On January 3, 1924, 25-year-old George Gershwin was shooting pool in a Manhattan billiard hall when his brother Ira read aloud a shocking newspaper article: “George Gershwin is at work on a jazz concerto.”
There was just one problem—George had never agreed to write any such piece.
What happened next would change American music forever. In just five weeks, the son of Russian-Jewish immigrants raced to compose what would become “Rhapsody in Blue,” breaking down the barriers between popular music and the concert hall.
From that snowy February night at Aeolian Hall to today’s reinterpretations by contemporary artists, this is the story of how a newspaper lie became a masterpiece—and how one young composer captured the sound of Jazz Age New York in music.
LISTEN NOW: GERSHWIN’S RHAPSODY IN BLUE
Featuring…
… original audio clips of George Gershwin
… Ira Gershwin talking about when the family bought a piano
… orchestrator Ferde Grofé talking about orchestrating the piece, plus convincing George to replace his “fifth theme”.
Michael Feinstein’s excellent 2024 audio history of the “Rhapsody in Blue”
Plus audio performances:
- “Rhapsody in Blue”: 1924 original recording, with Paul Whiteman directing and George Gershwin at the piano
- “Rhapsody in Blue”: 1927 “electrical” recording, with George Gershwin at the piano
- “Rhapsody in Blue and An American in Paris”: 1959 album, with Leonard Bernstein on piano and conducting the New York Philharmonic
- “Blue Monday (Opera ala Afro-American)” by the Concordia Orchestra
- “Summertime” from the 1935 premiere of “Porgy and Bess”
The Bowery Boys Podcast is proud to be sponsored by Founded By NYC, celebrating New York City’s 400th anniversary in 2025 and the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026.
Read about all the exciting events and world class institutions commemorating the five boroughs legacy of groundbreaking achievements, and find ways to celebrate the city that’s always making history at Founded by NYC.
FURTHER LISTENING
Tickets for this year’s Bowery Boys Ghost Stories of Old New York show at Joe’s Pub are now sale over at the Joe’s Pub website.
Six shows! 7 and 9:30pm October 29, 30 and 31 (aka Halloween)
