The lyricists who formulated the American Songbook style in the 1920s and '30s--Irving Berlin, Dorothy Fields, Ira Gershwin, Lorenz Hart, Cole Porter--invented a new native poetry drawn from a wonderful combination of sophisticated wordplay and unstudied, everyday parlance. Of these Ira Gershwin (1896-1983) in particular stands out, first because he was the first to write a hit musical comedy in this new, "All-American" style (1924's Lady Be Good!, with music by younger brother, George), and second because he was one of its greatest masters. Ira described his lyrics as “simple, colloquial, rhymed conversational lines”. These “simple” lines magically draw the listener in with their high level of craftsmanship and extreme wit.
George and Ira Gershwin had one of the most esteemed collaborations in the Golden Age of musical comedy, resulting in a brilliant body of work that included a seemingly endless string of hit musicals and songs cut short only by George's untimely death in 1937. Both the contribution and influence on musical theater and American popular song was profound. Stunned by George’s untimely death, Ira did no writing for three years. But he then began a second career writing with many different composers including Kurt Weill, Jerome Kern, Harold Arlen, Aaron Copland, Arthur Schwartz, Harry Warren, Kay Swift and Burton Lane and proved anew that he was one of the great songwriters.
For this concert, Shedd favorite Shirley Andress and friends pay tribute to Ira, George and Ira's later collaborators in grand style.
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Dave Bender, trumpetTony Glausi, trumpetJustin Woodward, trumpetGlenn Bonney, tromboneJoe Freuen, tromboneGlenn Griffith, tromboneJesse Cloninger, alto saxJosh Hettwer, tenor saxJoe Manis, tenor saxVicki Brabham, pianoNiels Miller, bassMerlin Showalter, drums |