Gershwin was not content to bring jazz to the concert hall- he also wanted to bring similar band music to the stage. So in 1933, Gershwin began composing a piece he hoped would bring the incredible style of the African American spiritual to life. The piece took the tempo and flavor of a lullaby.
In 1935, the opera Porgy and Bess drew crowds impressed and fascinated by the new "American" opera music. Gershwin wrote the music based on a novel by DuBose Heyward. In it, "Summertime" was a special aria that moved the audience and the opera in a way reminiscient of the African American folk tunes Gershwin so admired.
The lyrics were written by DuBose Heyward, the author of the novel Porgy on which the opera was based, although the song is also co-credited to Ira Gershwin by ASCAP.
Summertime,
And the livin’ is easy
Fish are jumpin’
And the cotton is highOh, your daddy’s rich
And your mamma’s good lookin’
So hush little baby
Don’t you cry
Composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim has characterized Heyward's lyrics for "Summertime" and "My Man's Gone Now" as "the best lyrics in the musical theater". The song is recognized as one of the most covered songs in the history of recorded music, with more than 33,000 covers by groups and solo performers.
One the most famous performers of "Summertime" is jazz lady Ella Fitzgerald. This video of her performance was filmed on February 11, 1968 at the Deutschlandhalle in Berlin. Fitzgerald was on a 21-city tour of Eastern and Western Europe, presented by Norman Granz. She was accompanied by the Tee Carson Trio, with Carson on piano, Ketter Betts on bass and Joe Harris on drums.
To hear Louis Armstrong's contribution to this sultry, summertime-hazy piece, you can listen to Satchmo's duet with Ella Fitzgerald. If it doesn't give you chill bumps, I'm not sure anything will.
Then listen to Billie Holiday's version, as well as those of John Coltrane and Miles Davis, who riffed on a standard and brought more than the music to life. Just scroll down the songlist and you'll find the performances. By the way, there's nothing like listening to Gershwin while writing a journal entry about Gershwin....
