The jazz album

"This can hardly fail, can it? The quality, range and sheer generosity of the programme (some 73+ minutes), plus the line-up of star performers, bids fair to make it a bestseller. Play it good and loud; if your neighbours hear it I reckon they are more likely to come round and join you than to bang on the walls. The London Sinfonietta, with the brilliant John Harle to the fore, catch the languid, steamy atmosphere of Milhaud's "La Création du monde" to perfection. Then there is the Rhapsody in Blue in the original jazz-band orchestration. The performance (with pianist Peter Donohoe) is for the most part foot-tappingly irresistible. Stravinsky's Ebony Concerto is consistently fascinating in its sheer sound. For fill-ups Rattle has chosen some mouthwatering orchestrations made for the Paul Whiteman Band (who, of course, commissioned and premièred Gershwin's Rhapsody). These include the deliciously suggestive "Makin' whoopee!". Bernstein's Prelude, Fugue and Riffs is a super sleaze-up conclusion." (Gramophone)