Summertime

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Addled

Addled

Member
Joined 2021
You may already know but I'll tell you anyway, it's from Porgy and Bess, an opera by George Gershwin. The definitive version of the song was sung by Harolyn Blackwell, in the award winning Simon Rattle, London Philharmonic, Glyndebourne Chorus version released by EMI in 1989. Willard White is amazing as Porgy, by the way.

Terrible video but this is from the EMI awards. The full opera is available on You Tube but I don't know if the copyright owners have sanctioned it so I'm not linking to it.
Harolyn Blackwell
 
L

LVQ

Member
Joined 2007
Yet More Summertimes

While it is still summer...
I have played this song in rock, blues, folk, and jazz groups. It remains a perennial favorite - maybe more with bands than audiences! It has a relatively simple chord structure that can be "downgraded" for rock or "dressed up" for jazz, and I confess that I like it.
Here are a couple of versions that are my favorites. The first is by Tony Rice and John Carlini. Rice practically invented modern bluegrass guitar with a healthy mix of jazz. Virtually all young pickers on flat top guitars have some of his albums in their collections; sadly, he died at the end of 2020 after a long bout with some serious health issues.
Here it is: Summertime - YouTube
The second version is by the Modern Jazz Quartet. They were an extraordinary group, and created a genre that might be loosely described as "chamber jazz". They were perhaps the only successful jazz group to never play clubs, only appearing in concert halls.
Here it is: "Modern Jazz Quartet" play Gershwin "Summertime" - YouTube
I hope you enjoy them both. :)
 
C

chrisb

Member
Joined 2002
Sorry for the distraction from theme of “Summertime”, but even at the age of 12, AJ has a pretty deep catalog. Here in rehearsal with big band for performance at Quincy Jones’ 85th birthday.
Angelina Jordan (12) - Fly Me To The Moon - Quincy Jones - 2018 (rehearsal video/best concert sound) - YouTube

Yup, unabashed fan of this little angel. Her short takes on “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” and “Boh Rhap” for talent shows are more examples of her courageous vision.

Google and YouTube are not always forces of evil.
 
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