The Gershwin years
Subtitle: George and Ira
By: by Edward Jablonski and Lawrence D. Stewart ; with an introduction by Carl van Vechten.
Contributors: Stewart, Lawrence D. 1926-
Edition: 1st Da Capo Press ed.
Publisher: Da Capo Press
Published: 1996
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 402
Subjects: Gershwin, George, 1898-1937; Gershwin, Ira, 1896-; Composers -- United States -- Biography; Lyricists -- United States -- Biography
Description: The Gershwin Years is both the definitive biography of the Gershwin brothers and a lavishly illustrated chronicle of the American era their music and lyrics embodied. George (1898-1937) and Ira (1896-1983) drew inspiration from its varied faces - black culture for Porgy and Bess, the frantic sophistication of the 1920s for such musical comedies as Funny Face and Girl Crazy, the tumult of American politics for the satirical of Thee I Sing.

This dual biography celebrates their musical achievements while offering a revealing inside look at the brothers themselves: from George's Tin Pan Alley days as a song plugger and Ira's first attempts at lyric writing to their conquest of Broadway and Hollywood, from their collaborations and George's solo compositions (Rhapsody In Blue, Concerto in F, and An American In Paris) to George's death from a brain tumor and Ira's later work with Kern, Weill, and Arlen.

The Gershwin Years presents an authoritative, visually stunning, and altogether delightful account of the "Wright Brothers" of American music.
Notes: Discography: p. 359-371.
Videography: p. 371-2.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 373-382) and index.
"An unabridged republication of the edition published in New York in 1973 ... with the addition of a new discography and updates to the bibliography"--T.p. verso.
Originally published: New York : Doubleday, 1958.