An American in Paris

Album Notes & Community Reviews

Documenting the sweeping, jazz-inflected orchestral tone poem shortly after its premiere, this recording bridges European classical forms with propulsive American syncopation. The piece notoriously incorporates actual Parisian taxi horns into the percussion section to vividly evoke the bustling atmosphere of the French capital. The release firmly established the composer's ambition to legitimize jazz motifs within the traditional concert hall.