The Whole Music Experience

Gershwin by Grofè Lincoln Mayorga/Al Gallodoro/Harmony Ensemble Conductor Steven Richman Harmonia Mundi The Pacific Northwest sky opens up and rain falls like shards of glass onto the deck outside my window while a small creek forms in the garden. As this is happening, I’m listening to George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and the rain has decided to join the percussion section of the orchestra. And if I forget that summer is only two weeks away, this disc, Gershwin by Grofè also features Summertime , originally composed for Gershwin’s jazz opera, Porgy and Bess . But if you’re like me, you’ve heard many versions of this jazz classic. Many people know George Gershwin’s music from watching classical Hollywood musicals, and in fact, I just watched the DVD of Funny Face featuring Gershwin’s Hollywood movie songs. But what some people don’t know is that Gershwin also composed classical music and built a bridge between the new African-American jazz of the turn-of-the-last cent...