A symphonic tribute to the sound of the 1950s

overview

For orchestras seeking programming that honors tradition while meaningfully broadening audience reach, this offering provides a rare opportunity. It connects the structural rigor of the concerto form with the emotional immediacy of mid century jazz, creating an entry point for jazz audiences without compromising symphonic integrity.

Stan Getz remains one of the most recognizable voices in American music. By presenting Richard Rodney Bennett’s Concerto for Stan Getz alongside complementary orchestral works rooted in the sound world of the 1950s, this program bridges subscriber familiarity, cross genre curiosity, and historical continuity.

It is not a pops presentation, nor a crossover novelty. It is a thoughtfully constructed half program that situates the tenor saxophone fully within the orchestral tradition while inviting new listeners into the hall.

A Complete 2nd Half Program

This half program brings the unmistakable lyric voice of Stan Getz into the symphonic tradition with depth, elegance, and historical resonance.

At its center is Richard Rodney Bennett’s Concerto for Stan Getz, a work that does not dilute jazz for the orchestra, but instead places the tenor saxophone squarely within the concerto lineage. Bennett’s score captures the cool lyricism, harmonic sophistication, and emotional restraint that defined mid century jazz, while preserving the structural weight and dramatic arc audiences expect from a concerto experience.

Surrounding the Bennett are two original orchestral works written in dialogue with that same sound world, extending the aesthetic into a cohesive artistic statement.

Velvet Horizon
A soaring cantabile theme unfolds over gently syncopated string textures and subtle guitar color, gradually expanding into a richly layered orchestral tapestry. The work builds toward a luminous restatement before dissolving into a transparent, suspended coda.

Confluence, 1959
A study in rhythmic poise and harmonic ascent, this work merges American jazz harmony with Brazilian lyric sensibility within a fully symphonic framework. Rising sequences and evolving orchestration create momentum, elegance, and quiet propulsion.

The program concludes with the original orchestral arrangement of The Girl from Ipanema, the same version performed by Stan Getz with the Boston Pops under Arthur Fiedler in 1966. The result is not nostalgia, but continuity — a reminder that this conversation between jazz and orchestra has deep roots and enduring relevance.

Together, these works create a unified half program that is historically grounded, artistically rigorous, and immediately accessible — inviting core subscribers and new audiences into the same musical experience.

Overview of symphonic music in the 1950s

The 1950s were a moment of artistic cross-pollination in American music, when the boundaries between concert hall and jazz club became porous. Composers were searching for a distinctly American voice, one that embraced harmonic sophistication, rhythmic vitality, and urban energy without abandoning structural rigor. Leonard Bernstein stands as the most visible example, weaving jazz inflection into symphonic and theatrical works, but he was part of a broader movement that included Gunther Schuller’s “Third Stream” philosophy, William Grant Still’s integration of blues language, and later the orchestral writing of George Russell and others exploring modal jazz within formal structures.

This was not crossover as novelty; it was a serious artistic inquiry. Jazz harmony entered the orchestra not as decoration, but as compositional language. Syncopation, extended chords, and improvisational sensibility influenced texture, pacing, and orchestration. The result was music that retained the architecture of classical form while embracing the expressive immediacy of jazz.

For orchestras today, revisiting this era offers more than nostalgia. It provides a framework for full length programming that feels historically grounded, culturally resonant, and uniquely American — bridging audiences through a shared musical lineage that still feels contemporary.

Programming That Expands Your Reach

Let’s discuss how this program can support your artistic planning and audience development objectives. Please contact me through the website form or email me directly at anjanshah1966 (at) gmail.com to schedule a conversation.