Thursday night brought out the jazz geeks, mostly to see jazz legend Marian McPartland. She’s the only performer I’ve seen to get a standing ovation before the performance began. Though 87 years old, you couldn’t tell it from her energetic piano play or witty demeanor. She was accompanied by a cellist and drummer, who got to play impressive solos.
I really enjoyed the preformace, and just as I was trying to put my finger on the difference between jazz and classical piano playing, McPartland slipped a classical music sequence into one of her jazz pieces. It made for a nice constrast, and she later said it was the only classical music she remembered from school.
The second half of the evening featured Dee Dee Bridgewater, an American singer who’s been living in France for 20 years. The songs were a mix of French and English, and the French bandmembers were entertaining. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite the thing for the Marian McPartland fans, some of whom started leaving early.
Celebrity sighting: Various teachers and former teachers from the NC School of Science and Math.