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Rite of Spring on CD

Jazz and classical music had certainly mingled before, perhaps most notably in the work of the Modern Jazz Quartet, but seldom with as much sense of purpose as on this 1971 Hubert Laws outing. While the flautist had previously shown himself to be of an eclectic bent, working in pop and R&B as well as jazz, an album like RITE OF SPRING was an unprecedented move for him. In tackling the works of Faure, Stravinksy, Debussy, and Bach, he secured the distinctive arrangement chops of Don Sebesky, who in turn harnessed a number of fine players. Together they worked out third-stream arrangements (at a time when that was still a new idea) of the title piece, "Pavane," and others with an ear towards a new paradigm. This isn't some cheesy swing-meets-strings deal, it's an earnest (and successful) effort to break new ground. You still might have to pinch yourself when you realize you're hearing Bob James playing Bach harpsichord.