Jango Song Of The Day-George Gershwin

Artist:George Gershwin
Song:Rhapsody In Blue
Album:Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls





Despite his premature death due to a brain tumour, George Gershwin is one of the great composers of the 20th century with immeasurable influence. He started out as a Tin Pan Alley songwriter and Rhapsody In Blue was his first classical composition. This version has Gershwin playing solo piano. He was born Jacob Gershowitz Sept. 26, 1898 in Brooklyn, NY. His Russian Jewish immigrant father changed the family name to Gershvin and George later changed it to Gershwin. His parents bought a piano for older brother Ira but it was George who expreseed interest in playing it. By age 15, he was plugging songs on Tin Pan Alley. His first song to break nationally was Swanee co-written with Irving Caesar in 1919, a song made famous by Al Jolson. Then he started working for a piano roll company. What's a piano roll? Before recorded discs, many folks had player pianos and recorded cylinders were produced that would play popular songs on the piano. It could also be used as a standard piano. Gershwin was also writing musicals with Ira including Lady Be Good. But Gershwin also studied French classical composition and wanted to be a serious composer. Rhapsody In Blue was his very first composition. It was premiered in New York by Paul Whiteman with Gershwin on piano. Gershwin also recorded a 14 minute solo piano version as a piano roll. That's the version on this 1993 CD from Nonesuch that topped the classical charts and even made the Billboard Hot 200. Is Rhapsody In Blue jazz? It has jazz influences but it has other influences as well so it's not jazz. But it certainly established George Gershwin as more than just a Tin Pan Alley songwriter. He would go on to write other shows like An American In Paris and Porgy & Bess that were more sophisticated than his music before Rhapsody In Blue. Sadly, George Gershwin started suffering from headaches that turned out to be a malignant brain tumour. He died on July 11, 1937 at age 38. Time has not diminished George Gershwin's musical genius and many of his songs are still performed today. Obviously there's no video footage of George Gershwin performing that I am aware of. So I thought you would enjoy the trailer for the 1945 George Gershwin biopic Rhapsody In Blue starring Robert Alda.