Every so often a disc is played in the shop and someone will purchase a copy because of hearing just a few bars. This swinging set of original orchestrations by Ferde Grofe of George Gershwin's music, made for the Paul Whiteman orchestra, is one of them. It is the Harmonie Ensemble/New York under the expert direction of Steve Richman that we have to thank for the creation of this exceptional disc. The programme features a number of Gershwin's hits, beginning with the I Got Rhythm Variations for Piano and Orchestra followed by The Yankee Doodle Blues, at which point one is taken back in time to the roaring '20s. What further evokes this feeling is the inclusion of a version of the same piece recorded by the Harmonie Ensemble on a wax cylinder using a 1909 Edison Fireside phonograph. It is hard to comprehend the advancement of technology in the last century! The disc concludes with the immortal Rhapsody in Blue in the original 1924 jazz band version. Soloists are Lincoln Mayorga and the late Al Gallodoro on clarinet, to whom the disc is dedicated. It has already caught the attention of one Gramophone reviewer: 'Richman's spot-on sense of pacing, balance and emphasis guarantee that every Grofe-conjured utterance receives discerning and shapely animation. The ensemble and solo playing likely would bowl over both the composer and Whiteman.' I can only finish by saying it has won me over completely!

Reviewed by Dawn Cooke