Community Chat

[Oznell]

Why the exclamation point?  Well, because to lovers of the Great American Songbook, the scintillating, jazzy, artful lyrics of songwriter Ira Gershwin are right at the top, along with those of  Cole Porter and Lorenz Hart (of Rodgers and Hart).  He was, essentially, a poet of twentieth century romance.

Ira Gershwin long outlived his writing partner and brother, brilliant composer George Gershwin.  He was a tireless guardian of his brother's legacy, but he also went on to collaborate with other greats, including Jerome Kern, Kurt Weill, and so memorably, with Harold Arlen, notably on "The Man that Got Away" (see below).

No better way to celebrate him than with a smattering of his songs, sung by the greats, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Judy Garland:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbTcBGPeIrE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnhQ09ZG-M0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1OJopACwy0

Doesn't he just write like a dream?

[Sweet_Serenity]

[Oznell]

And just look at this (partial) list from Wiki of his songs--  a brace of timeless standards.  And that's not all he wrote, for some reason they omitted some:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Categoryongs_with_lyrics_by_Ira_Gershwin

He was among the first of songwriters to receive a Pulitzer for his work, and was a multiple Oscar nominee.

[IMW]

His birthday deserves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Oznell]

Ain't that the truth, @IMW!

Was thinking what my favorites are, apart from the renditions above of "Embraceable You",  "Someone to Watch Over Me",  and "The Man That Got Away".

Let's see:

A Foggy Day

'S Wonderful

I Got Rhythm

Oh, Lady Be Good

I Loves You, Porgy

He Loves, and She Loves

It Ain't Necessarily So

Stairway to Paradise

I Can't Get Started

They Can't Take That Away From Me...

Too many to recount!

[Harpa]

@Oznell

Thank you for your post!!

In my American Pop Music course, we discuss George, of course, but really no time to devote to Ira! 

I am always referring to the TCM channel to my students. Hopefully, they will grasp Hollywood's historical significance, musically as well as socially!

What a jazz duo those Gershwin brothers!

Did you know that George was friends with Arnold Schoenberg, the composer of the expressionist, atonal music system? Both part of the LA crowd! LA features prominently in my courses, (not necessarily from the textbooks), but it was a major hub of music social engineering.

[Oznell]

Wow, @Harpa, I didn't know that!   How I would love to be in your courses!   Thank you so much for sharing here.

[Harpa]

---

@Oznell wrote:

Why the exclamation point?  Well, because to lovers of the Great American Songbook, the scintillating, jazzy, artful lyrics of songwriter Ira Gershwin are right at the top, along with those of  Cole Porter and Lorenz Hart (of Rodgers and Hart).  He was, essentially, a poet of twentieth century romance.

Ira Gershwin long outlived his writing partner and brother, brilliant composer George Gershwin.  He was a tireless guardian of his brother's legacy, but he also went on to collaborate with other greats, including Jerome Kern, Kurt Weill, and so memorably, with Harold Arlen, notably on "The Man that Got Away" (see below).

No better way to celebrate him than with a smattering of his songs, sung by the greats, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Judy Garland:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbTcBGPeIrE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnhQ09ZG-M0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1OJopACwy0

Doesn't he just write like a dream?

---

FYI: Harold Arlen who wrote "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."

[Catiele]

Thanks Oznell  I grew up listening to his music. My Mom had the radio on every day. It was her music and I grew to love it. Many memories.

[Oznell]

Harold Arlen is another of my faves, @Harpa!  "I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues",  "This Time the Dream's On Me",  and my parents' favorite song, "Stormy Weather" as sung by Lena.

Especially love his collaborations with the brilliant Johnny Mercer.