Gershwin / Fazil Say, New York PO
Nobody can accuse Fazil Say of having a bad time while recording this disc of Gershwin classics. He brings a jazzy improvisation and plenty of spunk to these well-worn tunes, creating one of the most enthralling Gershwin piano discs around. Some pianists make Gershwin sound grandiose (Helen Grimaud, for instance), but Say makes this music fun. His alternating takes on "Summertime"--one slow and pensive, the other dizzying and swinging--are unforgettable, while his "It Ain't Necessarily So" is spiky and mischievous. A small rhythm and horn section keeps up with the pianist on a few of the shorter works, while Kurt Masur and the New York Philharmonic get in on the action forRhapsody in Blueand the lesser-heard "'I Got Rhythm' Variations." Featuring some of Gershwin's most technical, modernist writing, "Variations" is a real discovery, as are Say's inventive interpretations of the shorter solo miniatures. Throughout, he's clearly in his element, having a blast and showing off. Gershwin seldom sounds this good.--Jason Verlinde