Search - Sir Roland Hanna :: Apres un Reve

Amazing jazz versions of classical songs

jazzrenegade | Detroit, MI USA | 07/17/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sir Roland Hanna has released both jazz and classical albums, but this may be his most successful attempt to form a seamless blend of the two forms of music. On this cd, Roland Hanna, Ron Carter and Grady Tate play 9 tracks, 8 of which are written by classical composers, one Hanna original, and suprisingly enough for a piano trio session, not one blues. Schubert's "Serenade" swings like mad, Dvorak's "Going Home" sounds like a pop tune with a funk beat, Hanna's own "Like Grains Of Sand" and Rubinstein's "Melody In F" make for great bossa nova's! Other highlights include Chopin's "Prelude Op. 28, No. 20", which is a superb feature for Ron Carter, and a suprisingly fresh version of Mozart's "Elvira Madigan, Concerto No. 21 C Major K467". Even the cover of this cd is risqué, probably the most provocative in a series of cd covers released by Venus records, Japan that feature scantly clad females. If these tracks are ever leased to an American record company, I suspect we will see different packaging. Uh hum."