STUCK IN THE VINYL AGAIN - GERSHWIN/ THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA - RHAPSODY IN BLUE, AN AMERICAN IN PARIS

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Good Tuesday morning to you all and welcome back to Stuck In The Vinyl Again . Today we remember Brooklyn born lyricist Ira Gershwin and partner to his composer Brother George Gershwin,  on the 38th anniversary of his death. He passed away in 1983, of heart disease, age 86. Today we focus on one of George's best loved compositions, Rhapsody In Blue, and Ira's part in making it happen. As the story goes, in 1923 bandleader  Paul Whiteman, asked George to write a concerto-like piece for an upcoming jazz concert to commemorate  Lincoln's Birthday.  George brushed if off until after the new year when his Brother Ira approached him about an article he hade read in the January 4 edition of the New-York Tribune, that stated George was already at work on the piece. George phoned Whiteman the next day and was told that his (Whiteman's) arch enemy, Vincent Lopez, sought to steal the idea and that lit a fire under George. He started working on the music on January 7th and had it complete and ready to go come February 12th, the day of the show. Ira provided the title. The rest is history.

So with all that behind us, we get on to the record at hand, the 1956 Capitol Records release, Rhapsody In Blue/ An American In Paris performed by The Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra Conducted By Felix Slatkin, with Leonard Pennario at the piano . 

Rhapsody In Blue 16:43
An American In Paris 17:45

The Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra Conducted By Felix Slatkin

Leonard Pennario ‎ - piano