Reprise

Marian McPartland | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 24, 1999)
• Original Release Date: August 24, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Concord Records
• ASIN: B00000JZ0Y
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #181,642 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very fine live date, February 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Reprise (Audio CD)

This one is a bit of a sleeper. Recorded at Birdland in New York City in 1998, its obvious appeal stems from the reunion of the 1950's Hickory House trio that she talks about so often on "Piano Jazz:" Marian plus bassist Bill Crow and drummer Joe Morello. Yet it has a stiched together sound at times and drummer Morello is occasionally a bit noisy, so I didn't play it a lot at first. But repeated listenings reveal the beauty of Marian's tone, a higher level of intensity among the players than one normally feels at Marian's performances, and a repertoire that's notably different from her usual live dates. "Falling in Love with Love" features an inventive arrangement of a tune that's ideal for Marian's sense of harmony. But the ballads "Last Night When We Were Young," "New Orleans," "Two for the Road" and "Symphony" provide continuing enjoyment and Dave Brubeck's "In Your Own Sweet Way," "Tickle Toe" and her frequent set closer "Things Ain't What They Used to Be" provide enough rhythmic variation to make the record consistently enjoyable. And she doesn't forget her experimental side with "Cymbalism." In short, this is a very fine live set with more a diverse repertoire than "Live at Yoshi's Nitespot" (which nevertheless features terrific versions of "Like Someone in Love" and "Warm Valley").

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lovely, but kind of quiet..., February 1, 2003

By 

William E. Adams (Midland, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Reprise (Audio CD)

I've been a fan of Marian's public radio show for years, but never owned one of her albums before. I found this at a bargain price and grabbed it. I had not known that drummer Joe Morello was playing with MMc before he joined Dave Brubeck in the mid-'50's. The only thing wrong with this, recorded when Marian was 80, is that she and Joe and bassist Bill Crow probably had insufficient time together in rehearsal. Therefore, the 13 songs chosen are pretty basic and come off as competent but not inspired renditions. The fact that each is a geezer is not the problem (I'm 58 myself, and I believe Shearing and Brubeck still produce good music at 80) but I think if the trio had had a couple more weeks rehearsal, a more adventuresome set would have resulted. If you want good background cocktail lounge atmosphere for your party, however, this is a nice choice.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars They Weave a Relaxing Spell, July 28, 2009

By 

Karl W. Nehring (Ostrander, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Reprise (Audio CD)

This is music played by people who are old enough to be in nursing homes--but you would never believe it from listening to this disk! The amazing Marian McPartland was 80 when these live performances were recorded at the new Birdland at Town Hall in New York City. To help celebrate her 80th birthday, Ms. McPartland reunited with Bill Crowe, bass, and Joe Morello, drums, with whom she played in a trio in the mid-'50s. More than 40 years later, they still sounded just great. In a program of mostly standards and a few originals, the Hickory House Trio weaves a relaxing spell that makes the listener just want to sit back and enjoy the music.
The recording is first class all the way, with a nice balance among the three instruments. It's hard to imagine anyone not enjoying this delightful CD.