Fazil Say - Gershwin [LP]

Warner Classics

£27.20

Format: LP
ICPN: 5054197156922
Release Date: 23 Sep 2022
Genre: Classical

“Gershwin is really unique in the history of music. He wrote highly individual music that’s instantly recognisable. (…) Gershwin’s approach to tonality combines a whole series of harmonic and melodic ideas with new and exotic elements that few composers had thought of till then: jazz and classical music, America and Europe, black and white link hands here. (…) Porgy and Bess is my favourite opera in English. I wanted to produce an anthology of its most beautiful themes. I wrote these arrangements thinking of a small jazz band.” Fazil Say

One of Fazil Say’s most exciting albums, recorded in New York at the end of the 90s. Virtuosity, rhythmic mastery, humour and the true Gerhswin spirit: everything is on this album.

GEORGE GERSHWIN 1898-1937
SIDE A From Porgy and Bess, arranged by Fazil Say
I got plenty o’nuttin’ for piano, clarinet, sax, double bass and drum set
Summertime (I) for piano, clarinet, sax, double bass, drum set and vibraphone
Summertime (II) for piano, clarinet, sax, double bass, drum set, vibraphone and congas
It ain’t necessarily so for piano, clarinet, sax, double bass, drum set and vibraphone

Rialto Ripples, rag for piano solo (music by Gershwin & Will Donaldson)
Merry Andrew
Three-Quarter Blues “Irish Waltz”
Promenade – Walking the Dog

3 Preludes
No. 1: Allegro ben ritmato e deciso
No. 2: Andante con moto “Blue Lullaby”
No. 3: Agitato “Spanish Prelude”

SIDE B Rhapsody in Blue for piano and orchestra (orch.: Ferde Grofé)
“I Got Rhythm” variations for piano and orchestra

FAZIL SAY piano

Side A, From Porgy and Bess:
Stanley Drucker clarinet · Albert Regni alto sax · William Blossom double bass
Joseph Pereira percussion · James Sapporito percussion, drum set

Side B:
New York Philharmonic · Kurt Masur conductor

Recorded: XII.1998, Avery Fisher Hall, New York (Side B); V.1999, The Performing Arts Center, Purchase College, Purchase, NY (Side A)
Producers: Jean-Pierre Loisil (Side A), Martin Fouqué (Side B) · Balance engineers: Paul Zinman, assisted by Dirk Sobotka (Side A), Eberhard Sengpiel, assisted by Philipp Nedel (Side B)
Original cover artwork
Total timing: 49 minutes
5054197156922 · Made in Germany · A Warner Classics/Teldec release, (P) 1999 Warner Music UK Limited.