Trumpeter
Alison Balsom
neatly weaves together several objectives on this program of mostly American music. One is to introduce jazz influences at several levels without turning this into a jazz album. Here,
Balsom
succeeds, including not only an ambitious arrangement of
Gershwin
's
Rhapsody in Blue
but also
Leonard Bernstein
and a trumpet version of a
Kurt Weill
song in a
Gil Evans
arrangement. The
, arranged by
Simon Wright
, reassigns much of the melodic material (including the famous glissando) to the trumpet while not disregarding the piano part; it is an intricate balance with sensitive work on the piano from
Tom Poster
. Another idea of
's here is to broaden perhaps British conceptions of American classical music, which is more than an offshoot of jazz. The showcase is the title work,
Aaron Copland
's underplayed
Quiet City
, and
offers a tour de force of quiet playing, not overwhelming the English horn. The
Rodrigo
Concierto de Aranjuez
has connections to both these tendencies through its association with
Miles Davis
'
Sketches of Spain
LP.
fans will be perfectly satisfied by the fact that the star sounds as creamy as ever, but others will be pleased to hear that her ideas about programming have taken a new and adventurous turn. ~ James Manheim