George Gershwin: influences, peers and legacy

Every connection with its receipt

George Gershwin moved between Tin Pan Alley song-plugging, Harlem stride piano, and the European concert hall, and his map has to hold all three at once. This mix traces the Broadway craftsmen he copied, the theory teachers and modernists he sought out, the Manhattan piano scene that shaped his hands, and the jazz and theater composers who carried him forward.

The Kynda mix for George Gershwin

• Key Influence · Show Boat by Jerome Kern (1927). Gershwin repeatedly named Kern as the model who proved American popular song could have real craft; hearing "They Didn't Believe Me" as a teenager at a family wedding reportedly set his ambition. He worked as a song plugger for Remick's while studying Kern's harmonic turns, and briefly served as rehearsal pianist on Broadway shows in Kern's orbit. Show Boat is the fullest statement of the integrated musical theater Gershwin pushed further in Porgy and Bess..
• Influencia Obscura · The Schillinger System of Musical Composition by Joseph Schillinger (1941). From roughly 1932 to 1936 Gershwin studied intensively with the Russian-born theorist Joseph Schillinger, filling notebooks with his geometric, mathematically derived approach to rhythm and harmony. Schillinger claimed Porgy and Bess bore the system's imprint, and surviving Gershwin exercise sheets support the lessons. Published posthumously, the treatise is the hidden technical scaffolding behind Gershwin's late orchestral writing.
• Local Roots · Carolina Shout by James P. Johnson (1921). Gershwin learned the Harlem stride idiom firsthand, cutting piano rolls for the same companies as James P. Johnson and absorbing the two-handed attack at uptown rent parties and cutting contests. Johnson's signature showpiece was the test every New York pianist had to pass, and its rhythmic displacement echoes in "Fascinating Rhythm" and the Rhapsody's piano cadenzas. Johnson later wrote his own concert jazz in direct parallel.
• Beyond the Medium · Porgy by DuBose Heyward (1925). Gershwin read Heyward's short novel about Catfish Row in Charleston in 1926 and wrote to the author proposing an opera; the project waited nearly a decade before Gershwin spent a summer on Folly Island absorbing Gullah singing and shouting. Heyward co-wrote the libretto and several lyrics, including "Summertime." Without this book there is no Porgy and Bess, and no American opera built from a Southern novel.
• Peer · Anything Goes by Cole Porter (1934). Porter and Gershwin were the two sharpest wits on 1930s Broadway, friendly rivals in the same producers' offices and the same Paris and Hollywood social circuits. Porter studied in Paris while Gershwin was there seeking lessons, and both pushed the thirty-two-bar song toward chromatic sophistication. Anything Goes is the peak of the idiom Gershwin was simultaneously perfecting in Girl Crazy and Of Thee I Sing.
• From the Canon · Porgy and Bess by George Gershwin (1935). The summation of everything: Heyward's novel, the Gullah singing Gershwin studied in South Carolina, Ira's lyrics, Schillinger's theory lessons, and an insistence on a classically trained Black cast at a time when Broadway offered no such roles. Initially a commercial disappointment and critically contested, it became the American opera, and it explains Gershwin's whole career as a drive from song to large form.
• Key Collaborator · Grand Canyon Suite by Ferde Grofé (1931). Grofé was Paul Whiteman's chief arranger and the man who orchestrated Rhapsody in Blue in 1924, shaping the famous opening clarinet wail with Ross Gorman and making Gershwin's two-piano sketch playable by a dance band. His own tone poem shows the descriptive, cinematic symphonic-jazz technique he brought to that collaboration, and it remained the sound Gershwin had to outgrow by orchestrating himself.
• Legacy · West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein (1957). Bernstein wrote and lectured extensively on Gershwin, analyzing Rhapsody in Blue's construction with affectionate severity while conducting and recording it as pianist-conductor. His whole career — Broadway and the podium, vernacular rhythm inside large symphonic form, an American opera impulse — is the Gershwin model pursued with conservatory training. West Side Story is Porgy and Bess's direct descendant on the Broadway stage.

What influenced George Gershwin

• Claude Debussy. Greenberg identifies Debussy’s harmonies as an ingredient of Gershwin’s music. (also via Concerto in F, An American in Paris, Préludes, Book I) “More classical ingredients range from the harmonies of Chopin , Liszt and Debussy to the sprightly patter of Gilbert and Sullivan .” (Wikipedia)
• James P. Johnson. Sadin places Gershwin’s playing and writing in Johnson’s stylistic tradition. (also via Rhapsody in Blue, Carolina Shout) “his great piano playing and writing are an extension of the style of James P. and his colleagues.” (Gershwin’s World liner notes, reproduced by Herbie Hancock)
• Alban Berg. Berg’s works intrigued Gershwin. (also via Lyric Suite, Wozzeck) “Gershwin was intrigued by the works of Arnold Schoenberg , Igor Stravinsky , Dmitri Shostakovich , Darius Milhaud and Berg.” (Wikipedia)
• Porgy by DuBose Heyward (1925). Porgy (DuBose Heyward) — culture for George Gershwin “PORGY AND BESS, by George Gershwin, DuBose Heyward, and Ira Gershwin, based on Heyward's book PORGY and the play by Heyward and his wife Dorothy, premieres at the Alvin Theatre in New York.” (Gershwin)
• Joseph Schillinger. Schillinger taught Gershwin composition and influenced his method. (also via The Schillinger System of Musical Composition) “Russian Joseph Schillinger 's influence as Gershwin's teacher of composition (1932–1936) was substantial in providing him with a method of composition.” (Wikipedia)
• Maurice Ravel (1875). The article compares Gershwin’s orchestration with Ravel’s. “The orchestrations in Gershwin's symphonic works often seem similar to those of Ravel; likewise, Ravel's two piano concertos evince an influence of Gershwin.” (Wikipedia)
• Rubin Goldmark. Gershwin studied composition with Goldmark. (also via A Negro Rhapsody) “Gershwin studied piano under Charles Hambitzer and composition with Rubin Goldmark , Henry Cowell , and Joseph Brody .” (Wikipedia)
• Henry Cowell. Gershwin studied composition with Cowell. (also via The Banshee) “Gershwin studied piano under Charles Hambitzer and composition with Rubin Goldmark , Henry Cowell , and Joseph Brody .” (Wikipedia)
• Alexander's Ragtime Band by Irving Berlin (1911). Alexander's Ragtime Band (Irving Berlin) — titan for George Gershwin “Cohan, Harry Chapin, and Irving Berlin, have received this award.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• The Schillinger System of Musical Composition by Joseph Schillinger (1941). The Schillinger System of Musical Composition (Joseph Schillinger) — ghost for George Gershwin “Russian Joseph Schillinger's influence as Gershwin's teacher of composition (1932–1936) was substantial in providing him with a method of composition.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Charles Hambitzer. Gershwin studied piano under Hambitzer. “Gershwin studied piano under Charles Hambitzer and composition with Rubin Goldmark , Henry Cowell , and Joseph Brody .” (Wikipedia)
• Joseph Brody. Gershwin studied composition with Brody. “Gershwin studied piano under Charles Hambitzer and composition with Rubin Goldmark , Henry Cowell , and Joseph Brody .” (Wikipedia)
• Maxie Rosenzweig. Rosenzweig’s playing captivated Gershwin as a child. “Then, as a ten-year-old, he was intrigued upon hearing his friend Maxie Rosenzweig's violin recital. [ 15 ] The sound, and the way his friend played, captivated him.” (Wikipedia)
• Frédéric Chopin. Greenberg identifies Chopin’s harmonies as an ingredient of Gershwin’s music. “More classical ingredients range from the harmonies of Chopin , Liszt and Debussy to the sprightly patter of Gilbert and Sullivan .” (Wikipedia)
• Franz Liszt. Greenberg identifies Liszt’s harmonies as an ingredient of Gershwin’s music. “More classical ingredients range from the harmonies of Chopin , Liszt and Debussy to the sprightly patter of Gilbert and Sullivan .” (Wikipedia)
• W. S. Gilbert. Greenberg connects Gershwin’s music to Gilbert and Sullivan’s patter. “More classical ingredients range from the harmonies of Chopin , Liszt and Debussy to the sprightly patter of Gilbert and Sullivan .” (Wikipedia)
• Arthur Sullivan. Greenberg connects Gershwin’s music to Gilbert and Sullivan’s patter. “More classical ingredients range from the harmonies of Chopin , Liszt and Debussy to the sprightly patter of Gilbert and Sullivan .” (Wikipedia)
• Johann Sebastian Bach. Greenberg names Bach among Gershwin’s classical-music passions. “His passions in classical music ranged widely, from Bach to Alban Berg .” (Wikipedia)
• Arnold Schoenberg. Schoenberg’s works intrigued Gershwin. “Gershwin was intrigued by the works of Arnold Schoenberg , Igor Stravinsky , Dmitri Shostakovich , Darius Milhaud and Berg.” (Wikipedia)
• Igor Stravinsky. Stravinsky’s works intrigued Gershwin. “Gershwin was intrigued by the works of Arnold Schoenberg , Igor Stravinsky , Dmitri Shostakovich , Darius Milhaud and Berg.” (Wikipedia)
• Dmitri Shostakovich (1906). Shostakovich’s works intrigued Gershwin. “Gershwin was intrigued by the works of Arnold Schoenberg , Igor Stravinsky , Dmitri Shostakovich , Darius Milhaud and Berg.” (Wikipedia)
• Darius Milhaud. Milhaud’s works intrigued Gershwin. “Gershwin was intrigued by the works of Arnold Schoenberg , Igor Stravinsky , Dmitri Shostakovich , Darius Milhaud and Berg.” (Wikipedia)
• Wozzeck by Alban Berg. A performance of Wozzeck deeply impressed Gershwin. “He attended the American premiere of Berg's Wozzeck , conducted by Leopold Stokowski in 1931, and was "thrilled and deeply impressed".” (Wikipedia)
• W. C. Handy. Sadin explicitly links Gershwin’s style to Handy’s blues idiom. “Gershwin’s style is deeply rooted in the melodic blues idiom of Handy, and his great piano playing and writing are an extension of the style of James P. and his colleagues.” (Gershwin’s World liner notes, reproduced by Herbie Hancock)
• Les Six. Gershwin names Les Six as a model for the work’s opening. (via An American in Paris) “The opening part will be developed in typical French style, in the manner of Debussy and Les Six , though the tunes are original.” (Wikipedia)
• Show Boat by Jerome Kern (1927). Show Boat (Jerome Kern) — titan for George Gershwin (wikidata.org)
• Préludes, Book I by Claude Debussy (1910). Préludes, Book I (Claude Debussy) — titan for George Gershwin “His works have strongly influenced a wide range of composers including Béla Bartók, Igor Stravinsky, George Gershwin, Olivier Messiaen, George Benjamin, and the jazz pianist and composer Bill Evans.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• The Banshee by Henry Cowell (1925). The Banshee (Henry Cowell) — ghost for George Gershwin “Gershwin studied piano under Charles Hambitzer and composition with Rubin Goldmark, Henry Cowell, and Joseph Brody.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• A Negro Rhapsody by Rubin Goldmark (1922). A Negro Rhapsody (Rubin Goldmark) — ghost for George Gershwin “Gershwin studied piano under Charles Hambitzer and composition with Rubin Goldmark, Henry Cowell, and Joseph Brody.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Lyric Suite by Alban Berg (1926). Lyric Suite (Alban Berg) — culture for George Gershwin “His passions in classical music ranged widely, from Bach to Alban Berg." Gershwin was influenced by French composers of the early twentieth century.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• The Old King by Georges Rouault (1937). The Old King (Georges Rouault) — culture for George Gershwin

Peers and kindred spirits

• DuBose Heyward. Gershwin wrote Porgy and Bess with Heyward. (also via Porgy) “He subsequently composed An American in Paris , returned to New York City and wrote Porgy and Bess with Ira and DuBose Heyward .” (Wikipedia)
• Billie Holiday (1915). Holiday recorded a hit version of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess song. (via Summertime, Embraceable You, I Loves You, Porgy) “a hit for Holiday in 1936, originating from George Gershwin 's Porgy and Bess the year before.” (Wikipedia)
• Oscar Hammerstein II. The official show listing credits Gershwin with co-writing the music and Hammerstein with co-writing the book and lyrics of Song of the Flame. (also via Porgy and Bess) “Music by George Gershwin and Herbert Stothart. Book and lyrics by Otto Harbach and Oscar Hammerstein II.” (Gershwin)
• Nora Bayes. Gershwin accompanied Bayes on piano. “George Gershwin made his way up the ladder of musical success – from rehearsal pianist for Broadway shows and as an accompanist for singers such as Louise Dresser and Nora Bayes” (Gershwin)
• Louise Dresser. Gershwin accompanied Dresser on piano. “George Gershwin made his way up the ladder of musical success – from rehearsal pianist for Broadway shows and as an accompanist for singers such as Louise Dresser and Nora Bayes” (Gershwin)
• Gershwin's World by Herbie Hancock. The article says Gershwin's World contains interpretations of George Gershwin's standards. “his album Gershwin's World , which featured readings of George and Ira Gershwin standards by Hancock and a plethora of guest stars” (Wikipedia)
• Miles Davis (1926). Davis and Evans arranged pieces from Gershwin's opera. (via Porgy and Bess) “Porgy and Bess (1959) includes arrangements of pieces from George Gershwin's opera .” (Wikipedia)
• Lady in the Dark by Kurt Weill (1941). Lady in the Dark (Kurt Weill) — collaborator for George Gershwin “In 1941 he worked with Kurt Weill on the unusual but successful musical Lady in the Dark.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Paul Whiteman. Gershwin recorded with Whiteman and his orchestra. (also via Whispering) “Gershwin recorded an abridged version of Rhapsody in Blue with Paul Whiteman and his orchestra for the Victor Talking Machine Company in 1924, soon after the world premiere.” (Wikipedia)
• Ferde Grofé. Grofé orchestrated Rhapsody in Blue. (via Rhapsody in Blue, Grand Canyon Suite) “It was orchestrated by Ferde Grofé and premiered by Paul Whiteman 's Concert Band, in New York.” (Wikipedia)
• Fred Astaire (1899). Astaire met and would go on to collaborate with George Gershwin. “He first met George Gershwin , who was working as a song plugger for Jerome H. Remick 's music publishing company, in 1916” (Wikipedia)
• Carolina Shout by James P. Johnson (1921). Carolina Shout (James P. Johnson) — geography for George Gershwin “During this period he met George Gershwin, who was also a young piano-roll artist at Aeolian.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Anything Goes by Cole Porter. Anything Goes (Cole Porter) — peer for George Gershwin “Porter's work was one of the earliest symphonic jazz-based compositions, predating George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue by four months, and was well received by both French and American reviewers after its premiere at the Théâtre des Champ…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Ira Gershwin. George composed Broadway works with Ira. “He began his career as a song plugger but soon started composing Broadway theater works with his brother Ira Gershwin and with Buddy DeSylva .” (Wikipedia)
• Buddy DeSylva. Gershwin composed Broadway works with DeSylva. “He began his career as a song plugger but soon started composing Broadway theater works with his brother Ira Gershwin and with Buddy DeSylva .” (Wikipedia)
• William Daly. Gershwin and Daly collaborated on musicals and a score. “The two collaborated on the Broadway musicals Piccadilly to Broadway (1920) and For Goodness Sake (1922), and jointly composed the score for Our Nell (1923).” (Wikipedia)
• Irving Caesar. Caesar wrote the words to Gershwin’s song Swanee. “In 1919, Gershwin scored his first big national hit with his song " Swanee ", with words by Irving Caesar .” (Wikipedia)
• Sigmund Romberg. Gershwin wrote Making of a Girl with Romberg. “His first song to appear on Broadway was "Making of a Girl", written in 1916 with Sigmund Romberg and lyrics by Harold Atteridge .” (Wikipedia)
• Harold Atteridge. Atteridge supplied lyrics for Gershwin’s Broadway song. “His first song to appear on Broadway was "Making of a Girl", written in 1916 with Sigmund Romberg and lyrics by Harold Atteridge .” (Wikipedia)
• Billy Stewart (1965). Stewart's later cover of the same song outperformed Holiday's chart placement. (via Summertime) “Only Billy Stewart 's R&B version of "Summertime" reached a higher chart placement than Holiday's, charting at number 10 thirty years later in 1966.” (Wikipedia)
• Helen Dowdy. Connects Helen Dowdy to her role of the Strawberry Woman in Porgy and Bess. (via Porgy and Bess) “The Helen (Strawberry Woman from Porgy and Bess) Dowdy.” (California Eagle (Los Angeles, Calif.))
• Michael Wex (1954). Wex describes his Yiddish translation/adaptation of the Gershwin song. (via I've Got a Crush on You, Sweetie Pie) “Again, the Gershwin song, "I've Got a Crush on You, Sweetie Pie" in Yiddish comes out as "Yevedika Copola Feddera, Katsinu,"” (Fresh Air (NPR/WHYY))
• Clarke Peters (1952). Simon and Overmyer note Clarke Peters performed in Porgy (and Bess) in London. (via Porgy and Bess) “And "Porgy," right, in London.” (Fresh Air (NPR))
• Nina Simone. Simone recorded and performed Gershwin’s song. (via I Loves You, Porgy) “It included George Gershwin 's " I Loves You, Porgy " (from Porgy and Bess ), which she learned from a Billie Holiday album and performed as a favor to a friend.” (Wikipedia)
• Al Jolson. Jolson decided to sing Gershwin’s Swanee in a show. (via Swanee) “Al Jolson , a Broadway star and former minstrel singer , heard Gershwin perform "Swanee" at a party and decided to sing it in one of his shows.” (Wikipedia)
• Shuffle Along by Eubie Blake (1921). Shuffle Along (Eubie Blake) — geography for George Gershwin (wikidata.org)
• Pal Joey by Richard Rodgers (1940). Pal Joey (Richard Rodgers) — peer for George Gershwin (wikidata.org)
• Piano Concerto by Aaron Copland (1926). Piano Concerto (Aaron Copland) — peer for George Gershwin “After attempts to further his music study from a correspondence course, Copland took formal lessons in harmony, theory, and composition from Rubin Goldmark, a noted teacher and composer of American music (who had given George Gershwin th…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Grand Canyon Suite by Ferde Grofé (1931). Grand Canyon Suite (Ferde Grofé) — collaborator for George Gershwin “It was orchestrated by Ferde Grofé and premiered by Paul Whiteman's Concert Band, in New York.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Whispering by Paul Whiteman (1920). Whispering (Paul Whiteman) — collaborator for George Gershwin “It was orchestrated by Ferde Grofé and premiered by Paul Whiteman's Concert Band, in New York.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Eartha Kitt (1927). Porgy and Bess (George Gershwin) — geography for Eartha Kitt (via Porgy and Bess) (wikidata.org)
• Echoes of Spring by Willie "The Lion" Smith (1939). Echoes of Spring (Willie "The Lion" Smith) — geography for George Gershwin

Who George Gershwin influenced

• Leonard Bernstein. The article explicitly names Gershwin as a strong musical influence. (also via Rhapsody in Blue, West Side Story) “Among his strong musical influences was George Gershwin .” (Wikipedia)
• Who Cares?. Balanchine’s ballet uses sixteen Gershwin songs. “Thirty-three years later, Balanchine choreographed Who Cares? to 16 songs Gershwin composed between 1924 and 1931.” (New York City Ballet)
• Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin. Wilson’s album reworks Gershwin songs and musical fragments. “Well, yeah, and the Disney people came to us with the idea of doing "Wilson sings Gershwin." That’s how it started.” (Smashing Interviews Magazine)
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1925). Quennell compared the novel's mood to Gershwin's music. “Titled The Jazz History of the World , an apparent allusion to Rhapsody in Blue , it began, as Nick hears it, “with a weird, spinning sound,”” (Town Topics)
• Aaron Copland (1900). Rhapsody in Blue (George Gershwin) — culture for Aaron Copland (via Rhapsody in Blue, Piano Concerto) “After attempts to further his music study from a correspondence course, Copland took formal lessons in harmony, theory, and composition from Rubin Goldmark, a noted teacher and composer of American music (who had given George Gershwin th…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• George Balanchine (1904). States Gershwin's music was a source of inspiration for Balanchine's choreography. “just as the music which inspired him ranged from Stravinsky to Gershwin.” (The MacNeil/Lehrer Report (public broadcasting))
• West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein (1957). West Side Story (Leonard Bernstein) — legacy for George Gershwin “Among his strong musical influences was George Gershwin.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Porgy and Bess by Miles Davis (1959). Porgy and Bess (Miles Davis) — legacy for George Gershwin “Porgy and Bess (1959) includes arrangements of pieces from George Gershwin's opera of the same name.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Manhattan by Woody Allen (1979). The film’s soundtrack consists entirely of Gershwin compositions. “The soundtrack to Woody Allen 's 1979 film Manhattan is composed entirely of Gershwin's compositions, including Rhapsody in Blue , " Love is Sweeping the Country ", and "But Not for Me"” (Wikipedia)
• A More Interesting Question. Critic Kevin Whitehead identifies Gershwin's song as a source quoted in Bloom's composition. (via I Loves You, Porgy) “It starts very like Gershwin's "I Loves Ya, Porgy" and borrows a lick from Bernstein's "Some Other Time."” (Fresh Air (NPR))
• Moose the Mooche. Moose the Mooche is based on the chord progression of I Got Rhythm. (via I Got Rhythm) “" Moose The Mooche " (one of many Parker compositions based on the chord progression of " I Got Rhythm ").” (Wikipedia)
• Tony Bennett (1926). Rhapsody in Blue (George Gershwin) — culture for Tony Bennett (via Rhapsody in Blue) “In September 2018, Bennett re-recorded the George Gershwin song "Fascinating Rhythm", after 68 years and 342 days, according to the Guinness World Records adjudicator, earning the title of "longest time between the release of an original…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Gene Kelly. An American in Paris (George Gershwin) — culture for Gene Kelly (via An American in Paris) “The result was Pas de Dieux, based on Greek mythology, combined with the music of George Gershwin's Concerto in F.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Pas de Dieux. Kelly's ballet Pas de Dieux used music from Gershwin's concerto. (via Concerto in F) “The result was Pas de Dieux , based on Greek mythology , combined with the music of George Gershwin 's Concerto in F .” (Wikipedia)
• Stephen Sondheim. Porgy and Bess (George Gershwin and DuBose Heyward) — titan for Stephen Sondheim (via Porgy and Bess) (wikidata.org)
• Ella Fitzgerald. Porgy and Bess (George Gershwin) — culture for Ella Fitzgerald (via Porgy and Bess) (wikidata.org)
• The Beach Boys. Rhapsody in Blue (George Gershwin) — culture for The Beach Boys (via Rhapsody in Blue) (musicbrainz.org)
• Aretha Franklin. Porgy and Bess (George Gershwin) — culture for Aretha Franklin (via Porgy and Bess) (wikidata.org)
• Charles Mingus. Rhapsody in Blue (George Gershwin) — titan for Charles Mingus (via Rhapsody in Blue) (musicbrainz.org)
• Judy Garland. Rhapsody in Blue (George Gershwin) — culture for Judy Garland (via Rhapsody in Blue) (musicbrainz.org)
• Dorothy Fields. Lady, Be Good! (George Gershwin) — titan for Dorothy Fields (via Lady, Be Good!) (wikidata.org)