A Jazz Symphony is a jazz-influenced classical work by avant-garde composer George Antheil.
Written in 1925, it was premiered at his infamous 1927 Carnegie Hall Concert which also debuted the succès de scandale Ballet Mécanique.
It was originally intended to be used in Paul Whiteman's Experiment in Modern Music (which famously premiered George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue) concerts, but was deemed too radical.
For convenience, Antheil reorchestrated the work in 1955 for a much more conservative ensemble, a version which also rids itself of the many dissonances and noises of the original.
Furthermore, while Gershwin's piece is more influenced by big band and swing, Milhaud's and Antheil's works can be seen as reinterpretations of the large freeness of Creole and New Orleans and cutting-edge New York jazz.