Marian McPartland Remembering Les Paul On Piano Jazz 1999: NPR

Remembering Les Paul On Piano Jazz

In this session from 1999, Les Paul and his trio perform jazz standards, including one by Paul.

Amy Sussman/Getty Images Entertainment

In this session from 1999, Les Paul and his trio perform jazz standards, including one by Paul.

Set List

• "Summertime" (George Gershwin)
• "'Deed I Do" (Walter Hirsh, Fred Rose)
• "I Can't Get Started" (Vernon Duke)
• "I Found a New Baby" (Jack Palmer, Spencer Williams)
• "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" (Harold Arlen)
• "Just One More Chance" (Les Paul)
• "How High the Moon" (Morgan Lewis)

August 14, 2009 - Les Paul died Thursday. In addition to a string of hits with his wife, Mary Ford, he is credited with the invention of the solid-body guitar as well advances in multitrack recording. He was 94. Piano Jazz remembers him with a program from 1999.

A phenomenal guitarist and pioneering audio engineer, Les Paul has been a major influence in 20th Century music, both as a performer and technical innovator. The guitar legend made a rare appearance on Piano Jazz, bringing with him his trio — Lou Paulo on guitar and Paul Nowinski on bass.

Paul's jazz roots go back to the early 1930s, when he performed Eddie Lang- and Django Reinhardt-style jazz on-air, during his evening radio show on WIND in Chicago.

In this program, recorded at Avatar Studios in 1999, Marian McPartland makes it a quartet, and they perform jazz standards and reminisce on Paul's long and illustrious career, including his early days as a country musician.

Originally recorded Jan. 28, 1999, at Avatar Studios, New York. Originally broadcast June 1, 1999.