I've recorded podcasts in the past of jazz musicians covering Latin sounds, rock tunes and other stylings. This week, I feature those occasions when jazz musicians use classical music as their inspiration. This does not include artists such as Keith Jarrett, who has made recordings of classical compositions in a very straight-forward, traditional manner. Instead, I have focused on artists who either use classical themes or have done their best inject some swing into classical melodies or themes.Click here to listen to:Stanley Jordan - "Mozart's Piano Concerto #21 (Andante)" from State of Nature. Stanley has done some interesting work with Ravel's "Bolero" in the past, so it seemed only natural that he would try his hand at this piece of the classical repertoire. Jordan plays piano and guitar, and did the arrangement.Eddie Daniels - "Spring" from The Five Seasons. The talented clarinetist, who has recorded with Chick Corea among others, takes on the Vivaldi classic, "The Four Seasons". This is the memorable melody of the first movement of the piece,performed by a core quartet of Daniels on clarinet,pianist Alan Broadbent, bassist Dave Carpenter, and drummer Peter Erskine, supported by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. Larry Coryell - "Improvisation on Bolero" from Bolero. Ravel's classic (can anyone here this and not think of Bo Derek in "10"?) in the hands of the guitar master is an exercise int he wonders of improvisation. Coryell has taken on classic material on other releases as well, including works by Stravinsky.Don Elliott - "My Reverie" from The Mello Sound. Based on the melody of Debussy's "Reverie", Larry Clinton composed a jazz variation for this 1950's stalwart trumpet and mellophone player. He is joined by Bill Byers on Trombone, Danny Bank on Baritone Sax, Barry Galbraith on Guitar, Howie Reich on Trumpet, Hal McKusick on Alto Sax and Flute, Milt Hinton on Bass and Mel Zelnick on Drums.Barney Kessell - "Swingin' the Toreador" from Modern Jazz Performances of Bizet's "Carmen". A fascinating 1958 recording by the jazz guitarist, as he improvises on the themes and melodies of Bizzet's famous opera. Kessell wrote all the arrangements, and is joined by Buddy Collette and Justin Gordon on flute, Bill Smith on clarinet, Jules Jacob on oboe, Pete Terry on bassoon, Andre Previn on piano, Joe Mondragon on bass and Shelly Manne on drums.Modern Jazz Quartet - "Precious Joy" from Blues on Bach. The great chamber group performed originals and their version of well-known Bach pieces like this one, based on the Bach Chorale "Jesu Joy Of Man's Desiring". John Lewis wrote the arrangement and played piano, with Milt Jackson on vibes, Percy Heath on bass and Connie Kay on drums. On release it received a rare 5 Star Award by Downbeat magazine, which declared it a 'masterpiece", NOTE: After I had organized this podcast, Big O, one of my favorite sites for rarities featured a concert by the Brotherhood Consort,a collaboration between French avant-garde saxophonist, Raphael Imbert and classical organist (and teacher of baroque improvisation), Andres Rossi. Their work attempts to make connections between Bach's church choral influences with that of Coltrane's negro spirituals. You can hear that fusion on the site with "Song of Praise/Jesu Meine Freude", a mix-up of sorts between material written by Coltrane and Bach, proving that both men were spiritual brothers- in-improvisation. Wow!