Photo by Molly Harrell

Shari Hutchison | Producer

“Norah Jones is totally down to earth.  Diana Krall is a doll,” Shari says. 

As producer of NPR’s Piano Jazz, Shari has found a piano for Ray Charles, eyebrows for Sarah Vaughn, hugged Clint Eastwood, and collaborated with host Marian McPartland for 26 years. 

She records shows in New York with the 90-years-young McPartland, then edits them in Columbia (which is Shari’s hometown).  Shari describes her role as “combination train conductor/massage therapist/cheerleader. I get to watch two great artists at work and gently remind them of time constraints.  Jazz and exact timing are mutually exclusive.” 

Piano Jazz has more than 600 shows archived.  Shari’s worked on most of them: “Marian and I have developed our own language. She has taught me so much -- not just about the appreciation of this music.  The most valuable lesson I’ve learned is that life is an improvisation and to go with the flow.”

More from Shari:

On how Piano Jazz comes together:
Most of my work is done at ETV in Columbia.  Our staff includes two amazing Davids:  David Lyon  and I audition music, book artists, research, arrange studio time, write program descriptions and promos, apply for grants, answer listener letters, produce content for our website, and pay the bills.  David Mitchell and I take the raw tape and craft it into the finished program you hear on the air. 
        When I am on location, my day is a bit different. I arrive at the studio early to make sure the pianos have been delivered and are tuned, and that the studio is set up.  When Marian arrives, she and I review potential questions and the intro of the show.  When the guest arrives, he/she and Marian narrow down the tune list – which, of course, may change during the show. When the taping begins, the real fun part starts. 

On what keeps her up at night: 
Getting pianos moved in New York!  We must have two matched 7-foot grands. (Placing and moving 9-foot pianos in the city is impossible)  Not that I have to literally move pianos, but space is at a premium . We must bring a piano into the studio each time we record, since no studio has two matched pianos.  Elevators in New York are not designed for a friendly moving experience. 

On Marian McPartland’s fountain of youth:
I think Marian's love of music keeps her going and keeps her young at heart. She feels a real need to make sure that jazz lives on.  
        It was once said about Marian, she has three strikes against her in the jazz world: She’s English, white and a woman. Well, she proved her critics wrong.
        Because of the obstacles she encountered, she has always been supportive of other women and new talent.  In fact, Marian makes a special point of finding and featuring young artists. One snowy evening, she insisted on going to a small club in the Village to hear a young piano player whom few had heard of.  His name was Harry Connick Jr. There have been many others, including Chris Potter, the well-known sax player from right here in Columbia.

On how Piano Jazz keeps that intimate feel:
The initial concept for the program was to make the listener feel as if he or she were listening in on a conversation in Marian’s living room -- almost voyeuristic.   Much of the intimate feel though, has to do with Marian – she’s just so honest and engaged and a wonderful interviewer in a very down-to-earth way.   The conversation never gets so “inside” that non-musicians feel excluded.

On creating her ultimate playlist:

• Marian McPartland (of course) Her latest is “Twilight World”
• Miles Davis – “Kind Of Blue”
• Antonio Carlos Jobim and Frank Sinatra  - “Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim”
• Any Ella Fitzgerald - but especially “Dream Dancing”  or
• Ella and Louis Armstrong “Night and Day”
• Keith Jarrett – “Deer Head Inn”
• Helen Merrill - “Don’t Explain”
• John Coltrane – “Giant Steps”
• Chick Corea – “Light as A Feather”
• Any Shirley Horn – “Light out Of Darkness” or “But Beautiful”
• Stan Getz – “Getz plays Jobim” ( I guess I kinda like Jobim)
• Peggy Lee –"Fever"
• Bill Evans –“Waltz for Debbie”
• Any Duke Ellington