Keyboard Rhapsody

As one of America’s masters, George Gershwin’s music is always in the air, especially since 1998, his centennial year. Over at the Skirball Cultural Center, a Gershwin concert series leans mainly toward the jazz interpretation by pianists Brad Mehldau and Fred Hersch and guitarist Bill Frisell.

But Wednesday’s installment will go every which way stylistically, which is fitting for pianist Bryan Pezzone, a musician who has moved freely from classical circles to jazz settings and studio work.

“It doesn’t sound like he’s trying to mash things together, like a lot of people sound when they’re trying to mix things,� Pezzone said. “His music never had that academic, forced feel. He was ahead of his time in a way, to be able to pull that off.�

Another composer who managed similar crossover success was Leonard Bernstein, whose music Pezzone will also perform, as well as his own original compositions.

Pezzone’s musical life is eclectic. Last week he went from a recital with a trombonist to an oboe concert in Santa Barbara to shows with the classical-jazz group Free Flight. On Monday, he spent all day in Burbank rehearsing and preparing for a three-minute spot on the “Tonight Show with Jay Leno� in the ensemble backing up young British singer Charlotte Church. It was the same show that George Bush appeared on, and Pezzone had to run the Secret Service gauntlet for music’s sake.

He is known for his readings of contemporary music and has also recorded soundtracks for Warner Bros. and Disney animation. Pezzone recently plunged ever-deeper into the free-lance life, giving up his regular job with California Institute of the Arts, where he had taught since 1987, and his position with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, with which he had played since 1991.

Wednesday’s lecture-concert, dubbed “Gershwin and Beyond,� will be a chance for Pezzone to test a new project he has been developing under the name “Freedom Series.� His idea is to bring an improvisational approach to his performances by leaving the program open and discussing musical and philosophical matters along the way. Check out www.bryanpezzone.com.

One of the works on the program will be the solo piano version of “Rhapsody in Blue,� which Pezzone “faked his way through� as a 9-year-old but has never officially performed live.

“I’ll probably talk about that a little bit,� Pezzone said, “I was involved in rock ‘n’ roll and jazz and taking classical lessons when I was young, so that piece really resonated with me. I feel fortunate to still be able to basically derive my inspiration as a musician from that kind of energy.�

BE THERE

The Gershwin Legacy with Bryan Pezzone, 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. Tickets: $12-$5. (323) 655-8587.

Josef Woodard, who writes about art and music, can be reached by e-mail at [email protected].