Ira Gershwin

Born: December 6, 1896

Ira Gershwin was born in New York City, the son of a Russian Jewish immigrant, on December 6, 1896. The older brother of George Gershwin, he attended Townsend Harris High School in New York City where one of his closest friends and fellow students was E.Y. “Yip” Harburg. The two worked together writing lyrics and Ira started his career in 1918 under the pen name of Arthur Francis. It was not until 1924 that Ira and George began a collaboration that would prove one of the most successful and prolific in history. Their first collaborations were for Broadway: Lady, Be Good! (1924, including "Fascinating Rhythm" and, although it was cut from the show, "The Man I Love"), Tip Toes (1925, including "Sweet and Low Down"), Oh Kay! (1926, including "Clap Yo' Hands", "Do-Do-Do", "Maybe", and "Someone To Watch Over Me"), Funny Face (1927, including '"S Wonderful"), Rosalie (1928, including "How Long Has This Been Going On"), Show Girl (1929, including "Liza"), Strike Up the Band (1930, including "I've Got A Crush On You" and "Soon"), Girl Crazy (1930, including "But Not For Me", "Embraceable You", "Bidin' My Time", and "I Got Rhythm"), Delicious (1931, including "Blah Blah Blah

Ute Lemper: Pirate Jenny

by Scott Gudell
April 30, 2025

Germany's optimistic yet fragile Weimar Republic period was wedged between two brutal wars during the early 20th century. Extending from 1918 to 1933, it was proudly called the Jazz Age and the Golden Twenties and offered an abundance of free-flowing entertainment choices. It was also a time of inflation, chaos and conflict dominated by economic instability ...

Stephanie Nakasian at the Attucks Jazz Club and Congregation Beth El

by Mark Robbins
March 29, 2025

Stephanie Nakasian did not start out as a vocalist. Majoring in economics at Northwestern University, she received her BA and MBA, then entered the world of financial consulting for major banks in New York City and Chicago. Growing more and more dissatisfied with her career, she decided in 1981 to leap into the world of music, ...

The Lyrics They Are 'A Changing: Lyrical Liberties In "Lover, Come Back To Me" And "Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise"

by Alex Segal
May 29, 2024

Frank Sinatra's greatness is evident in his making the songs he sang his own. And his doing this is connected to his, on occasion, changing the lyric of a song--even a very good lyric. But according to good anecdotal evidence, Cole Porter and Ira Gershwin--suppliers of some of the best lyrics Sinatra sang--did not take kindly ...

Miles Davis Celebration at SFJAZZ Center

by Harry S. Pariser
June 20, 2023

Music of Miles Davis: A Celebration SFJAZZ Center San Francisco, CA May 25-29, 2023 Music of Miles Davis: A Celebration For four consecutive nights, four different ensembles graced the stage of SFJAZZ Center to present four aspects of the musical legacy of renowned trumpeter Miles Davis The evenings also featured compositions ...

Jordan von Haslow

Born: August 3

Jordan von Haslow is a cool jazz vocalist who was born in Chicago. He initially performed under the stage name KJ, but changed his name after marrying a New York financier.

Jordan's only jazz recording was entitled “This Could Be the Start of Something” which was recorded in Sydney, Australia at the historic Paradise Studios. The album featured Matt Baker on piano, Kory Horwood on bass, Even Mannell on drums, and Adrian Cunningham on flute/tenor saxophone. It was released by Voix Chic Records and distributed by Sony Music Entertainment, which led to a career-long recording contract with Sony.

Fred Hersch & Esperanza Spalding: Alive at the Village Vanguard

by John Chacona
January 26, 2023

Is it possible that we underestimate Esperanza Spalding? That would be quite a trick for an artist who has hardly been out of the spotlight since leapfrogging a couple of nobodies named Drake and Justin Bieber to take the Grammy award for Best New Artist in 2011. With a recent resume that includes a high-profile teaching ...

Tierney Sutton: Paris Sessions 2

by Jim Worsley
May 17, 2022

Time just scats on by when one is caught up in the wave of creativity that defines Tierney Sutton. How could it be that this enchanted vocalist is now presenting her fifteenth album? She left indelible footprints on her debut record, Introducing Tierney Sutton (A Records, 1997), breezing through as the leader of her caravan of ...

The Complete Louis Armstrong Columbia & RCA Victor Studio Sessions 1946-66

by Skip Heller
May 28, 2021

Louis Armstrong officially returned to small band leadership May 17, 1947 via a triumphant concert at Town Hall that was less comeback than reaffirmation. It was even the dawn of his second great period, full of recordings that stood tall with his epochal 1920's output, and the subsequently-assembled Louis Armstrong and his All Stars would immediately ...

Jeff Chambers' Chosen Alternative: The Therapies of Tijuana

by Arthur R George
May 31, 2019

Jeff Chambers, long a go-to San Francisco Bay Area bassist, looked at death closely and decided it was not yet his time. In 2017 his medical chart revealed Stage IV prostate cancer, commonly and fearfully an endgame diagnosis. Prostate cancer affects African-American men with almost twice the frequency as other races, and is almost twice as ...