Lesser musicians, particularly those influenced by jazz rather than those who labor exclusively in the vineyard of jazz, get so carried away with out-sized riffing that they turn a minor part of the song into its emotional peak. Somehow, they never give a thought to the lyrics or the message they're trying to put across; it's all about the riffing, which makes for a tedious, invariably lounge-y performance.
Not so Marian McPartland. She'll go outside on occasion, but she always knows where she's going, always knows how to get back, and always times her excursions to provide just the right embellishment to the lyrics. Yes, I said lyrics. This tune does come from the Great American Songbook, after all, so most of the audience will be singing along in their heads.
The other thing that stands out is McPartland's profound respect for the melody. If, as a musician, you think you can do better, why not play something else entirely?
Yes, she strikes me as reserved, but then, jazz seems chilly and remote to me more often than not. I blogged about some notable exceptions here.
In the meantime, here's pianist, Marian McPartland, with "Our Love Is Here To Stay".
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