responsible [for putting Mr. Costello on the cover] should be eliminated".
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=10676
Jazz greats highlighting this year's festival include Dr. John, Wynton Marsalis, Elvis Costello, Dave Brubeck...
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http://www.berkshireeagle.com/headlines/ci_4282045
Festival's notes are sweet on dreary day
By Nicole Sequino,Berkshire Eagle Staff
Sunday, September 03
LENOX — Kathy and Ralph Rouche of Albany, N.Y., summed up the sentiment of many concertgoers at Seiji Ozawa Hall yesterday, where Elvis Costello crooned to jazz tunes performed by pianist Marian McPartland as part of the Tanglewood Jazz Festival.
"We don't care for the weather, but it's worth it," Kathy Rouche said. "You've got to roll with it. I mean, we couldn't miss Elvis."
Costello and McPartland began the show, which was sold out in the hall, shortly after 3 p.m. to cheers from appreciative fans who braved the high winds, frigid temperatures and overcast skies. An estimated 1,600 people attended the concert, including approximately 500 who chose to huddle together with friends and family outside on the lawn.
"My daughter is a fan of Elvis Costello, and I'm a fan of Marian McPartland," said Ralph Hickok of New Bedford, as he sat with his wife outside. "We're holding up pretty well out here, but it's a good thing that they have hot coffee for us."
The concert was recorded live for the "Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz" show, an award-winning program that airs on National Public Radio. McPartland also previously recorded a show for NPR with Costello on May 6, 2003, as they performed jazz favorites and a few of Costello's own songs.
The 51-year-old Costello proved a witty accompaniment to the 87-year-old McPartland, who was heralded as one of the top jazz pianists by Dave Brubeck. Costello, who emerged as a pop artist with a cynical flair in the late '70s and early '80s, revealed the full range of his voice as a jazz crooner for the afternoon.
Costello also rewarded fans who stayed until the concert's end with a surprise appearance by his wife, jazz singer Diana Krall. Krall, 41, who is pregnant with her first child, sang two solo encores as her husband watched from his seat.
The sixth annual Tanglewood Jazz Festival is considered the largest of its kind in New England, surpassing even the Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island in attendance, according to spokeswoman Dawn Singh.
The festival originated in 2000 as the brainchild of Boston Pops Director Tony Beadle and Tanglewood's Artistic Director Fred Taylor, who wished to diversify the lineup of performers at Tanglewood.
"It's really become more than they ever envisioned," Singh added. "The key is the booking, because the heart of the jazz festival's audience is the Tanglewood crowd."
Yesterday, Frank and Mary Lou Huisking of Guilford, Conn., arrived at Tanglewood early to watch jazz prodigies Taylor Eigsti, 21, and Julian Lage, 18, perform at the Hawthorne Tent Jazz Cafe two hours before the McPartland/Costello show.
The Huiskings, who have been attending Tanglewood concerts for the past 20 years, also attended the evening show with jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and Dr. John with Ann Hampton Callaway, John Pizzarelli, Irma Thomas and Catherine Russell at the Koussevitzky Music Shed.
"You get a lot of bang for your buck," Mary Lou Huisking said, referring to the smaller concerts, held between shows, that are included with festival admission. "One of the things that also keeps us coming back is that we just love the Berkshires," Frank Huisking added.
Robin and Andy Young of Fitchburg sipped white wine as they enjoyed the show with their friends, Lauryl and Dermot McGowan of Whitman. They said that going to Tanglewood has become an annual tradition to celebrate Lauryl McGowan's birthday.
"We came for Elvis, but I just also love music," Lauryl McGowan said. "We were just so impressed with Tanglewood last year that we decided to come back this year."
"It's also a very unique way to listen to music," added Dermot McGowan.
The festival concludes today with the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Band at 2 p.m., and the Dave Brubeck Quartet & Symphonette at 8 p.m., at Ozawa Hall. For ticket information, call (888) 266-1200 or visit the Web site, http://www.tangle wood.org.
Festival's notes are sweet on dreary day
By Nicole Sequino,Berkshire Eagle Staff
Sunday, September 03
LENOX — Kathy and Ralph Rouche of Albany, N.Y., summed up the sentiment of many concertgoers at Seiji Ozawa Hall yesterday, where Elvis Costello crooned to jazz tunes performed by pianist Marian McPartland as part of the Tanglewood Jazz Festival.
"We don't care for the weather, but it's worth it," Kathy Rouche said. "You've got to roll with it. I mean, we couldn't miss Elvis."
Costello and McPartland began the show, which was sold out in the hall, shortly after 3 p.m. to cheers from appreciative fans who braved the high winds, frigid temperatures and overcast skies. An estimated 1,600 people attended the concert, including approximately 500 who chose to huddle together with friends and family outside on the lawn.
"My daughter is a fan of Elvis Costello, and I'm a fan of Marian McPartland," said Ralph Hickok of New Bedford, as he sat with his wife outside. "We're holding up pretty well out here, but it's a good thing that they have hot coffee for us."
The concert was recorded live for the "Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz" show, an award-winning program that airs on National Public Radio. McPartland also previously recorded a show for NPR with Costello on May 6, 2003, as they performed jazz favorites and a few of Costello's own songs.
The 51-year-old Costello proved a witty accompaniment to the 87-year-old McPartland, who was heralded as one of the top jazz pianists by Dave Brubeck. Costello, who emerged as a pop artist with a cynical flair in the late '70s and early '80s, revealed the full range of his voice as a jazz crooner for the afternoon.
Costello also rewarded fans who stayed until the concert's end with a surprise appearance by his wife, jazz singer Diana Krall. Krall, 41, who is pregnant with her first child, sang two solo encores as her husband watched from his seat.
The sixth annual Tanglewood Jazz Festival is considered the largest of its kind in New England, surpassing even the Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island in attendance, according to spokeswoman Dawn Singh.
The festival originated in 2000 as the brainchild of Boston Pops Director Tony Beadle and Tanglewood's Artistic Director Fred Taylor, who wished to diversify the lineup of performers at Tanglewood.
"It's really become more than they ever envisioned," Singh added. "The key is the booking, because the heart of the jazz festival's audience is the Tanglewood crowd."
Yesterday, Frank and Mary Lou Huisking of Guilford, Conn., arrived at Tanglewood early to watch jazz prodigies Taylor Eigsti, 21, and Julian Lage, 18, perform at the Hawthorne Tent Jazz Cafe two hours before the McPartland/Costello show.
The Huiskings, who have been attending Tanglewood concerts for the past 20 years, also attended the evening show with jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and Dr. John with Ann Hampton Callaway, John Pizzarelli, Irma Thomas and Catherine Russell at the Koussevitzky Music Shed.
"You get a lot of bang for your buck," Mary Lou Huisking said, referring to the smaller concerts, held between shows, that are included with festival admission. "One of the things that also keeps us coming back is that we just love the Berkshires," Frank Huisking added.
Robin and Andy Young of Fitchburg sipped white wine as they enjoyed the show with their friends, Lauryl and Dermot McGowan of Whitman. They said that going to Tanglewood has become an annual tradition to celebrate Lauryl McGowan's birthday.
"We came for Elvis, but I just also love music," Lauryl McGowan said. "We were just so impressed with Tanglewood last year that we decided to come back this year."
"It's also a very unique way to listen to music," added Dermot McGowan.
The festival concludes today with the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Band at 2 p.m., and the Dave Brubeck Quartet & Symphonette at 8 p.m., at Ozawa Hall. For ticket information, call (888) 266-1200 or visit the Web site, http://www.tangle wood.org.
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
http://blogs.timesunion.com/reviews/?p=26
Marian McPartland & Elvis Costello, Tanglewood, Sept. 2, 2006
September 2, 2006 at 11:53 pm by Greg Haymes
Costello shows jazz also within his grasp
By GREG HAYMES
Staff writer
LENOX, Mass. … You might think that an 88-year-old jazz pianist and a 52-year-old rocker might have little in common. But if you were at the Tanglewood Jazz Festival on Saturday afternoon for the live concert taping of Marian McPartland’s long-running “Piano Jazz'’ radio show with guest Elvis Costello, then you already know how wrong you would have been.
Costello is pop’s greatest musical chameleon, having collaborated with opera singer Anne Sofie Von Otter, pop maestro Burt Bacharach, country music great George Jones, the Brodsky String Quartet, the Beatles’ Paul McCartney and New Orleans R&B legend Allen Toussaint, to name just a few.
He previously performed on National Public Radio’s “Piano Jazz'’ in 2003, and in the short three years since then, he’s recorded no fewer than five albums … a song cycle of ballads (“North'’), a ballet score (“Il Sogno'’), rock `n’ roll (“The Delivery Man'’), orchestral jazz (“My Flame Burns Blue'’) and rhythm ‘n’ blues (“The River in Reverse'’).
So no one really knew just which Elvis Costello would show up at Tanglewood’s Seiji Ozawa Hall on Saturday. As it turned out, it was Elvis Costello, torch singer of intimate jazz standards.
“The last time I was on your show, I made a rather rash promise that I’d return and sing only songs that I’d never performed onstage before,'’ he confided to McPartland, and he came pretty close to keeping that promise.
With McPartland quite ably accompanying him on the Steinway grand piano, Costello crooned his way through the Vernon Duke-Ira Gershwin unrequited love ballad “I Can’t Get Started'’ to open the show. In a warm, surprisingly supple voice, he served up an
engaging collection of vintage ballads, both well known (“Blame It on My Youth'’ and the aching “My Funny Valentine'’) and more obscure (Cy Coleman’s darkly humorous “Why Try to Change Me Now?'’ and Rodgers and Hart’s “Dancing On the Ceiling'’ with a bluesy bent).
On a few songs it seemed as though Costello wanted to push the tempo a bit faster, but the only time the duo broke out of the languid was with a semi-jaunty rendition of Neal Hefti-Jon Hendricks’ “Lil’ Darlin’,'’ with Costello supplying some finger-snapping
percussion.
Although he was doing fine simply as a singer, Costello did pick up an acoustic guitar for one offbeat tune … a solo version of the old Rudy Vallee novelty song, “Let’s Turn Out the Lights and Go to Bed.'’
Costello the songwriter made only a brief appearance … only as a lyricist … adding words to Billy Strayhorn’s melancholy “Blood Count,'’ which Costello re-named “My Flame Burns Blue.'’ He also premiered a beautiful new piece, in which he wrote wistfully nostalgic
lyrics for one of McPartland’s signature compositions, “Threnody.'’ In her solo spot, McPartland returned the favor, offering up a rich, nimble, improvisational “musical portrait'’ of her musical partner of the day. “That’s Elvis as I know him,'’ she said afterward.
Costello had one more surprise up his sleeve, however, turning the stage over to his wife, jazz singer Diana Krall, for a pair of songs with McPartland … the yearning “If I Had You'’ and a jazz-blues take on the classic “Body and Soul.'’ “I can’t cross my legs anymore,'’ the very pregnant Krall bemoaned as she sat on the stool. But she sure can sing.
The hoped-for Krall and Costello duet never materialized, but Costello wrapped up the afternoon with a final croon through “At Last'’ … leaning much more toward the Glenn Miller version than the later hit rendition by Etta James … staring into Krall’s eyes as she sat in the stage right box seats.
Greg Haymes can be reached 454-5742 or by e-mail at ghaymes@timesunion.com.
“PIANO JAZZ'’ with MARIAN McPARTLAND, featuring Elvis Costello
When: 3:00 p.m. Saturday
Where: Seiji Ozawa Hall, Tanglewood, 297 West St., Lenox, Mass.
The crowd: The 1,100-seat hall was sold out well in advance, with nearly as many fans gathered on the lawn … despite the blustery weather.
Highlights: The melancholy “My Flame Burns Blue,'’ the wistful “Threnody'’ and the heartbreaking “My Funny Valentine'’
Length: First set, 40 minutes; second set, 70 minutes
Marian McPartland & Elvis Costello, Tanglewood, Sept. 2, 2006
September 2, 2006 at 11:53 pm by Greg Haymes
Costello shows jazz also within his grasp
By GREG HAYMES
Staff writer
LENOX, Mass. … You might think that an 88-year-old jazz pianist and a 52-year-old rocker might have little in common. But if you were at the Tanglewood Jazz Festival on Saturday afternoon for the live concert taping of Marian McPartland’s long-running “Piano Jazz'’ radio show with guest Elvis Costello, then you already know how wrong you would have been.
Costello is pop’s greatest musical chameleon, having collaborated with opera singer Anne Sofie Von Otter, pop maestro Burt Bacharach, country music great George Jones, the Brodsky String Quartet, the Beatles’ Paul McCartney and New Orleans R&B legend Allen Toussaint, to name just a few.
He previously performed on National Public Radio’s “Piano Jazz'’ in 2003, and in the short three years since then, he’s recorded no fewer than five albums … a song cycle of ballads (“North'’), a ballet score (“Il Sogno'’), rock `n’ roll (“The Delivery Man'’), orchestral jazz (“My Flame Burns Blue'’) and rhythm ‘n’ blues (“The River in Reverse'’).
So no one really knew just which Elvis Costello would show up at Tanglewood’s Seiji Ozawa Hall on Saturday. As it turned out, it was Elvis Costello, torch singer of intimate jazz standards.
“The last time I was on your show, I made a rather rash promise that I’d return and sing only songs that I’d never performed onstage before,'’ he confided to McPartland, and he came pretty close to keeping that promise.
With McPartland quite ably accompanying him on the Steinway grand piano, Costello crooned his way through the Vernon Duke-Ira Gershwin unrequited love ballad “I Can’t Get Started'’ to open the show. In a warm, surprisingly supple voice, he served up an
engaging collection of vintage ballads, both well known (“Blame It on My Youth'’ and the aching “My Funny Valentine'’) and more obscure (Cy Coleman’s darkly humorous “Why Try to Change Me Now?'’ and Rodgers and Hart’s “Dancing On the Ceiling'’ with a bluesy bent).
On a few songs it seemed as though Costello wanted to push the tempo a bit faster, but the only time the duo broke out of the languid was with a semi-jaunty rendition of Neal Hefti-Jon Hendricks’ “Lil’ Darlin’,'’ with Costello supplying some finger-snapping
percussion.
Although he was doing fine simply as a singer, Costello did pick up an acoustic guitar for one offbeat tune … a solo version of the old Rudy Vallee novelty song, “Let’s Turn Out the Lights and Go to Bed.'’
Costello the songwriter made only a brief appearance … only as a lyricist … adding words to Billy Strayhorn’s melancholy “Blood Count,'’ which Costello re-named “My Flame Burns Blue.'’ He also premiered a beautiful new piece, in which he wrote wistfully nostalgic
lyrics for one of McPartland’s signature compositions, “Threnody.'’ In her solo spot, McPartland returned the favor, offering up a rich, nimble, improvisational “musical portrait'’ of her musical partner of the day. “That’s Elvis as I know him,'’ she said afterward.
Costello had one more surprise up his sleeve, however, turning the stage over to his wife, jazz singer Diana Krall, for a pair of songs with McPartland … the yearning “If I Had You'’ and a jazz-blues take on the classic “Body and Soul.'’ “I can’t cross my legs anymore,'’ the very pregnant Krall bemoaned as she sat on the stool. But she sure can sing.
The hoped-for Krall and Costello duet never materialized, but Costello wrapped up the afternoon with a final croon through “At Last'’ … leaning much more toward the Glenn Miller version than the later hit rendition by Etta James … staring into Krall’s eyes as she sat in the stage right box seats.
Greg Haymes can be reached 454-5742 or by e-mail at ghaymes@timesunion.com.
“PIANO JAZZ'’ with MARIAN McPARTLAND, featuring Elvis Costello
When: 3:00 p.m. Saturday
Where: Seiji Ozawa Hall, Tanglewood, 297 West St., Lenox, Mass.
The crowd: The 1,100-seat hall was sold out well in advance, with nearly as many fans gathered on the lawn … despite the blustery weather.
Highlights: The melancholy “My Flame Burns Blue,'’ the wistful “Threnody'’ and the heartbreaking “My Funny Valentine'’
Length: First set, 40 minutes; second set, 70 minutes
-
sweetest punch
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A slight title error , it seems -Although he was doing fine simply as a singer, Costello did pick up an acoustic guitar for one offbeat tune … a solo version of the old Rudy Vallee novelty song, “Let’s Turn Out the Lights and Go to Bed.'’
http://nfo.net/cal/th12.html
Herman Hupfeld
b. Feb. 1, 1894, Montclair, NJ, USA. d. June 8, 1951, Montclair, NJ, USA.
Herman Hupfield did not write a large number of hits, but he managed to produce at least one quality song that will survive.
1931 for the show 'Everybody's Welcome', he wrote:
"As Time Goes By." It didn't arouse attention when was first published. But when it was featured in MGM's 1943 Bogart and Bergman movie 'Casablanca', where Dooley Wilson sang it while appearing to play the piano, it became a'smash' hit.
Here is Mr. Irwin Schwartz's wonderful rendition of "As Time Goes By".
Other songs by Hupfield include:
"Let's Put Out the Lights (and Go To Sleep)", Rudy Vallee's signature signoff theme for awhile.
http://www.amazon.com/Vagabond-Lover-Ru ... TF8#disc_1
The Vagabond Lover
Rudy Vallée
From listserv -
setlist
I Can't Get Started
Dancing on the Ceiling
Lil' Darlin'
Why Try to Change Me Now
Intermission
Blame it on My Youth
Blood Count
I Know Why
Threnody
Portrait of Elvis Costello
Let's Put Out the Light and Go To Sleep
Encore:
My Funny Valentine (EC)
Second Encore (DK said, "This wasn't planned - well, THIS was,"
gesturing to
her belly)
If I Had You (DK)
Third Encore (Actually unplanned)
Body and Soul (DK)
Fouth Encore
At Last (EC)
setlist
I Can't Get Started
Dancing on the Ceiling
Lil' Darlin'
Why Try to Change Me Now
Intermission
Blame it on My Youth
Blood Count
I Know Why
Threnody
Portrait of Elvis Costello
Let's Put Out the Light and Go To Sleep
Encore:
My Funny Valentine (EC)
Second Encore (DK said, "This wasn't planned - well, THIS was,"
gesturing to
her belly)
If I Had You (DK)
Third Encore (Actually unplanned)
Body and Soul (DK)
Fouth Encore
At Last (EC)
-
verbal gymnastics
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sweetest punch wrote:http://www.berkshireeagle.com/headlines/ci_4282045
Festival's notes are sweet on dreary day
By Nicole Sequino,Berkshire Eagle Staff
The concert was recorded live for the "Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz" show, an award-winning program that airs on National Public Radio.
Let's hope it receives a proper release instead!sweetest punch wrote:This sounds fantastic! Can't wait to hear it. Hope someone recorded it and shares it...
Who’s this kid with his mumbo jumbo?
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http://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=11941
Broadway World, NY
Review: Piano Jazz w/Elvis Costello at Tanglewood Jazz Fest
by Randy Rice
Marian McPartland is the host of Piano Jazz on NPR. For most of the 1950s played piano at the Hickory House in Manhattan. At 88 years old, she has known generations of musicians, and has seen them play, has played for them, or played with them. On Saturday afternoon, she taped an installment of Piano Jazz at the 2006 Tanglewood Jazz Festival. For the second time in the series,Elvis Costello was her guest.
"As you know, I have arthritis in my right leg, and since the time I saw you last I fell and hurt my left leg. So it seems that I don't have a leg to stand on", joked Ms. McPartland as she carefully made her way to her seat at the Baldwin Piano. She introduced Elvis Costello and after a bit of back and forth, Mr. Costello sang "I Can't Get Started", by Ira Gershwin, with Ms. McPartland accompanying on piano, as she would for the entire show. As a sometimes rock star, Costello has the talent and the voice to make a successful and pleasant sounding transition to male vocalist, even if, not every note came easily. The relaxed, one hand in the pocket style, was more evocative of Tony Bennett or Perry Como than the perfectly suave style of Matt Monroe or Jack Jones.
In response to a question from Ms. McPartland about how a rock star becomes a vocalist, Mr. Costello replied "I sing rock 'n roll when the mood takes me....I grew up in a house with lots of records...I have no formal music education...but a great appreciation of music."
Next up for McPartland and Costello was Rodgers and Hart's "Dancing on the Ceiling". With some exceptions, most of the songs Costello sang were by the writers of what is usually called the "Great American Songbook, but they were not the songs that made the writers famous, or the songs for which they are well known. The first set closed with Cy Coleman's "Why Try to Change Me Now?".
After a short intermission, McPartland and Costello returned and requested the audience's cooperation as they took care of some of the mundane business of taping a live performance. Song intros from the first set had to be re-recorded as well as some station identification spots. "It seems that I did something to make you laugh during the last piece that I had to read" said Ms. McPartland, sounding the tiniest bit annoyed at herself, "So I have to do it again. This time, whatever you do, for chrissake, don't laugh." It was such a spontaneous and funny moment, that the audience couldn't help themselves. As soon as they got the laughter out of their system, Ms. McPartland recorded the spot.
After about five minutes of re-records, Mr. Costello announced "Now, this is the beginning of the second half".
A spoken word reading of Lerner and Lowe's "I'm Glad I'm not Young, Anymore" which was famously song by Maurice Cheveliar in Vincent Minnelli's "Gigi" was the first piece Costello performed. He made a seamless segue into "Blame it on My Youth" by Oscar Levant and Edward Heyman.
Mr. Costello sang two songs to which he wrote the lyrics, but not the music. First was "Blood Count" by Billy Strayhorn. In Mr. Costello's version the song is a haunting song of a hangman and his lost opportunities. Then it was time for Costello to turn his attention to a song written by Ms. McPartland, herself.
The set was officially closed (not including encores and a special guest) with "My Funny Valentine".
As a special treat for the Tanglewood audience, Mr. Costello's wife, Diana Krall was introduced and made her way to the stage, where she sang two numbers, "If I Had You" and "Body and Soul". As a very pregnant Diana Krall sat on stage on a stool, she joked "I can't even cross my legs, anymore." After taking bows for "If I had You", I got the feeling that Ms. McPartland talked her into staying to sing "Body and Soul".. It was another spontaneous, terrific, Tanglewood moment.
The actual close of the Piano Jazz performance came as Mr. Costello came back on stage and sang "At Last", to his wife Diana.
Randy Rice currently resides in Providence, RI with his husband Aron. His love affair with live performance began in 1988 when he saw Sammy Davis Jr., Liza Minnelli and Frank Sinatra on a triple-bill at the Worcester Centrum. In the past 18 years he has attended thousands of live performances in every conceivable genre and venue. Randy works with Trillium Asset Management Corp. a socially responsible investment firm in Boston, MA and is on the coordinating committee of Marriage Equality Rhode Island, a grassroots organization that seeks legal recognition of same-sex couples in Rhode Island.
Broadway World, NY
Review: Piano Jazz w/Elvis Costello at Tanglewood Jazz Fest
by Randy Rice
Marian McPartland is the host of Piano Jazz on NPR. For most of the 1950s played piano at the Hickory House in Manhattan. At 88 years old, she has known generations of musicians, and has seen them play, has played for them, or played with them. On Saturday afternoon, she taped an installment of Piano Jazz at the 2006 Tanglewood Jazz Festival. For the second time in the series,Elvis Costello was her guest.
"As you know, I have arthritis in my right leg, and since the time I saw you last I fell and hurt my left leg. So it seems that I don't have a leg to stand on", joked Ms. McPartland as she carefully made her way to her seat at the Baldwin Piano. She introduced Elvis Costello and after a bit of back and forth, Mr. Costello sang "I Can't Get Started", by Ira Gershwin, with Ms. McPartland accompanying on piano, as she would for the entire show. As a sometimes rock star, Costello has the talent and the voice to make a successful and pleasant sounding transition to male vocalist, even if, not every note came easily. The relaxed, one hand in the pocket style, was more evocative of Tony Bennett or Perry Como than the perfectly suave style of Matt Monroe or Jack Jones.
In response to a question from Ms. McPartland about how a rock star becomes a vocalist, Mr. Costello replied "I sing rock 'n roll when the mood takes me....I grew up in a house with lots of records...I have no formal music education...but a great appreciation of music."
Next up for McPartland and Costello was Rodgers and Hart's "Dancing on the Ceiling". With some exceptions, most of the songs Costello sang were by the writers of what is usually called the "Great American Songbook, but they were not the songs that made the writers famous, or the songs for which they are well known. The first set closed with Cy Coleman's "Why Try to Change Me Now?".
After a short intermission, McPartland and Costello returned and requested the audience's cooperation as they took care of some of the mundane business of taping a live performance. Song intros from the first set had to be re-recorded as well as some station identification spots. "It seems that I did something to make you laugh during the last piece that I had to read" said Ms. McPartland, sounding the tiniest bit annoyed at herself, "So I have to do it again. This time, whatever you do, for chrissake, don't laugh." It was such a spontaneous and funny moment, that the audience couldn't help themselves. As soon as they got the laughter out of their system, Ms. McPartland recorded the spot.
After about five minutes of re-records, Mr. Costello announced "Now, this is the beginning of the second half".
A spoken word reading of Lerner and Lowe's "I'm Glad I'm not Young, Anymore" which was famously song by Maurice Cheveliar in Vincent Minnelli's "Gigi" was the first piece Costello performed. He made a seamless segue into "Blame it on My Youth" by Oscar Levant and Edward Heyman.
Mr. Costello sang two songs to which he wrote the lyrics, but not the music. First was "Blood Count" by Billy Strayhorn. In Mr. Costello's version the song is a haunting song of a hangman and his lost opportunities. Then it was time for Costello to turn his attention to a song written by Ms. McPartland, herself.
The set was officially closed (not including encores and a special guest) with "My Funny Valentine".
As a special treat for the Tanglewood audience, Mr. Costello's wife, Diana Krall was introduced and made her way to the stage, where she sang two numbers, "If I Had You" and "Body and Soul". As a very pregnant Diana Krall sat on stage on a stool, she joked "I can't even cross my legs, anymore." After taking bows for "If I had You", I got the feeling that Ms. McPartland talked her into staying to sing "Body and Soul".. It was another spontaneous, terrific, Tanglewood moment.
The actual close of the Piano Jazz performance came as Mr. Costello came back on stage and sang "At Last", to his wife Diana.
Randy Rice currently resides in Providence, RI with his husband Aron. His love affair with live performance began in 1988 when he saw Sammy Davis Jr., Liza Minnelli and Frank Sinatra on a triple-bill at the Worcester Centrum. In the past 18 years he has attended thousands of live performances in every conceivable genre and venue. Randy works with Trillium Asset Management Corp. a socially responsible investment firm in Boston, MA and is on the coordinating committee of Marriage Equality Rhode Island, a grassroots organization that seeks legal recognition of same-sex couples in Rhode Island.
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http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living ... sed_to_be/
Everything it was supposed to be
By Bill Beuttler, Globe Correspondent | September 5, 2006
Things kept happening at the 2006 Tanglewood Jazz Festival that weren't supposed to. Luckily, most of them -- in particular the surprise guest appearance of Diana Krall at her husband's taping of ``Piano Jazz" -- only made for a better show.
The weather, alas, wasn't as near-perfect as it's been in previous years, driving attendance down to 13,000 from last year's peak of 17,000, with Saturday night's chilly, rain- threatened double bill of Wynton Marsalis and Dr. John by far the hardest hit. The weather wasn't responsible, but Marsalis showed up with a quintet instead of his advertised septet, and Dr. John was missing his promised all-star horn trio as well.
Some things went off as planned, however. It's become a tradition for the festival to open Friday night with hot Latin jazz, and this year it was provided by two terrific orchestras: the Spanish Harlem Orchestra led by Oscar Hernandez and the Big 3 Palladium Orchestra , the latter roaring through the music of Machito , Tito Puente , and Tito Rodriguez under the direction of co-leaders Machito Jr. and Tito Rodriguez Jr. and musical director (and Puente veteran) Jose Madera Jr.
Saturday afternoon was, for the fifth year in a row, given over to a live taping of Marian McPartland's ``Piano Jazz." This year's guest was Elvis Costello , who charmingly bantered with McPartland in between his earnest crooning of lesser-known gems by giants such as Ira Gershwin and Glenn Miller , and his own lyrics to Billy Strayhorn's ``Blood Count" and McPartland's ``Threnody." He then brought out his very pregnant wife and exited the stage. Krall gamely clambered onto a stool and sang versions of ``If I Had You" and ``Body & Soul," making it clear that, when it comes to singing standards, she is very much Costello's better half.
http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-ct ... ines-local
Saturday's afternoon concert featured a singer who has mastered an even wider array of vocal stylings: Elvis Costello. Although he has tackled many forms of music since his angry-young-rocker days, Costello is still viewed with suspicion by many in the jazz community. Not by piano great Marian McPartland, however. She invited Costello to a live taping of her "Piano Jazz" National Public Radio program at Tanglewood, the second time she's had him on her show.
Costello quickly won over the audience with his wit, sincerity and skill. With McPartland's adept accompaniment, he explored material from the Great American Songbook as well as standard jazz repertoire. And he added his own insightful lyrics to Billy Strayhorn's "Bloodcount" (retitled "My Flame Burns Blue") and to McPartland's "Threnody."
Their ballad-heavy set had to compete with storm Ernesto's winds, which no doubt created challenges for the NPR sound crew. But the winds' noise was dwarfed by the ovation that greeted an unannounced appearance by Costello's wife, Diana Krall. Krall, who has a new CD (and a baby) coming soon, sang "If I Had You" and "Body and Soul" to conclude the performance.
Everything it was supposed to be
By Bill Beuttler, Globe Correspondent | September 5, 2006
Things kept happening at the 2006 Tanglewood Jazz Festival that weren't supposed to. Luckily, most of them -- in particular the surprise guest appearance of Diana Krall at her husband's taping of ``Piano Jazz" -- only made for a better show.
The weather, alas, wasn't as near-perfect as it's been in previous years, driving attendance down to 13,000 from last year's peak of 17,000, with Saturday night's chilly, rain- threatened double bill of Wynton Marsalis and Dr. John by far the hardest hit. The weather wasn't responsible, but Marsalis showed up with a quintet instead of his advertised septet, and Dr. John was missing his promised all-star horn trio as well.
Some things went off as planned, however. It's become a tradition for the festival to open Friday night with hot Latin jazz, and this year it was provided by two terrific orchestras: the Spanish Harlem Orchestra led by Oscar Hernandez and the Big 3 Palladium Orchestra , the latter roaring through the music of Machito , Tito Puente , and Tito Rodriguez under the direction of co-leaders Machito Jr. and Tito Rodriguez Jr. and musical director (and Puente veteran) Jose Madera Jr.
Saturday afternoon was, for the fifth year in a row, given over to a live taping of Marian McPartland's ``Piano Jazz." This year's guest was Elvis Costello , who charmingly bantered with McPartland in between his earnest crooning of lesser-known gems by giants such as Ira Gershwin and Glenn Miller , and his own lyrics to Billy Strayhorn's ``Blood Count" and McPartland's ``Threnody." He then brought out his very pregnant wife and exited the stage. Krall gamely clambered onto a stool and sang versions of ``If I Had You" and ``Body & Soul," making it clear that, when it comes to singing standards, she is very much Costello's better half.
http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-ct ... ines-local
Saturday's afternoon concert featured a singer who has mastered an even wider array of vocal stylings: Elvis Costello. Although he has tackled many forms of music since his angry-young-rocker days, Costello is still viewed with suspicion by many in the jazz community. Not by piano great Marian McPartland, however. She invited Costello to a live taping of her "Piano Jazz" National Public Radio program at Tanglewood, the second time she's had him on her show.
Costello quickly won over the audience with his wit, sincerity and skill. With McPartland's adept accompaniment, he explored material from the Great American Songbook as well as standard jazz repertoire. And he added his own insightful lyrics to Billy Strayhorn's "Bloodcount" (retitled "My Flame Burns Blue") and to McPartland's "Threnody."
Their ballad-heavy set had to compete with storm Ernesto's winds, which no doubt created challenges for the NPR sound crew. But the winds' noise was dwarfed by the ovation that greeted an unannounced appearance by Costello's wife, Diana Krall. Krall, who has a new CD (and a baby) coming soon, sang "If I Had You" and "Body and Soul" to conclude the performance.
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living ... odic_pair/
Boston Globe
MUSIC REVIEW
Costello, McPartland make a melodic pair
By Richard Dyer, Globe Staff | September 6, 2006
LENOX -- It was a great afternoon for Elvis Costello and Marian McPartland when they taped their second ``Piano Jazz" program together for NPR Saturday. And Costello's wife, Diana Krall, seated in a box at Tanglewood's Seiji Ozawa Hall, made a surprise onstage appearance at the end to sing a couple of tunes with McPartland. Ernesto was present, too, which meant there was a lot of howling wind, and Costello made a little joke about the lawn crowd ``waving their little blue hands out there in the distance."
This is the 28th season of ``Piano Jazz," and its peerless hostess has now reached the pianistically canonical age of 88. McPartland's little joke was about her arthritis and a recent fall, which left her, she said, ``without a leg to stand on." Her journey to the piano bench was slow and careful, but once there, she was in her element, bantering with Costello and caressing the keys. Age may have diminished her speed and volume, but she never was the interfering, showoff sort of accompanist, and she still plays with unrival ed beauty of tone and a knack for creating harmonic movement that is both surprising and inevitable.
Costello was in a nostalgic mood, focusing on the kind of music he grew up with; his father, Ross MacManus, was a big-band and club singer in England, and his mother ran a record store. In fact, one of the most memorable moments was a song associated with Nat ``King" Cole that Costello's father also recorded, ``At Last." Other period pieces included ``I Can't Get Started With You," ``Blame It on My Youth," ``My Funny Valentine" (which is becoming a Costello anthem), and ``I Know Why (And So Do You) . " He said he was performing some of these in public for the first time.
Perhaps his most emotional singing came in the words he supplied for Billy Strayhorn's last instrumental, ``Blood Count." Costello's lyric, ``My Flame Burns Blue," poignantly encapsulates Strayhorn's closeted life awaiting his ``confidential friend."
Despite his years of rock singing, Costello can also pull back and sing in the classic ballad style, with a baritone legato that recalls Sinatra. He sings the full value of every note in an intriguing mixture of straight tone and vibrato and never ``talks" a word. A velvet fog envelops his low register the way it did with Mel Torme, but his tenor-y high notes are all his own. Occasionally he is a little short-breathed and has to break up musical or verbal phrases, and more often he sings a little bit out of tune, but like all good singers he can make limitations sound like virtues: The shortness of breath can lend urgency, and the lapses of intonation make him sound endearingly sincere.
The pair exchanged compliments. Costello provided lyrics to one of McPartland's melodies, ``Threnody," and sang it, difficult though the melody is (``I feel I've sung an opera by Richard Strauss," Costello said). And McPartland provided an improvised portrait of her guest, modal in a way that suggested Irish music, solid, but also sad and wistful in character.
Krall, introduced by her husband as ``the love of my life," is now advanced in pregnancy and took a precarious position on a high stool to sing, impromptu, ``If I Had You" and ``Body and Soul" in caramel-colored tones ricocheting around the melody, while Costello beamed approval and led the applause.
Boston Globe
MUSIC REVIEW
Costello, McPartland make a melodic pair
By Richard Dyer, Globe Staff | September 6, 2006
LENOX -- It was a great afternoon for Elvis Costello and Marian McPartland when they taped their second ``Piano Jazz" program together for NPR Saturday. And Costello's wife, Diana Krall, seated in a box at Tanglewood's Seiji Ozawa Hall, made a surprise onstage appearance at the end to sing a couple of tunes with McPartland. Ernesto was present, too, which meant there was a lot of howling wind, and Costello made a little joke about the lawn crowd ``waving their little blue hands out there in the distance."
This is the 28th season of ``Piano Jazz," and its peerless hostess has now reached the pianistically canonical age of 88. McPartland's little joke was about her arthritis and a recent fall, which left her, she said, ``without a leg to stand on." Her journey to the piano bench was slow and careful, but once there, she was in her element, bantering with Costello and caressing the keys. Age may have diminished her speed and volume, but she never was the interfering, showoff sort of accompanist, and she still plays with unrival ed beauty of tone and a knack for creating harmonic movement that is both surprising and inevitable.
Costello was in a nostalgic mood, focusing on the kind of music he grew up with; his father, Ross MacManus, was a big-band and club singer in England, and his mother ran a record store. In fact, one of the most memorable moments was a song associated with Nat ``King" Cole that Costello's father also recorded, ``At Last." Other period pieces included ``I Can't Get Started With You," ``Blame It on My Youth," ``My Funny Valentine" (which is becoming a Costello anthem), and ``I Know Why (And So Do You) . " He said he was performing some of these in public for the first time.
Perhaps his most emotional singing came in the words he supplied for Billy Strayhorn's last instrumental, ``Blood Count." Costello's lyric, ``My Flame Burns Blue," poignantly encapsulates Strayhorn's closeted life awaiting his ``confidential friend."
Despite his years of rock singing, Costello can also pull back and sing in the classic ballad style, with a baritone legato that recalls Sinatra. He sings the full value of every note in an intriguing mixture of straight tone and vibrato and never ``talks" a word. A velvet fog envelops his low register the way it did with Mel Torme, but his tenor-y high notes are all his own. Occasionally he is a little short-breathed and has to break up musical or verbal phrases, and more often he sings a little bit out of tune, but like all good singers he can make limitations sound like virtues: The shortness of breath can lend urgency, and the lapses of intonation make him sound endearingly sincere.
The pair exchanged compliments. Costello provided lyrics to one of McPartland's melodies, ``Threnody," and sang it, difficult though the melody is (``I feel I've sung an opera by Richard Strauss," Costello said). And McPartland provided an improvised portrait of her guest, modal in a way that suggested Irish music, solid, but also sad and wistful in character.
Krall, introduced by her husband as ``the love of my life," is now advanced in pregnancy and took a precarious position on a high stool to sing, impromptu, ``If I Had You" and ``Body and Soul" in caramel-colored tones ricocheting around the melody, while Costello beamed approval and led the applause.
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An exciting thing happened to me today: I met Elvis Costello! My dad, my sister, and I went to Tanglewood to hear Marian McPartland tape her show “Piano Jazzâ€
An exciting thing happened to me today: I met Elvis Costello! My dad, my sister, and I went to Tanglewood to hear Marian McPartland tape her show “Piano Jazzâ€
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As if anyone needed to know the fact.-
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The piano jazz schedule has been posted through Dec. 5th. No sign of EC.
http://www.npr.org/programs/pianojazz/u ... uests.html
http://www.npr.org/programs/pianojazz/u ... uests.html
No sign of Elvis , but this is on the way -
http://www.npr.org/programs/pianojazz/u ... uests.html
Each week NPR's award-winning program showcases both acclaimed artists and up-and-coming performers as they share music and memories with their legendary host, Marian McPartland.
Upcoming guest -
January 16
Diana Krall
Diana Krall is arguably the most popular female singer in the jazz world today. Though she originally came onto the scene as a pianist, Krall has since seduced audiences and critics with her warm sensuous vocals. She made her Piano Jazz debut ten years ago, shortly after the release of her first album. Now, she joins McPartland with songs from her most recent work, From This Moment On.
http://www.npr.org/programs/pianojazz/u ... uests.html
Each week NPR's award-winning program showcases both acclaimed artists and up-and-coming performers as they share music and memories with their legendary host, Marian McPartland.
Upcoming guest -
January 16
Diana Krall
Diana Krall is arguably the most popular female singer in the jazz world today. Though she originally came onto the scene as a pianist, Krall has since seduced audiences and critics with her warm sensuous vocals. She made her Piano Jazz debut ten years ago, shortly after the release of her first album. Now, she joins McPartland with songs from her most recent work, From This Moment On.