Marian McPartland, jazz pianist : an overview of a musical career

摘要

This, the first study at doctoral level of any white female jazz instrumentalist, provides an overview to the long, active and enduring musical career of British-born, New York-based jazz pianist, Marian McPartland (born 1918). For over six decades, besides being a pianist and a composer, she has been prominent in the professional roles of educator, writer, record producer and recording artist, radio broadcaster and advocate. The scope and impact of this multi-layered career are conveyed through the medium of a Website profiling significant aspects of her professional life through textual, aural and visual presentation. Although not claiming to be exhaustive, this Website brings together a comprehensive collection of data covering all aspects of Marian McPartland's career. Data have been gathered and collated from material in the public domain, and all such sources are acknowledged and referenced. The Website is navigable through three links at the bottom of the Home Page - 1) Historical Perspective; 2) Selected Analyses; and 3) Marian McPartland In Context. Part One of the Website provides access to Marian McPartland's various professional roles in jazz, as well as public profiles, and is consolidated by listings of support material. Part Two of the Website contains formal analyses of four of her compositions, each preceded by a short introduction. The analyses are based on scores transcribed from her recorded improvisations. A discussion of her stylistic approach follows the analyses. Part Three of the Website contextualizes Marian McPartland as a woman in jazz during its major historical and stylistic movements. An Introduction and a Conclusion provide the academic framework for this study. The Introduction outlines the rationale for the study, the dimensions of the study, the methodologies used, and the research process. The Conclusion provides critical commentary on Marian McPartland's musical career, and deductions are made about her significance in and contribution to jazz, based on the evidence presented in the Website. A CD of the entire Website completes the presentation of this thesis, included under Supplementary Material in the back pocket of the thesis. This overview of Marian McPartland's entire career makes an original contribution to knowledge on this jazz artist, and, in a broader sense, provides an important resource for future research in the area of jazz music and musicians.