Twilight World

Editors’ Notes The British-born pianist Marian McPartland has had a long and multi-faceted career. She’s been recording since the 1950s, had her own label at one point, has hosted a radio show since the late 1970s, and at the age of 89, she created Twilight World. McPartland, accompanied by bassist Gary Mazaroppi and drummer Glen Davis, plays standards and jazz classics like John Lewis’s “Afternoon in Paris” and Miles Davis’s “Blue in Green,” along with some of her own compositions. Her playing is free of meaningless ornamentation, full of elegant charm, and you can sense her delight as she engages with each and every song. On two tracks, the Bacharach-David gem, “Alfie,” and Alec Wilder’s “Blackberry Winter,” she plays alone, delivering moving performances that reflect a long history with the tunes. It’s a pleasant surprise to hear McPartland tackle two pieces by Ornette Coleman, “Turn Around” and “Lonely Woman,” where the band takes a freer approach. The album also includes McPartland originals like the title cut and “Stranger in a Dream,” which showcase the pianist’s impressive writing.