symphonic

John’s wistful, symphonic poem suddenly took on a new shade.

We knew the songs needed something, and we ended up rewriting the songs to work for a rock band in a symphonic medium.

“Harlem” is an acoustical enrapturement of the legendary Harlem Renaissance and one of the great symphonic portraits of a place in the repertory.

He had the advantage of following in the symphonic footsteps of Michael Tilson Thomas, who for 25 years had made the orchestra a leader in reflecting the culture of its time and place.

Stylistically, Simon smoothly moves from charismatic symphonic writing through a wide range of African American musical styles, leaving improvisational room for the vocal soloists.