Although always greatly influenced by classical music, Brubeck and band make the connection overt on this 1961 orchestral record. Brubeck"s lasting impact stems from his ability to effectively combine elements of classical and jazz into one coherent sound. However, in this case he attempts to offer jazz improvisations on top of classical arrangements. On paper, this seems like a reasonable idea. "We were trying to merge the two forms in such a way that each retained its own identifiable properties--written variations for the orchestra, improvised variations for the jazz soloists," notes Brubeck in his 1998 reissue notes. In many instances, Brubeck and Paul Desmond offer inspired, engaging solo ideas, no doubt intrigued and challenged by the orchestral background. Overall, though, the experiment fails, partly due to Dave"s brother Howard Brubeck"s staid arrangements, but mostly because of the inherent disconnect between orchestra and soloists. When the two do manage to connect, it sounds at times eerily like (gasp!) Roger Williams. --Marc Greilsamer