Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major is heavily influenced by Jazz (see this post Ravel and Gershwin and Their Obsession with Jazz). You can hear a lot of Jazz colored motives in the fast, vivid first movement (I. Allegramente). And, as Ravel famously remarked that “The most captivating part of jazz is its rich and diverting rhythm.” — even subtle Jazz influenced can be noticed in the breathtakingly beautiful slow movement (II. Adagio).
In an interview with the music critic Pierre Leroi, published in October 1931, Ravel said:
My only wish … was to write a genuine concerto, that is, a brilliant work, clearly highlighting the soloist’s virtuosity, without seeking to show profundity. As a model, I took two musicians who, in my opinion, best illustrated this type of composition: Mozart and Saint-Saëns. This is why the concerto, which I originally thought of entitling Divertissement, contains the three customary parts: the initial Allegro, a compact classical structure, is followed by an Adagio, in which I wanted to render particular homage to “scholasticism”, and in which I attempted to write as well as I could; to conclude, a lively movement in Rondo form, likewise conceived in accordance with the most immutable traditions.
Source; Wikipedia
And critique’s reaction seems really positive for this piece — I found no mean comment for Piano Concerto in G of Ravel in the Lexicon of Musical Invective book…