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Les Paul On Piano Jazz

Les Paul.
Amy Sussman
/
Getty Images Entertainment
Les Paul.

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.

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