Pianist and singer/songwriter Bruce Hornsby has traversed an eclectic mix of different musical styles from pop to roots music to soul. The Virginia native sees himself as balanced between various musical worlds, but on this Piano Jazz, Hornsby channels the influence of Keith Jarrett and Bud Powell, as he performs "Solaris" before doing his hit song, "That's Just The Way It Is."

Irving Fields has gained fame for his impeccable skills as a New York lounge pianist. An artist who came into music during the height of American Popular Song, Fields perpetuates the genre through his encyclopedic knowledge of tunes. He has release influential recordings which feature combinations of Latin with a variety of world music styles.

Pianist and composer Joe Sample has been a force in jazz for more than four decades. His hard-swinging approach shines on styles from hard bop to fusion to pop. Sample's most recent endeavor was his first entirely solo piano record, Soul Shadows, which pays tribute to the works of great American songwriters of the 20th century.

Nellie McKay's first album, Get Away From Me, bewildered and fascinated critics with sarcastic and clever tunes that included influences from hip hop to cabaret. Though it defied easy classification, the album made it onto a number of influential Best of 2004 lists. Her second album, Pretty Little Head, will debut Dec. 27. In addition, McKay has recently been cast in a Broadway production of The Threepenny Opera set for April 2006.

Widely considered to be one of the most influential pianists of the swing era, Teddy Wilson put together an amazing musical career before his death in 1986. From early days with Bennie Goodman and Lionel Hampton, Wilson went on to record with an endless parade of jazz legends. This show was recorded in November 1978.

Tennessee native Doug Wamble was introduced to music early in life, listening to his parents and grandfather singing and playing around the house. But though he picked up the guitar at an early age, it wasn't until much later that he became a successful professional musician. His most recent album, Bluestate, features his distinctive voice and Delta blues-cum-post-bop guitar.

Linda Ronstadt has refocused her attention on jazz standards with her latest album for Verve Records, Hummin' To Myself. She shared her obvious affinity for these tunes when she and pianist/arranger Alan Broadbent joined Marian McPartland for a live Piano Jazz taping at Mechanics Hall in Worcester, Mass.

Pianist John Medeski first sat a keyboard shortly after he learned to walk. He was living in Chicago, his father having moved the family from Louisville, Kentucky, when Medeski was 18 months old. His father, a keyboard hobbyist, sat with the toddler at the piano, teaching him basic chord changes, soon progressing to blues and old jazz tunes.

Dee Dee Bridgewater was born into a respected musical family. Her father, a trumpet player, played with Dinah Washington during the summer and taught music during the school year. She hosts Jazz Set for NPR. She plays some Ellington, some Gershwin and three tunes with Kurt Weill's special touch, including the haunting Weill-Ira Gershwin collaboration "September Song," a timely tune.

It's trees and keys on this episode as Marian welcomes Rolling Stones pianist and "Forester of the Year" Chuck Leavell. Leavell has played rock, country, jazz and pop music with Chuck Berry, Eric Clapton, The Allman Brothers Band, and Charles Mingus. This well-rounded pianist is also an environmentalist, tree farmer, and author of Forever Green: The History and Hope of the American Forest. His latest album, Forever Blue, is rooted in the blues and Leavell's southern background. He and McPartland discuss their love of the environment and play "Georgia on My Mind."

Jazz violinist Regina Carter is one of today's most original and daring musicians. Classically trained in Detroit, Carter discovered jazz violinists such as Noel Pointer, Ray Nance and Eddie South in high school and fell in love with jazz. Carter brings her stellar technique and infectious energy when she joins McPartland for "Chattanooga Choo Choo" and Ellington's "In A Sentimental Mood."

Iverson is a pianist/composer who express himself in unusual ways. Playing for the Mark Morris Dance Group lets him experiment with music, both in and out of jazz. On this Piano Jazz, he is more 'in' than 'out' and with some thought-provoking musical ideas. He approaches standards like "'Round Midnight" with lean, dissonant harmony and strong bombastic chords. Marian McPartland and Iverson keep the creative juices flowing on "Blues a la Iverson."

Interested in jazz from an early age, Brazilian-born pianist Eliane Elias was especially fascinated by the work of Art Tatum and Bud Powell. Coupled with her lifelong interest in the music of her home country, Elias performed in local jazz and bossa nova clubs while in school. She settled in New York, and has been evolving as a composer, pianist and singer ever since. With a lightning-fast right hand and command of the keyboard, Elias can handle anything, from ballads to swing to bossa nova. She is one of the foremost interpreters of the work of fellow Brazilian Antonio Carlos Jobim, which is evident as she joins McPartland for a duet of "Wave."

Recorded at the BBC in London, Marian welcomes jazz's royal couple -- John Dankworth and Cleo Laine. Dankworth made his name as an alto saxophonist, bandleader, and arranger; while his wife, contralto Cleo Laine, is accomplished in opera, lieder, pop music, and jazz. Laine sings McPartland's "In The Days Of Our Love," and the trio gets together for "Lady Be Good."

As the "keeper of the bebop flame," Harris is committed to preserving jazz though education and performance. His weekly workshops influence the lives of many young musicians. Here he demonstrates how he earned the reputation as one of the most inventive and respected pianists today when he solos on "It Could Happen to You." McPartland and Harris show off their bebop chops on Charlie Parker's "Au Privave."

Celebrating the life and music of the late virtuoso bassist and avant-garde composer, Charles Mingus, Piano Jazz welcomes his widow, Sue Mingus. One of the foremost jazz composers of his day, Mingus wrote more than 300 scores and recorded more than 100 albums. Musically, his technical command of his instrument set the standard for the avant-garde scene. Mingus passed away in 1979, and his wife carries on his legacy. Joined by Bassist Boris Koslov, McPartland relives the Mingus classic "Good Bye Pork Pie Hat," before painting a musical "Portrait of Charles Mingus."

Sharon Freeman not only plays the piano and French horn expertly, she is a composer and arranger as well. On this Piano Jazz, she demonstrates her versatility by playing her own "Waltz For Achim" on piano and then performs a French horn solo of "Body and Soul." Freeman and McPartland wind up the hour with the Mary Lou Williams tune "Roll 'Em."

A trained classical pianist, Charles Richards began playing jazz piano after hearing Fats Waller. Though very much an individualist, Richards had a piano style reminiscent of Teddy Wilson and Art Tatum. His vocal style has been described as that of Louis Armstrong with a touch of Bobby Short. Richards discusses his long and colorful career and treats McPartland to his rendition of "Have You Met Miss Jones?"

Composer, poet and vocalist Kurt Elling sets a new standard in jazz singing. He sings in a complex, commanding baritone, a richly grained voice with honeyed highlights, fusing his two personas: the poet and the musician. There are scat solos amidst the tender lyrics, stirring originals and unexpected arrangements of some familiar tunes.

Pianist Mulgrew Miller has become one of the most acclaimed and most recorded jazz players of his generation. His flair for melody, with shadings of gospel, is rooted in the blues of his Mississippi hometown. Miller's fine sense of rhythm and stunning harmonic excursions find expression in his own tune, "Carousel," and he and McPartland show their pianistic compatibility as they trade ideas on Ellington's "What Am I Here For?"

Pianist, composer and arranger Dave Peck is lauded in the Seattle jazz scene for his lyrical playing style. His facility at weaving thoughtful melodies is matched only by the sophisticated harmonic sensibility of his compositions. Peck joins McPartland for "Everything I Love" and "How Deep is the Ocean."

Havana-born saxophonist and clarinetist Paquito D'Rivera created a multinational style that moves from bebop to Latin to Mozart. D'Rivera and bassist David Fink join McPartland for "Berks Works" in honor of its composer Dizzy Gillespie, and "A Night in Englewood."

Piano Jazz pays tribute to the brilliant composer, producer and writer Cy Coleman. Coleman wrote Tony Award-winning Broadway shows like Sweet Charity and City of Angels, as well as pop standards like "Witchcraft" and "The Best is yet to Come." He joined McPartland in 1990, playing "What You Don't Know About Women" and "Witchcraft."

Pianist and singer/songwriter Ann Hampton Callaway is a multi-talented artist who defies labels. She is equally at home on stage as she is in the worlds of jazz, pop and cabaret. Callaway's award-winning compositions are as impressive as her three-octave vocal range. Her talents are on display as she performs her own tune, "Slow," before joining McPartland on "Teach Me Tonight."

Pianist Eric Mintel is on a mission to bring jazz to the masses. Mintel's playing is energetic, lyrical, and always swinging. With his quartet, he has engaged audiences from the White House to the The Kennedy Center. Mintel talks about improvisation and the art of getting gigs before sitting down with McPartland for "These Foolish Things."

Shirley Horn is that rare musician who is not only a great singer, but also a gifted pianist. The dream-like quality of her vocal style backed by her subtle piano lines demonstrate the depths of her musical mind. Horn performs "But Beautiful" in her trademark slow-ballad style and joins McPartland for a duet of "It Could Happen to You."

Piano Jazz celebrates the life and music of one of the jazz world's legendary figures: the brilliant clarinetist and bandleader Artie Shaw. Shaw would have celebrated his 95th birthday this May. A phenomenal musician with a complex persona, Shaw embodied the big-band era with an amazing band and glamorous, high profile lifestyle. But he mysteriously gave it all up more than 50 years ago, never to play again. Trumpeter and jazz historian Richard Sudhalter joins McPartland to examine the extraordinary life of this jazz giant.

Kenny Burrell may well be one of the most lyrical guitarists on the jazz scene. In fact, he was Duke Ellington's favorite improviser on the guitar. Known for his subtle and sensuous textures, Burrell delights Piano Jazz listeners with his infectious lyricism, soloing on "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most" and pairs with McPartland for Strayhorn's "Raincheck."

Twenty-year-old piano prodigy Taylor Eigsti joined McPartland for a special live taping of Piano Jazz at the 2004 Tanglewood Jazz Festival. Eigsti dazzled the audience with his amazing technique and his flawless improvisations on "Fever" before he and McPartland traded licks and creative piano techniques on "Oleo."

The multi-talented Jack Sheldon plays a hot bop trumpet and sings in a style that is unique and unforgettable. Jack's career in music has carried over into the world of television and motion pictures. With the rest of his trio, bassist Bruce Lett and Dave Tull, Sheldon and McPartland make it a party with "Just Friends" and "Days of Wine and Roses."

Pianist Joey Calderazzo was born in New Rochelle, N.Y., in 1965. He began playing the piano at an early age, and by the time he was 8, he was studying classically. Calderazzo discovered jazz a few years later, and while he continued on the classical path, he did study with jazz pianist, Richie Beirach.

For over 50 years, pianist Earma Thompson has been a constant on the Chicago jazz scene. She is recognized as the reigning queen of Windy City jazz, but has spent most of her career as a dependable side person. Now in her 80s, Earma has just released her first album as a leader. She showcases her bluesy style on "Back at the Chicken Shack" before joining McPartland for "Lullaby of the Leaves."

Composer, arranger, and conductor Burt Bacharach is a legend of American popular music. With such landmark tunes as "Alfie" and "What the World Needs Now," Bacharach has charmed audiences across the musical spectrum. He sits down with McPartland for an hour of freewheeling music making and conversation.

Saxophonist and music historian Loren Schoenberg is one of the preeminent authorities on jazz today. He's a prolific writer and educator -- and he currently serves as the executive director of the Jazz Museum in Harlem.

Piano Jazz honors the irrepressible singer/pianist/performer Bobby Short with an encore broadcast of his Piano Jazz performance before a live audience at Piano Jazz's "home" network, South Carolina Educational Radio. From his early days as a 12yr old saloon singer in Danville, Ill., to his 30+ year engagement at the swank Cafe Carlisle in New York, Short spent most of his life delighting audiences with his sophisticated and elegant versions of American popular songs. This live Piano Jazz program features Short's version of "Just One of Those Things;" McPartland's musical portrait of Bobby; and a two-piano version of "When Lights are Low."

Pianist Steve Kuhn is a highly accomplished player and a prolific composer who's been on the scene for more than forty years. As a teenager in Boston, he sat in with greats like Chet Baker and Coleman Hawkins as they came through town. Kuhn went on to play with Kenny Dorham, John Coltrane and Stan Getz, and often sat in with McPartland during her Hickory House days. He performs his own "Oceans In The Sky," and plays "Easy To Love" with McPartland.

Toots Thielemans is the unrivaled master of the jazz harmonica. His trademark style and tender sound is recognized the world over. His recording credits include film scores, commercials, and collaborations with Ella Fitzgerald and Quincy Jones. Thielemans exchanges stories with McPartland and joins her for "Giant Steps" and "Georgia."

Pianist and educator Noah Baerman is a remarkable young player. Though battling Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a rare disease of the connective tissue, he continues to put his energy into jazz education, with several teaching jobs and eight successful books about jazz. Baerman joins McPartland for "There is No Greater Love" and "Black Orpheus."

Nadine Jansen is a multi-talented musician: not only is she a masterful horn player, she's also a skilled singer and pianist. She developed her musical identity in Vaudeville and played with the likes of Skitch Henderson and The Clooney Sisters. Jansen shares stories from the bandstand and performs on both piano and flugelhorn, playing "Nadine's Blues."

Jodie Christian is one of Chicago's greatly admired musicians. As a leader of the 1950's Chicago Bop scene and as co-founder of Chicago's free jazz collective, the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, Christian's music is woven into the musical history of the Windy City.
Featured Songs: "My Heart Stood Still" and "Gone With the Wind"

Ramsey Lewis is the quintessential Chicago musician, with a style that reflects the diversity of the Chicago scene. His playing blends his gospel roots and his classical training with jazz, creating a synthesis that has led to a very successful career. He demonstrates why he's often called "the great performer," playing his own tune "Second Thoughts" before joining Marian for Chicago-style blues.

Not many musicians are as busy as Lee Musiker. As a conductor, Musiker has led orchestras from Baltimore to San Diego; he's worked with everyone from Lionel Hampton to Jerry Lewis; and his piano credits extend from Broadway to Hollywood.
Featured Song: "Fascinating Rhythm"

In the world of jazz, Bill Kirchner is truly a jack of all trades. He's a fine saxophonist and bandleader, a composer/arranger, an author, educator and jazz historian, and he's an in-demand writer and radio producer.
Featured Songs: "Blue Bossa" and "Body and Soul"