The Classical Jazz Quartet Play Rachmaninov

One of a series of sessions featuring Bob Belden's arrangements for the Classical Jazz Quartet, this volume focuses exclusively on one piece, Sergei Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor. As a result, this is by far the most ambitious project tackled by the quartet, though Kenny Barron, Stefon Harris, Ron Carter and Lewis Nash are more than up to the task. Belden subdivides each movement into several parts. For example, the first movement is initially played in a fairly straight-ahead manner, followed by a brisk post-bop segment, a slow blues, a quiet ballad, and finally, a mid-tempo bop setting. The musicians never allow themselves to get stuck in a rut, thanks to their ability to flesh out Belden's conception. In any case, the crossover effect of this recording is more likely to get jazz fans not already familiar with Rachmaninov's original work to investigate it versus classical fans seeking out this extensive revision of his landmark piece. ~ Ken Dryden, Rovi