George Gershwin - On CD?

What can you recommend?

I have the Ella Fitzgerald/Louis Armstrong "Porgy & Bess" CD, and a budget CD called "The Entertainers" with many interesting interpretations but bad sound. (I also have MP3s collected from various sources, with no structure or reason.)

Also, what versions (i.e. recordings) of the following songs do you think are definitive? And what could be considered the original version?

Fasincating Rhtyhm (my favorite so far: Mel Torme)
Summertime (m,y favorite so far: Dionne Warwick)
Embaraceable You (my favorite so far: Sarah Vaughn)
How Long Has This Been Going On
Our Love Is Here To Stay (my favorite so far: Nat King Cole)
But Not For Me (my favorite so far: Chet Baker)
Someone To Watch Over Me (my favorite so far: Chet Baker tied with Frank Sinatra)
I Got Rhythm
They Can't take That Away From Me (favorite so far: Frank Sinatra)
Lady Be Good
S'Wonderful
The Man I Love
A Foggy Day (my favorite so far: Judy Garland)
Nice Work If You Can Get It (my favorite so far: Frank Sinatra)
I've Got A Crush On You
Somebody Loves Me
Love Walked In

Please note that I am not that interested in recent recordings of this material. Ideally, I would like to have an "original" version, and one or a few essential interpretations from the 30s/40s/50s.

 

Hi all,

For George and Ira Gershwin, why not get Ella Fitzgerald sings the George & Ira Gershwin Song Book on Verve. Essential. You might be able to score the Dennis Drake CD set for not much money. Also, the Sarah Vaughan Gershwin set on Verve Master Editions is nice. Ella is essential Gershwin.

 

That's a starting point, thank you.

Any other ideas? Favorite interpretations of each song?

 

Why not listen to the man himself? There are some nice piano rolls CDs out there. I especially remember a great Elektra issue with "Rhapsody in Blue"...

 

After lurking for some time, I'm finally posting. This is a wonderful forum to visit.

If it's ok with you, I'll try a quick reply with whatever might come to mind...

Fasincating Rhythm

1924 I think. Essential for "getting" the "Jazz Age." Original performer was Cliff "Ukelele Ike" Edwards, from a musical stage show, "Lady Be Good." Since there's nobody that's like Cliff Edwards, you'd need to hear him, and you're in luck. He was recorded performing it in his singular sprightly way (twice), and the recording is available. George Gershwin: From His Own Time is a set you might want to check. It has the best transfers of some historic recordings. Also, there was a recent CD of the stage show "Lady Be Good" (well, 1990 or so). you said you aren't too interested in new recordings, and I agree with you when it comes to "classic pop" - it's a largely lost art. That recording, however, is a fun recreation that does try to be authentic, and the recreation of Gershwin's "Girl Crazy" is great. Also from the original era is a version performed by the headlining stars of "Lady Be Good" - Fred Astaire and his sister, Adele. That version is also out there. There are many great versions of this song.

Summertime

My favorite is Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. It's haunting. There are also many fine versions of this around. Some will single out Sarah Vaughan.

Embaraceable You

From "Girl Crazy." Many versions, a fav of mine is Nat King Cole's rare 1961 version. Judy Garland's version in the movie of "Girl Crazy" was also popular.

How Long Has This Been Going On

Ella Fitzgerald, version on the CD "Pure Ella" is wonderfully intimate, which works great on this. (Nice sound too!)

Our Love Is Here To Stay (my favorite so far: Nat King Cole)

Agreed!

But Not For Me (my favorite so far: Chet Baker)

Judy Garland. Also the CD recreation of the "Girl Crazy" stage show.

Someone To Watch Over Me (my favorite so far: Chet Baker tied with Frank Sinatra)

Keely Smith, though this is a tough one. Ella's "Pure Ella" CD again, comes to mind, it does, fine, you will think it (going a bit Yoda here ).

I Got Rhythm

Wow. At a loss at the moment.

They Can't Take That Away From Me (favorite so far: Frank Sinatra)

The one who introduced it, Fred Astaire. Either of his versions.

Lady Be Good

Fred Astaire again... but oddly enough, in a mere snippet of the song from a TV medley he did. Why he wasn't recorded doing the whole song that way, I don't know. Since he didn't, I'll have to go with Ella.

S'Wonderful

In the film, "An American In Paris." Bliss.

The Man I Love

Ella. "Pure Ella" again, I think. Then Keely Smith's Nelson Riddle vers.

A Foggy Day (my favorite so far: Judy Garland)

Oh, Fred Astaire, in the film, "A Damsel in Distress." His 1935 record was okay too, it's also on the "From Gershwin's Time" set I mentioned.

Nice Work If You Can Get It (my favorite so far: Frank Sinatra)

Frank, yes. Also Astaire. Folks sometimes write off Gershwin and Berlin's praises of Astaire to being a result of his commercial success, as his singing was sometimes regarded as substandard (including in the estimation of Astaire himself). I can't agree. I know why the Gershwins and Berlins had esteem for Astaire. Pop singing doesn't need Operatic ideals, it needs something... less defineable, which he did just fine at, especially from the 40's on. Just listen, sing along even (in private hehe) and... well it's no mystery to me.

I've Got A Crush On You

...whereas I'm not such a fan of the vocal efforts from the other movie dancing icon, Gene Kelly. This song is an exception. He did it smoothly, in a way that seems to fit it nicely, twice... and both were cut from their respective film projects! But they survive in audio only, and are nice versions for the character aspect. If that doesn't cut it, I'd go with Frank Sinatra.

Somebody Loves Me

Hm someone sweetly voiced perhaps... Dinah Shore? Doris Day?

Love Walked In

That's a tough one. I'll pass on a guess. Have several great jazz (instrumental) versions of it too.

That oughtta help you. The advice about Ella's Gershwin Songbook set is a fine idea, but also find "Pure Ella" - they're different versions, "Pure" is just with Ella and piano. As said above, "From Gershwin's Time" may be of interest, historically, certainly, and there's a similarly themed 4 CD box I think called "I Got Rhythm." Lots of wonderful stuff. Also if you want his "classical" efforts, Arthur Fiedler's Living Stereo CD or SACD is popular and sounds super. Enjoy

 

Thanks! I'd like to see more analysis of different versions of this material, but I am still a novice when it comes to Gershwin.

 

Let me be the first to welcome you , apileocole, and say nice first post.
I am afraid I have little knowledge here and will differ to you and the others.

 

The Piano Roll Discs are great. And it's Gershwin himself playing the songs the way he thought they should be played. Fascinating documents and excellent piano playing too.

 

a couple of suggestions...

Summertime -- Ella and Louis, although there is a very interesting (recent) acapella version by Angelique Kidjo adapted to her native language (she's from Benin)

How Long Has This Been Going On -- Chet Baker

They Can't take That Away From Me --Ella and Louis again


Cody

 

Check out the Sony Masterworks Heritage 2 cd set. I don't know that it's the last word in transfers, but it is a good place to start for rep and performers.

Stephen

 

I concur with the Ella recommendation, both the Songbook album and Pure Ella, which is just the lady herself with a pianist.

Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls volume 1 is really wonderful, with four hand arrangements of An American in Paris and Rhapsody in Blue. There's also a gorgeous version of "So Am I" that works well as a lullaby.

Speaking of lullabies, the "Lullaby for Strings" is just what it sounds like. The chord voicings in the strings really affect me on an emotional level. There's a piano arrangement as well, which is also very good. I don't have a preferred recording of either of these, so if anyone can chime in with a suggestion, I'd be interested.

Blossom Dearie, to my taste, owns "Someone To Watch Over Me." She was also the perfect person to stake a claim on the obscure "Little Jazz Bird," which is on her My Gentleman Friend album.

The soundtrack to An American In Paris, a film comprised of all Gershwin songs and music, has some great performances. Gene Kelly's take on "Love Is Here To Stay" is my favorite.

Nina Simone kills the competition on "I Loves You Porgy," my preferred recording being on her Phillips live album (also in the Four Women box). The melancholy in her voice, the quaver bordering on collapse, just blows me away.

I have a version of "But Not For Me" by Judy Garland from a radio transcription. I can't remember where it's from (I downloaded it long ago), but it must be from the late 30s or early 40s, as she is still very much the ingenue.

I like Linda Ronstadt's version of "I've Got a Crush on You" from What's New , though I find her standards covers to be hit and miss. This one's a hit. I haven't heard the Gene Kelly recording, but I'm sure it's as good as the American in Paris stuff.

Both Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan did excellent versions of "Embraceable You." Each has its own merits, depending on my mood. Holiday's is more soulful, with a playful sort of come-on in her voice, while Vaughan's take (with just a trio, if I remember correctly) sounds as though she's just enjoying singing such a great melody. Holiday's is on the Commodore collection and Vaughan's is on her Gershwin Songbook album.

There are lots more, but that's just off the top of my head.

Jason

 

There is a Living Stereo CD available of "Rhapsody in Blue" performed by Arthur Fiedler, Boston Pops, with Earl Wild on piano. Considered by many to be the definitive version.

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=&sql=43:27310

 

Thank you kindly for the welcome Shakey.

JKruppa, if I'm remembering rightly, I think Gene Kelly's rendition of 'Our Love Is Here to Stay' in American In Paris is actually the "original" version, despite the 1951 date. I think it was that song which was produced from the trunk, as it were, by Ira Gershwin, for that film, and has since become a standard.

Gene's rendition is fine, likewise the fine arrangement, but I prefer Nat's (to be fair I may have been too busy staring at Caron; a lovely lady often has that effect on me ). The film 'An American In Paris' is a good suggestion for Gershwin music, which I second, with the expanded 2-CD soundtrack on Rhino TCM being of interest as well. The songs are well presented and the orchestrations try for "a Gershwin sound" - their efforts in finding what they thought was "the Gershwin sound" may be of interest to anyone looking into Gershwin.

 

What a great thread!

I'll add The Zombies version of "Summertime," "It Ain't Necessarily So" by Cab Calloway and "I Got Plenty Of Nothin'" from the film soundtrack (when are we going to see that DVD?)

 

Is anybody else familiar with Dionne Warwick's recording of Summertime? I find it deeply moving.

 

Is that a hybrid SACD?

 

Wow, news to me. How have I gone so long without stumbling upon this little fact. Thanks.

Jason

 

I read (or I think I read) that there is an SACD available, but I haven't seen it - I settled for the regular version and got it from BMG only a few months ago, but it has since been cut it out. Although this is truly a treasure, aside from fans like us, few even know it exists.

 

This is the SACD.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ef=sr_1_13/002-0515489-4477611?_encoding=UTF8

Guess I can add that to my list of the first five Living Stereo SACDs to buy.

Jason

 

Oo. Get the Gershwin tribute produced by Lou Adler - it's GREAT!

Elton John does "But Not For Me" - it melts.
Sting does a GREAT rendition of "Nice Work if You Can Get It" with banjo and everything
Elvis Costello's on it and Lou Adler ends it with "Rhapsody."

WONDERFUL!

Also, the piano rolls are cool! His original sheets played via a Yamaha - interesting. Crystal clear and theoretically, exactly what George played...

JEFF!

 

A recently issued two-disc 'An American in Paris (1951 film soundtrack)' includes the entire OST as well as many charming outtake renditions, including different versions of Gene Kelly doing quite nicely on 'I've Got A Crush On You' and 'S Wonderful (Reprise).' Also includes all the Oscar Levant numbers and several outtakes, IIRC, Levant was one of George Gershwin's favorite pianists for his work.


If you like piano renditions, check out the albums by William Bolcomb on Nonesuch, very nice, and includes Joan Morris, mezzo soprano, doing many of the show songs more like they would have been performed on Broadway than the more jazz-influenced versions available. That said, there was a great album of Sarah Vaughan and the LA Philharmonic with Michael Tilson Thomas conducting, appears to be now be OOP, that was brilliant.

Peter Gabriel's version of 'Summertime' on the Lou Adler tribute is quite good also.

 

And it's the only place you're likely to hear Cher sing "It Ain't Necessarily So."

Stephen

 

It just happens I have this BIN CD listed on eBay now.

Gershwin Play Gershwin, The Piano Rolls