Gershwin's Show Tunes

While Gershwin, had he lived past 40, might have become a "serious" composer--he only wrote 4 major orchestral pieces, and one opera--his legacy in music was already sealed, though he didn't know it, with his show tunes. The delightful melodies--at times quick and engaging, at other times soft and mellow and sad--match with his brother's excellent lyrics, became the backbone of jazz, and the first major figure in what are now known as American Standards. You'd be surprised, even if you aren't a jazz lover, how many of his show tunes you know.









Also: the embedding is disabled by request, but don't miss this live version of 'A Foggy Day in London Town' with Nat King Cole on piano and Mel Torme doing vocals.