Listening to George Gershwin

Know what I like the most about listening to classical music on vinyl? Sure, it’s cheap – most of the albums I listen to (and write about here) cost a buck. But more importantly, I like the fact that the record itself is a medium that’s nearly, but not completely, obsolete.

You want obsolete? Try the piano roll. (No relation to the California roll or the lobster roll.)

That’s what George Gershwin, also known as Ira Gershwin’s brother, used to record some of his compositions, including the famous “Rhapsody in Blue” and lesser-known works like “Make Believe” and “Grieving For You.” He recorded many, many more than that, of course. But in 1974 just five of his songs made it onto the album “Gershwin Plays Gershwin,” released by Everest Records.

According to the record’s liner notes, Gershwin’s piano rolls were nothing special at the time he recorded them: “From 1916 through 1925, almost every concert pianist of any prominence made record rolls …”

Side one consists solely of Gershwin performing “Rhapsody in Blue” as a solo piano work. What makes it so fun to listen to, besides the inherent historical value, is the chance to hear Gershwin improvise on his own composition. His speed is impressive but this recording contains flourishes and phrases that I didn’t recognize from the symphonic version.

Of course, the clarinet part in the beginning is absent, so George obviously had to make up for it somehow.

On side two the songs are shorter and jazzier: “Make Believe,” “Grieving For You,” “Land Where the Good Songs Go” and “Some Sunday Morning.” The last two feature faint orchestration in the background. I still haven’t figured out how he pulled that off.

The album has since been reissued on CD and is also available from the Apple iTunes store. But it is far from the only album of piano rolls featuring Gershwin himself at the keyboard. You can find a wide collection of his works on CD besides this one five-song album.

I listened to a sample of the iTunes album. The sound is less muddy than the record I picked up (for $1, or one-tenth the cost of the mp3 album) but the digital version lacks the warmth and dynamic range of the 1974 recording. It's louder, but at the same time, pretty flat.

Although I’m sure that if he had the chance, George would have embraced the mp3.

Your turn. What are your favorite Gerswhin tunes? Discuss in the comments.