Michael Stein writes... >A cousin reminds me that Artie Shaw composed and recorded a Concerto for >Clarinet. Does anyone recall this work, and whether it has been made >available recently? I don't recall precisely the Artie Shaw composition but I vividly remember the upset at least a few "classical" musicians expressed when asked to perform with popular orchestras or personalities. I recall a news magazine of the '40s reported on the upset of a particularly irked pianist Jose Iturbie being asked to conduct for Benny Goodman in a classical performance. "Mr. Goodman is an orchestra leader...he should conduct his own orchestra!" "Crossover" repertory has always been a lively and popular area of instrumental performance. The afforementioned Goodman had an early '40s recording "Hora Stocato" I recall it was a somewhat pretentious clarinet arrangement of solo violin material which seemed perfectly acceptable to the audience of the time. I also recall assorted swing orchestra variations of Rachmaninof concertos which are probably better off left forgotten. Artie Shaw had prodigius classical credentials which probably included some amount of compositional skill and many stuffed shirts from the concert stage preferred not to acknowledge the existance of popular music although Stravinsky admired the artistry of Woody Herman's orchestra whom he and wrote music for. Bernard Gregoire Hingham, MA