The brash, all-American music of George Gershwin flooded the Burbank Center with marvelous memories Saturday night as maestro Jeffrey Kahane and the Santa Rosa Symphony took the standing-room-only crowd on an enlightening jazz journey.

The winter pops concert was a first-time-ever event for the symphony, but judging from ticket sales, it won't be the last. Patrons of all ages, from longtime subscribers to first-time concert-goers, squeezed into the center's pews and tapped out Gershwin's fascinating rhythms while the rain tapped its own rhythm outside...

From the clashing cymbals of "Strike Up the Band" to the complex percolation of "Fascinating Rhythm" the orchestra and Kahane definitely proved that they have rhythm...

Who could ask for anything more?

The sound of a human voice, for one thing. In a wise programming choice, Kahane invited cabaret singers Karen Benjamin and Alan Chapman of Los Angeles to perform some of Gershwin's most beloved songs - from "Summertime" to Somebody Loves Me" - for the heart of the show.

The husband-and wife- duo was able to magically shrink the cavernous hall down to an intimate venue with their relaxed humor and from-the-gut singing style. If you closed your eyes, you could almost imagine yourself in a jazz bar.

Chapman's polished and understated piano playing complemented the fluid voice of Benjamin whose exquisite tone and control reached a dramatic apex during the wistful "They Can't Take That Away From Me."

The duo also performed several original songs by Chapman, whose dry, erudite wit has produced such down-to-earth ditties as "Lawyers Who Make Love" and "Everybody Wants To Be Sondheim - Except Me." The cheeky Chapman even wrote some custom lyrics for "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off."

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