Say the name of composer George Gershwin and instantly your head fills with memorable tunes. Who doesn’t know ‘Rhapsody in Blue’, ‘An American In Paris’, ‘S’Wonderful’, ‘I Got Rhythm’ and ‘Fascinatin’ Rhythm’? But have you heard “Boy Wanted”, “The Half of It, Dearie Blues” or “Tee Oodle Um Bum Bo”? If not, don’t despair, you’re not alone. A brand new program, “The Gershwin Project”, which is about to air on Artsound from 24th May 2009, will remedy that.
In his short, driven life, George Gershwin wrote hundreds of songs and some of the world’s most popular orchestral pieces, as well as a glorious opera which continues to be performed around the world.
Gershwin was the first – and perhaps the greatest – “crossover” artist. His vibrant, diverse music combines great melodies and classical stylings with the syncopated rhythms and forceful energy of jazz. His songs have been recorded by countless singers and musicians.
Canberra collector, Bert Whelan, amassed a vast archive of rare Gershwin material over many years, including sheet music, correspondence and recorded music. Bert generously granted Artsound access to his archive, and for many months now, Len Power and Bill Stephens, with Bert’s guidance, have sifted through hours of rare Gershwin recordings and archival material to produce a fascinating new radio documentary series called “The Gershwin Project”.
Over 26 weekly half-hour programs “The Gershwin Project” explores the man behind a virtual torrent of fabulous music.
The programs feature not only George Gershwin’s most popular songs, but also songs from his lesser known musicals sung by luminaries like Michael Feinstein, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, Al Jolson, Gertrude Lawrence and Kiri Te Kanawa. The programs also feature rare songs often sung by the person for whom they were written.
Rarities in “The Gershwin Project” include excerpts from a series of radio programs compered by George Gershwin, and recordings of George Gershwin playing his own compositions. There’s even a snippet of George Gershwin playing portion of his famous “Rhapsody in Blue”, and recordings of songs from his opera “Porgy and Bess” performed by members the original cast. .
The series includes rare interviews with many Gershwin contemporaries, including his brother, Ira, his sister, Frances, choreographer Hermes Pan, associate and close friend, Kay Swift and songwriters, Richard Rodgers and Irving Caesar.
Written and produced by Len Power in the Artsound studios, and narrated by Bill Stephens, “The Gershwin Project” promises compelling listening when it begins broadcasting on Artsound at 9am on Sunday, May 24th.
