JAZZ : NEW RELEASES : **** DAVE GRUSIN “The Gershwin Connection” <i> GRP Records</i>

Instead of the elaborate, symphonic production one might have expected of a Grusin-Gershwin concept, this turns out to be a delightfully modest, jazz-oriented set, with Grusin’s piano at its most graceful and tasteful. Except for a single orchestral cut at the end, and subliminal use of strings elsewhere, these are small-group performances, from solo to piano duet (Grusin and Chick Corea) up to quintet.

Clarinetist Eddie Daniels, saxophonist Eric Marienthal, guitarist Lee Ritenour, vibist Gary Burton and the eloquent trumpet of Sal Marquez are heard on two tracks apiece, with Daniels, in particular, contributing a beautiful reading of “Prelude II.”

Surprises abound: “How Long Has This Been Going On?” here becomes a waltz, “There’s a Boat Dat’s Leavin’ Soon for New York” is gospel-tinted, and “My Man’s Gone Now” is quasi-modal.

As Michael Feinstein’s notes point out, this album reminds us of Gershwin’s timelessness. Songs current in the 1920s and ‘30s take on a contemporary glow in the ‘90s.

New albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor) to four (excellent). A rating of five stars is reserved for classic reissues or retrospectives.