The Gershwin Moment – Kirill Gerstein

   in Piano International (May, 2018)
This is a remarkable album. Berlin-based Kirill Gerstein studied jazz piano at Berklee, and is clearly finely attuned to Gershwin’s idiom. Rhapsody in Blue is heard in Grofé’s lean arrangement and the performance accordingly tight. The next four tracks offer encores in arrangements by Earl Wild (Somebody Loves Me, beautifully reflective; I got rhythm crackling with nervous energy) and Oscar Levant (meditation on Blame it on my youth). Finally, Summertime with the smoking voice of Storm Large. Gerstein includes an interpolated cadenza in the concerto’s slow movement. The first movement is vibrant and the finale buzzes. Thomas Drake’s trumpet solos are impeccably laid back. Superb booklet notes treat Gershwin knowledgeably …