Ira Gershwin
Ira Gershwin (born Israel Gershovitz; December 6, 1896 – August 17, 1983) was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs in the English language of the 20th century. With George, he wrote more than a dozen Broadway shows, featuring songs such as "I Got Rhythm", "Embraceable You", "The Man I Love" and "Someone to Watch Over Me". He was also responsible, along with DuBose Heyward, for the libretto to George's opera Porgy and Bess. The success the Gershwin brothers had with their collaborative works has often overshadowed the creative role that Ira played. His mastery of songwriting continued after George's early death in 1937. Ira wrote additional hit songs with composers Jerome Kern, Kurt Weill, Harry Warren and Harold Arlen. His critically acclaimed 1959 book Lyrics on Several Occasions, an amalgam of autobiography and annotated anthology, is an important source for studying the art of the lyricist in the golden age of American popular song. |
Birth and Death Data: Born December 6, 1896 (Manhattan), Died August 17, 1983 (Beverly Hills)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1920 - 1951
Roles Represented in DAHR: lyricist
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 51-75 of 284 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BS-83380 | 10-in. | 7/13/1934 | What can you say in a love song | Richard Himber ; Joey Nash ; Ritz-Carlton Hotel Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-83381 | 10-in. | 7/13/1934 | You're a builder upper | Richard Himber ; Joey Nash ; Ritz-Carlton Hotel Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | CVE-92835 | 12-in. | 7/3/1935 | Strike up the band | Boston Pops Orchestra ; Arthur Fiedler | Orchestra | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-94170 | 10-in. | 9/3/1935 | I know that you know [from Oh! Please] | Lewine and Lewis | Piano duet | lyricist | |
Victor | CS-95388 | 12-in. | 10/14/1935 | Porgy and Bess | Helen Jepson ; Alexander Smallens ; Lawrence Tibbett | Vocal duet (soprano and baritone), with orchestra | lyricist | |
Victor | CS-95390 | 12-in. | 10/14/1935 | Porgy and Bess | Alexander Smallens ; Lawrence Tibbett | Baritone vocal solo, with mixed vocal chorus and orchestra | lyricist | |
Victor | CS-95466 | 12-in. | 10/23/1935 | Porgy and Bess | Alexander Smallens ; Lawrence Tibbett | Baritone vocal solo, with mixed vocal chorus and orchestra | lyricist | |
Victor | CS-95467 | 12-in. | 10/23/1935 | Porgy and Bess | Alexander Smallens ; Lawrence Tibbett | Baritone vocal solo, with mixed vocal chorus and orchestra | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-98198 | 10-in. | 12/4/1935 | I got rhythm | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-98425 | 10-in. | 12/14/1935 | It ain't necessarily so | Guy Lombardo ; Royal Canadians | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-98426 | 10-in. | 12/14/1935 | I got plenty o' nuttin' | Guy Lombardo ; Royal Canadians | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-98454 | 10-in. | 12/23/1935 | Words without music | Eddy Duchin Orchestra ; Lew Sherwood | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-98455 | 10-in. | 12/23/1935 | That moment of moments | Eddy Duchin Orchestra ; Lew Sherwood | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-06431 | 10-in. | 3/20/1937 | They can't take that away from me | Jack Leonard ; Tommy Dorsey Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-06546 | 10-in. | 3/26/1937 | Shall we dance | Paul Whiteman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-06619 | 10-in. | 3/10/1937 | They all laughed | Tommy Dorsey Orchestra ; Edythe Wright | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-06620 | 10-in. | 3/10/1937 | (I've got) Beginner's luck | Tommy Dorsey Orchestra ; Edythe Wright | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-06634 | 10-in. | 3/12/1937 | They can't take that away from me | Ozzie Nelson Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-06636 | 10-in. | 3/12/1937 | They all laughed | Ozzie Nelson Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-06693 | 10-in. | 3/19/1937 | Let's call the whole thing off | Shep Fields ; Bobby Goday ; Rippling Rhythm Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-06695 | 10-in. | 3/19/1937 | (I've got) Beginner's luck | Shep Fields ; Bobby Goday ; Rippling Rhythm Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-07844 | 10-in. | 4/22/1937 | Let's call the whole thing off | Jerry Cooper ; Eddy Duchin Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-07865 | 10-in. | 4/26/1937 | Rhythm, rhythm | Lionel Hampton Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | lyricist | |
Victor | PBS-09429 | 10-in. | 5/3/1937 | I got rhythm | Hope Hampton | Dubbed recording from film : Female vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | PBS-09692 | 10-in. | 9/8/1937 | Foggy day in London | Skinnay Ennis ; Hal Kemp Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Gershwin, Ira," accessed October 10, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/102148.
Gershwin, Ira. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved October 10, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/102148.
"Gershwin, Ira." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 10 October 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Ira Gershwin
Discogs: Ira Gershwin
Allmusic: Ira Gershwin
Grove: Ira Gershwin
IMSLP: Ira Gershwin
IMDb: Ira Gershwin
Britannica: Ira Gershwin
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Gershwin, Ira, 1896-1983 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n50076010
Wikidata: Ira Gershwin - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q61059
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/39519496
MusicBrainz: Ira Gershwin - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/509086c2-9cc8-4e77-89e9-322e34240ffc
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