George Gershwin

George Gershwin.

George Gershwin (September 26, 1898 - July 11, 1937) was an American classical and jazz composer, whose music often combined influences from both genres. He is most famous for Swanee (1919), Rhapsody In Blue (1924), Oh, Lady Be Good! (1924), The Man I Love (1924), Funny Face (1927), Embraceable You (1928), An American In Paris (1928), I Got Rhythm (1930), Porgy and Bess (most famous for the songs I Loves You Porgy, It Ain't Necessarily So and Summertime, 1935), A Foggy Day (In London Town (1937), They All Laughed (1937), Nice Work If You Can Get It (1937), They Can't Take That Away From Me (1937) and Let's Call The Whole Thing Off (1937)

Many of his compositions have been set to lyrics by his brother Ira Gershwin, becoming musical standards. Gershwin's fame increased when his music was featured in Broadway musicals and Hollywood movies.

Frank Zappa

In 1970, during the Konzerthaus concert in Vienna (12 December 1970), Zappa briefly covered The Man In Love. ,

Zappa covered It Ain't Necessarily So several times, during Big Swifty (Felt Forum, New York (23 September 1972), Circle Star Theatre at San Carlos, California (21 July 1974), during The Torture Never Stops in Normal, Illinois (21 November 1980), the Masonic Auditorium in Detroit, Michigan (26 November 1980), the Civic Center in Des Moines, Indiana (30 November 1980), Moby Gym at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado (2 December 1980)., during City Of Tiny Lites in Northrop Auditorium in Minneapolis, Minnesota (28 November 1981), during RDNZL the Scandinavium in Göteborg, Sweden (10 May 1982), during City Of Tiny Lites at the Sporthalle in Linz, Austria (29 June 1982) and - in a combination with Irving Mills's St. James Infirmary, performed at the Stadio Comunale in Pistoia, Italy (8 July 1982) . This latter version can be heard on the album Guitar (1988).

Zappa quoted from Rhapsody In Blue during A Pound For A Brown (On The Bus) (at Maples Pavilion in Stanford University in Stanford, California (19 November 1977) . He covered it again during the same song and during Strictly Genteel while performing at the Indiana University Auditorium in Bloomington, Indiana (22 November 1981) . He quoted from Rhapsody In Blue again during The Eric Dolphy Memorial Barbecue at the Tower Theatre, Upper Darby, Pennsylvania (13 February 1988).

In 1978, during the concert at New York State University in Stone Brook (15 October 1978), Zappa covered I Got Rhythm during A Pound For A Brown (On The Bus). This version can be heard on You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 2.

In 1980, Zappa quoted I Can't Get Started (composed by Vernon Duke, lyrics by Ira Gershwin) during the concert in Erikdalshallen in Stockholm (1 June 1980).

In 1982, during the Philipshalle concert in Düsseldorf, Germany (22 May 1982), Zappa covered An American In Paris. The same year, at the Stadio Comunale in Pistoia, Italy, he also covered Summertime during City Of Tiny Lites.

In 1988, during the concert at Warner Theatre in Washington DC (10 february 1988), Zappa covered It Ain't Necessarily So and Summertime, with Daniel Schorr providing vocals. During the same show he quoted from It Ain't Necessarily So during other songs. The same year, performing in Le Summum, Grenoble, France, he covered It Ain't Necessarily So and Summertime during King Kong.

External links

• Wikipedia:George Gershwin