I Love a Gershwin Tune, How About You?

George Gershwin (1898-1937) wrote so many tunes (many with great lyrics by brother Ira), how can we pick just a handful? My first would be Rhapsody in Blue (1924) which I first heard at Miss Coupal’s concert when I was nine or ten years old. George was a true crossover between classical music and jazz. Happy 100th to this classic!

We already looked at this classic last week when we talked about dance, movies and musicals:

I’ve brought you Rhapsody in Blue as I first heard it. Here is the two piano version.

Ok, Ok, here is the orchestral version with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic. You decide which you prefer.

Rhapsody in Blue – Fantasia 2000 from Nicolás Liso Fabbri on Vimeo.

According to Wikipedia, young George played as an extra in the Jewish Theatre, quit school at the age of 15 and began as a song plugger. His parents had bought a piano for Ira, but it was George that eventually developed an interest.

His first published song was “When You Want ‘Em, You Can’t Get ‘Em, When You’ve Got ‘Em, You Don’t Want ‘Em” in 1916 when Gershwin was only 17 years old. It earned him 50 cents.

“I got rhythm” written in 1930 with brother Ira has become of even greater importance for many musicians who have created many other songs using the same chord changes (called ‘rhythm changes’, “Flintstones” to cite one example of many). Ira had a hard time writing the lyrics to this snappy syncopated tune.

Here is an original rare recording of a performance of Gershwin from 1931 in the Manhattan Theatre.

Summertime is a favorite of us all, from the musical Porgy and Bess. Ella Fitzgerald  singing Summertime

Janis Joplin

With Randy Zuckerberg

Amy Winehouse

It Ain’t Necessarily So – Recognize the ‘borrowing from…’

It take a long pull to get there (from Porgy and Bess). Recognize the tune?

My personal favorite Gershwin tune is “Someone to Watch over me“.

‘There’s a saying old says that love is blind, Still we’re often told, seek and ye shall find, So I’m going to seek a certain lad I’ve had in mind.

Looking everywhere, haven’t found him yet, He’s the big affair I cannot forget Only man I ever think of with regret I’d like to add his initial to my monogram. Tell me, where is the shepherd for this lost lamb?’

There’s a somebody I’m longin’ to see
I hope that he turns out to be
Someone who’ll watch over me

I’m a little lamb who’s lost in the wood
I know I could, always be good
To one who’ll watch over me

Here’s another great one:

But not for me, 1930

-Ira and George Gershwin, 1930

But not for me (performed here by Judy Garland)

And here is Chet Baker:

And finally…

Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off

You say tomato, and I say tomato…

You say potato, and I say potato..Let’s call the whole thing off