New Classical Tracks: Rhapsody in Blue

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Michel Camilo first came to New York in 1979. He was mesmerized by the skyscrapers and the bustling excitement of the city. His theme music for that experience was George Gershwin's groundbreaking work, "Rhapsody in Blue." This young pianist from the Dominican Republic arrived in the same culturally diverse city that welcomed Gershwin's Russian parents in the late 1800s. For Camilo, Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" represents not only the romance of New York, but also the creative opportunities that await any immigrant. Camilo has had a love affair with American jazz his entire career. To him this recording is a dream come true because, he says, Gershwin's music "speaks to me. It transcends cultures and divisions. I admire his genius for being in so many different musical worlds."

One reason Michel Camilo identifies so strongly with George Gershwin is that Gershwin fearlessly pushed the boundaries separating one musical world from another. Camilo has been trying to do the same with his own career, going from jazz to film scores to world-beat experiments to guest solo performances with symphony orchestras. I first saw Michel Camilo perform 15 years ago, when he was just starting to make a name for himself on the national music scene. He played to a room full of radio programmers, which could have been an intimidating experience for an up-and-coming artist. Instead, Camilo, like Gershwin, was without fear. He had the crowd eating out of his hands as he showed them his brilliant technique and musicianship.

For Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," Camilo takes a more measured approach. Instead of keyboard pyrotechnics, of which there are some, he varies the tempo and swings a little, savoring every note. He almost teases the listener to stay tuned to discover what he'll do next with this Gershwin classic. Camilo does play "the ink" of Gershwin's scores, but he also embellishes with accents and a groove that's hypnotic. Camilo always wants to be sure he has something to say. "Don't lose track of your mood," he advises his piano students. On this recording, Camilo creates a nostalgic mood, taking us back to his early days in New York City.

Gershwin improvised his own piano part at the 1924 premiere of this work. Camilo wanted to capture that spirit of spontaneity, which he feels has disappeared from Gershwin performances over the years. "You can always play a standard the way the composer played it," he explains, "but why not take it a step further and find something that you can contribute to the tradition of that piece?"

I thought it would be interesting to compare Camilo's ideas with those of Gershwin, so I dug out a piano-roll recording of Gershwin playing "Rhapsody in Blue." Right away, I was struck by Gershwin's quick tempo and light approach, creating the image of a light, airy spring day in the city. Camilo's style is heavier, with more emphasis on the blues aspects of the piece, sounding more like New York City on a lazy, hot summer afternoon.

In addition to "Rhapsody in Blue," Camilo explores a few lesser-known works by Gershwin, including the Concerto in F. He closes out this recording with a piece he often uses as an encore, Gershwin's Prelude No. 2. "It's a little jewel for the end," Camilo says. "It's an improvised one-on-one get-together with Gerswhin." The same could be said of this entire recording.