About the Author: Marian McPartland is a musician, educator, radio host and writer. Her articles on jazz have appeared in Down Beat, Esquire, and many other major magazines, while her National Public Radio series "Piano Jazz" won the coveted Peabody Award in 1984. A busy working musician, she plays at concert halls and clubs throughout the U.S.A. and Europe. She also continues to visit schools and colleges around the country exposing young people to America's rich jazz heritage.