Jazz: America's Gift

Jazz From Its Birth to George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and Beyond

Jazz: America's Gift Named to Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2015

Happy 117th Birthday, George Gershwin

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Let ’Em Eat Cake (1933)

“What is the voice of the American soul? It is jazz . . .”

—George Gershwin

George—close your eyes and make a wish! Now BLOW!—Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday, dear George. Happy Birthday to you.

On September 26, 1898—117 years ago—the musical phenomenon George Gershwin landed in the East New York section of Brooklyn in nothing but his birthday suit. Gershwin’s name conjures up his well-deserved towering stature as composer and pianist, but let’s explore a smattering of lesser known facets of this complex genius.

Just to jazz things up, as I did in my book JAZZ: America’s Gift—From Its Birth to George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue & Beyond, I will introduce each interesting tidbit of information with a Gershwin song title and include the date of the song’s publication. So let’s have some fun!

 

Lovers of Art (1924)

“If only I could put Rouault into music.”

—George Gershwin

George Gershwin was deeply entrenched in the art world from all sides of the easel—art appreciator, art collector, and artist of note in his own right. Gershwin’s passion for modern art matched his devotion to modern music. He described himself as a “modern romantic,” which was spot on for both his music and art. He revealed his modernistic proclivities in both music and art, saying, “I am keen for dissonance; the obvious bores me. The new music and the new art are similar in rhythm.”

Gershwin’s cousin Henry Botkin, a celebrated American Modernist painter and art connoisseur, became Gershwin’s mentor in the world of art. Botkin—or as George always called him, “my Cousin, Botkin, the painter”—helped him amass an exceptional art collection.

How exceptional was Gershwin’s collection? Get this: The walls of his Riverside Drive apartment looked like a museum. He had works by Modigliani, Renoir, Cezanne, Gauguin, Chagall, Rouault, Kandinsky, Leger, Rousseau, Max Weber, Klee, Siqueiros, and even Picasso. Are you starting to get the picture?

By 1933 the collection was so extraordinary that Gershwin loaned oils, watercolors, sculptures, lithographs, and drawings to the Arts Club of Chicago for an “Exhibition of the George Gershwin Collection of Modern Paintings.”

Gershwin started to collect fine art in the mid-to-late 1920s through his untimely demise in 1937. To get a better handle on the value of his amazing collection, let’s plunge into the math. His brother, Ira, estimated that George paid approximately $50,000 (just shy of $1 million today) for the entire collection, but over time, the price tag grew exponentially.

For example, Gershwin purchased Picasso’s “The Absinthe Drinker,” created during Picasso’s renowned “Blue Period,” for $1,500 (about $25,000 today). In 2010, Christie’s Auction House auctioned “The Absinthe Drinker” for a whopping . . . hold on tight . . . . $51.2 million! And that was for just one of his more than 140 paintings. When we add up the value of the other paintings in his collection, it is safe to say George Gershwin’s art collection would easily top out in the HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS! Not too shabby for a $50,000 investment.

Gershwin was also an accomplished painter. Some said if he hadn’t been successful in music, he could have made it in the world of art. Again, under the masterful coaching of his celebrated “Cousin Botkin, the painter,” Gershwin blossomed into an outstanding artist. It was easy to see that in both music and painting, George Gershwin was indeed a “modern romantic.”

 

The He-Man (1925)

“A dapper lean shark of a man.”

—Hoagy Carmichael’s description of George Gershwin

Physically, Gershwin had it all. He was a human dynamo with an unparalleled zest for life, who leapt up stairs, several steps at a time, to get to his fifth-floor man-cave apartment in his family’s Upper West Side Brownstone.

Gershwin had more energy than a Texas wildcat, erupting with colossal pizzazz. Jewess singer and actress Kitty Carlisle (of TV’s To Tell the Truth fame) who briefly dated Gershwin is quoted as saying, “[He had] enormous energy, and there’s nothing quite as sexy as energy, is there? What else is there?”

Gershwin stood at five foot nine inches and was brimming with nervous energy; indeed, many painted him as a “high-energy guy.” He was a product of, as well as one of the early architects of, the Jazz Age and the Roaring Twenties. Our very own birthday boy, George, was at the epicenter of a frantic decade overflowing with moxie.

Fine muscular coordination made Gershwin a great piano player and dancer. Master hoofer, Fred Astaire shared a story about Gershwin’s showing him and his sister, Adele, a complicated dance step for “Fascinating Rhythm.” Astaire said of Gershwin’s dance routine, “It was the perfect answer to our problem . . . it turned out to be a knockout applause puller.”

Gershwin indulged in all kinds of sports—golf, tennis, fishing, croquet, swimming, and Ping-Pong, which all fit perfectly with his supercharged nature. Although a big fan of boxing and baseball, he never partook for fear of hurting his hands. He once said, “I feel that I was meant for hard physical work, to chop down trees, to use my muscles.” Yet, with all his sports zest, he was an avid cigar smoker, dating back to his father’s cigar shop business.

Gershwin even approached songwriting like a well-conditioned, seasoned athlete. Writing music was a discipline, like exercise, and he needed to keep writing to stay in shape. At his “fittest,” he could write six songs a day, mostly at the piano, but songs came to him while he was away from the piano, too. He said, “The songwriter must always keep in training. He must try to write something every day. . . . Hence, I am always composing.” Boy was he composing. Gershwin said, “I write fifteen songs a day . . . That’s the way I get the bad ones out of my system.” Keeping up this assiduous pace makes one question the validity of writer’s block. Gershwin squelches the writer’s block roadblock with, “The tunes come dripping off my fingers . . .”

A 1930 article stated, “His bones are dry and he cracks them in the manner of a person cracking his fingers.” I suppose Gershwin did this because he spent hours at the piano with a cigar perched boldly from his mouth.

 

A Typical Self-Made American (1927)

“My people are Americans. My time is today.”

—George Gershwin

This brilliant double entendre title by George’s older brother, Ira, illustrates George’s paradoxical character: both a typical guy but also an atypical fellow. Some saw Gershwin as modest, self-effacing, and bashful, while others saw a conceited, arrogant braggart. He seemed to be made up of diametrically opposed individuals sharing the same body.

Those who did not comprehend Gershwin’s brutal frankness assumed he was a cocky, know-it-all narcissist, full of hot air. His honesty regarding himself was sometimes misconstrued as braggadocio. His friend pianist Oscar Levant asked Gershwin point blank, “Tell me, George, if you had to do it all over, would you fall in love with yourself again?” With friends like that . . .

Most saw Gershwin from a completely opposite perspective—not as a bigmouth boaster, but rather as a blushing, self-conscious cat. Pianist, composer, and orchestrator of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” Ferde Grofé said Gershwin was “extremely modest.”

Gershwin’s collaborator on “Porgy and Bess,” DuBose Haywood spoke to this dichotomy. Haywood related that George was a modest man and those who did not know him might mistake his frankness and confidence as conceit.

Adding another note to the Gershwin personality symphony was his wide-eyed naiveté. Conductor Walter Damrosch wrote, “[Gershwin] had an almost child-like affection and pride for his own music.” Porgy and Bess director Rouben Mamoulian noted, “George was like a child. He had a child’s innocence and imagination . . . [And a] great sense of humor.” Biographer Merle Armitage said of Gershwin, “He had style.”

Modest and self-conscious, this extraordinary composer/musician felt at a disadvantage when it came to other big-league composers. This is reflected in the following quote regarding his lack of formal training: “There is so much I have to learn.” He told composer Jerome Kern (“Ol’ Man River” and “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”), “I am a man with a little bit of talent and a great deal of chutzpah [nerve].” In Gershwin’s own words, we discover he viewed his musical chops less a product of expertise and more of his audacity.

Happy Birthday, George Gershwin!

“A Typical Self-Made American”

Richie Gerber is the author of JAZZ: America’s Gift—From Its Birth to George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue & Beyond. He is an accomplished jazz saxophonist and retired vice president of Whole Foods Markets Florida Region.

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Comments

  1. Nonnie Jules says

    Richie, I think it’s safe to say that you are a true Gershwin fan. Good for you! I hope that you have a great day today on tour and please, be sure to stop by Ernestine Rose’ blog as she is also on tour today and in her post, she has asked her visitors to come by here and visit with you! Isn’t that grand? RRBCers are just so supportive!

    Make it a good one!

    Reply

  4. Yvette M Calleiro says

    Hello, neighbor! I’m in Miami, so it’s nice to find someone in this group from this part of the world. 🙂

    I will sadly admit that I am not musically inclined, not as an artist or a spectator (for lack of a better word). Music has always been welcomed background noise, but I’ve never paid attention to genres or artists and even the words of most of the songs. I recently made a few friends who are VERY much into jazz, and I can happily say that I’m enjoying my introduction into the world of jazz. 🙂

    Reply

    • Richie Gerber says

      Hi neighbor- it’s wonderful to hear that after all these years you are starting to let music into your life. It will open vast new vistas for you. Enjoy your new journey into the America’s unique art form–JAZZ!!!

      Reply

  5. John W. Howell says

    Richie, I have loved Gershwin since playing trombone in the 9th grade in high school. I came to appreciate his music and was in awe of his talent. (as was the rest of the world) You are on my TBR and wish you well with your party.

    Reply

  9. Larry Hyatt says

    I got a character on the show that sings the weather forecast. He sounds a lot like Louis Armstrong. It has me reaching for Jazz most mornings. If it’s a cloudy day it’s slow and bluesy, but when it’s sunny it can get pretty lively. Thanks for being part of the tour.

    Reply

  11. Jan Hawke says

    Hi, Ritchie – way to celebrate Gershwin’s Anniversary! 😀 He brought so much to the world with raising the profile of Jazz and Modern America to astronomic heights, so it’s fantastic to see him celebrated with such verve and gusto by a fellow American musician who just happens to play one of my favourite and certainly the most sexy of instruments, the sax!
    Have a great party today Ritchie – the music’s just to die for! 😉

    Reply

  12. John Fioravanti says

    Congratulations on your great reviews, Richie. Thanks for introducing yourself so well in this post – it makes for interesting reading. I hope you have a wonderful time celebrating Mr. Gershwin’s birthday!

    Reply

  13. Tara Fairfield says

    I never knew Gershwin was a painter! Thanks for sharing such interesting information, I love jazz. Wonderful blog!

    Reply

  15. Linda Mims says

    Richie, I love Gershwin and it is wonderful to read such interesting facts. Porgy and Bess was a special favorite! I wish you so much more success with this project. Have a great Book and Blog Block Party!

    Reply

  19. Brian O'Hare says

    Fascinating site, Ritchie. Gershwin and me go way back to the black and white movies. Somehow, that’s what I see when I hear Gershwin played. Love his jazz. Brilliant biopics. Loved them

    Reply

  22. Cassidy Salem says

    Great post about George Gershwin and his amazing contibution to music in America.
    So many great works, I’m definitely a fan. In fact, I am singing “Summertime” while I type – one of my favorites!
    Have a great day and enjoy the party!

    Reply

  23. Rhani D'Chae says

    Hi Richie. Wow, what an absolutely fantabulous post! I love jazz, though I don’t know much about it. Lol I also greatly enjoyed reading your bio. I’m so glad you decided to join in this tour. 😀

    Reply

  24. Shirley Harris-Slaughter says

    I love learning new things about our members. Richie you are amazing! You’ve done so many wonderful things in your life including your impact on creation of Whole Foods. I started shopping there about 10 years now, although I think they are straying a little from what they stood for. I have to eat fresh organic foods because of food allergies so I am vigilant about what and where they are placing products on their shelves. Thank you for sharing your story with us.

    Reply

    • Richie Gerber says

      Shirley-

      Thank you so very much for your kind words. I like hearing that you are shopping at Whole Foods. It is a wonderful company. As you can understand, a company that does one billion dollars a year needs to change to become a fourteen billion a year outfit. All in all Whole Foods is the best in class as far as the Natural Products Industry is concerned.

      Always remember:

      Don’t Panic, Go Organic!!!

      Best of luck to you and thanks again.

      Reply

  26. Kim Cox says

    Loved learning about Gershwin, Richie. Incredible and informative post here. You are talented in so many different ways. We have an interesting and diverse group of authors here at Rave Reviews Book Club.

    Reply

  28. Ani Manjikian says

    You know how sometimes you know a song, but you don’t know the artist? Gershwin is like that for me. The only one of his songs that I know by name is “I Got Rhythm.” That’s for sharing a little more about him and your passion for jazz. Enjoy the rest of the tour.

    Reply

  31. Mike Lynes says

    Hi Rich – love your site! I am a jazz fan, everything form Bobby McFerrin, to Yellow Jackets to Satchmo and Gershwin! Thanks for the memories and for the great set of books you have written on the art!

    Hope your RRBC BlogBlock Party has some smooth Jazz beats in the bg – best of luck with your books – ML

    Reply

  32. Beem Weeks says

    Fantastic blog, Richie! I am loving the Gershwin! This sounds like a book I’ll need to add to my TBR list. I became fascinated with the genius of Gershwin while researching the 1920s for my novel JAZZ BABY. In fact, if the sequel ever makes it out of my head, the main character has moved to New York City, where George Gershwin composes several song just for her. I wish you the very best on your blog day!

    Reply

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