In a recent interview, Marian McPartland was asked, ‘Is there an urgent need for a scholarly study of women’s contributions to jazz?’  She answered, ‘I guess all of us women would like to see that.  I guess we all still feel like the underdog.’  This Website, in a series of career 'profiles', offers a creative representation of significant moments of the musical life of one of the most enduring jazz artists – British-born Marian McPartland, pianist, composer, educator, writer, recording artist, broadcaster, recipient of awards, and advocate for jazz music and its musicians.

This Website represents a non-commercial educational resource in the format of a chronological overview of Marian McPartland’s multi-faceted jazz career.  The portrayal of Marian McPartland’s professional life acknowledges her position as a high-profile woman and a musician within the context of American jazz.  To highlight the significance of Marian McPartland, this study brings together in one document for the first time an assemblage of data collected and collated from a wide variety of sources.  From the point of view of a long-distance researcher, the work does not claim to be all-inclusive.  However, it aims to broaden knowledge of this major figure and focus on acknowledgement of the true significance of her contribution to jazz music.

Website Thesis © Dr. Clare Hansson
Photo © James Salzano