Schifrin Conducts Jazz and Orchestra in Perfect Tandem
The second installment proves sequels can surpass the original, with Schifrin's orchestral arrangements more commanding than ever.
Lalo Schifrin's second Jazz Meets the Symphony album arrives with confidence earned. Where the first volume established the concept, this one deepens it—Schifrin's orchestral voice is sharper, more inventive, sometimes recalling his film score instincts in ways that enrich rather than overshadow the jazz soloists. Recorded in London with the Philharmonic, the album finds Ray Brown, Grady Tate, Jon Faddis, Paquito D'Rivera, and James Morrison as the principal voices cutting through a full orchestra. Ginell's review in AllMusic captured it exactly: this is the rare sequel that actually improves on its predecessor, partly because Schifrin learned to wield his own orchestral palette more decisively.
The three horn soloists—Faddis, D'Rivera, and Morrison—are given room to ignite. These are expert, often fiery players, and the arrangements let them spar with strings and woodwinds without drowning them out. The rhythm section anchors everything; Brown and Tate keep the swing grounded while the orchestra swells around them. It's a high-wire act, this mixing of symphonic weight with jazz spontaneity, and it rarely feels forced here.
For listeners new to Schifrin, this may sound like an experiment—jazz and orchestra are not always natural companions. But by 1993, Schifrin had spent decades proving they could be. This album stands as the clearest evidence that he'd mastered the balance.
Who's playing
Ray Brownperformer
Paquito D’Riveraperformer
Jon Faddisperformer
James Morrisonperformer
Lalo Schifrinperformer
Grady Tateperformer
Where next?
The musicians on this record
Their own records, close in time
