Audio CD review:
Kenneth Grant, George Gershwin, Jeff Tyzik, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Jon Nakamatsu - Gershwin: Piano Cto in F/Rhapsody in Blue in C (Hybr)

Kenneth Grant, George Gershwin, Jeff Tyzik, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Jon Nakamatsu - Gershwin: Piano Cto in F/Rhapsody in Blue in C (Hybr)

Band: Kenneth Grant, George Gershwin, Jeff Tyzik, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Jon Nakamatsu Title: Gershwin: Piano Cto in F/Rhapsody in Blue in C (Hybr) Rating: Release Date: 08 May, 2007 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: I Allegro 2: II Adagio 3: III Allegro Agitato 4: Rhapsody In Blue 5: Cuban Overture

Editoral Review This all-Gershwin program is probably his finest. Jon Nakamatsu won the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 1997 and has made several fine recordings since then. He plays the Piano Concerto with great rhythmic sass, the Charleston always underpinning the melodies. Rather than opt for a showy reading of this or the Rhapsody in Blue, he and conductor Jeff Tyzik emphasize the music’s sultry quality; the smoke-filled nightclub is there right alongside the concert hall at all times. The clarinet solo that opens the Rhapsody is stunningly evocative. Nakamatsu and the horn player duet with a keen jazz ear, and the solo piano work is songful and elegant. If you’re looking for fireworks, there are plenty in the Concerto’s finale – it’s a thrilling reading. The Cuban Overture, a work so familiar that it’s hard to look forward to, is given a terrific reading here by Tyzik and The Rochester Philharmonic, with the Latin percussion sounding wonderfully at home with the "regular" orchestra. This is a splendid release. --Robert Levine .. You can see a complete list of all Kenneth Grant, George Gershwin, Jeff Tyzik, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Jon Nakamatsu discography, or go back to the Kenneth Grant, George Gershwin, Jeff Tyzik, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Jon Nakamatsu tabs