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Jerome Kern

Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in over 100 stage works, including such classics as "Ol' Man River", "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man", "A Fine Romance", "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", "The Song Is You", "All the Things You Are", "The Way You Look Tonight" and "Long Ago (and Far Away)". He collaborated with many of the leading librettists and lyricists of his era, including George Grossmith Jr., Guy Bolton, P. G. Wodehouse, Otto Harbach, Oscar Hammerstein II, Dorothy Fields, Johnny Mercer, Ira Gershwin and Yip Harburg.

A native New Yorker, Kern created dozens of Broadway musicals and Hollywood films in a career that lasted for more than four decades. His musical innovations, such as 4/4 dance rhythms and the employment of syncopation and jazz progressions, built on, rather than rejected, earlier musical theatre tradition. He and his collaborators also employed his melodies to further the action or develop characterization to a greater extent than in the other musicals of his day, creating the model for later musicals. Although dozens of Kern's musicals and musical films were hits, only Show Boat is now regularly revived. Songs from his other shows, however, are still frequently performed and adapted. Many of Kern's songs have been adapted by jazz musicians to become standard tunes.

Birth and Death Data: Born January 27, 1885 (Manhattan), Died November 11, 1945 (New York City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1905 - 1960

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, lyricist, piano, songwriter

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 26-50 of 611 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor C-16054 12-in. 5/27/1915 Gems from A modern Eve Victor Light Opera Company Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra composer  
Victor C-16055 12-in. 5/27/1915 Gems from Nobody home Victor Light Opera Company Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra composer  
Victor C-16056 12-in. 5/28/1915 Gems from The lady in red Victor Light Opera Company Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra composer  
Victor C-16462 12-in. 9/8/1915 They didn't believe me Alice Green ; Harry Macdonough Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-16466 10-in. 9/10/1915 Those come-hither eyes Elsie Baker Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor C-17099 12-in. 2/2/1916 Some sort of somebody Victor Military Band Band composer  
Victor C-17100 12-in. 2/2/1916 Very good Eddie Victor Military Band Band composer  
Victor C-17126 12-in. 2/7/1916 Gems from Very good Eddie Victor Light Opera Company Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-17299 10-in. 3/13/1916 Some sort of somebody Edna Brown ; Billy Murray Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-18038 10-in. 6/29/1916 Have a heart Raymond Dixon [i.e., Lambert Murphy] ; Alice Green Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Victor C-18064 12-in. 7/6/1916 Have a heart Conway's Band Band, with xylophone composer  
Victor B-18169 10-in. 8/1/1916 Old Bill Baker M. J. O'Connell Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-18532 10-in. 10/5/1916 Babes in the wood Anna Howard ; Harry Macdonough Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-19039 10-in. 1/12/1917 My castle in the air George MacFarlane Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-19068 10-in. 2/2/1917 You said something Alice Green ; Harry Macdonough Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist, composer  
Victor B-19069 10-in. 2/2/1917 Napoleon Billy Murray Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-19151 10-in. 2/1/1917 Honeymoon Inn Elizabeth Spencer Female vocal solo, with xylophone and orchestra composer  
Victor C-19174 12-in. 2/13/1917 Have a heart Victor Military Band Band composer  
Victor C-19301 12-in. 2/20/1917 Have a heart Victor Military Band Band composer  
Victor C-19302 12-in. 2/20/1917 Love o' Mike Victor Military Band Band composer  
Victor C-19308 12-in. 2/23/1917 Gems from Love o' Mike Victor Light Opera Company Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra composer  
Victor C-19309 12-in. 2/23/1917 Gems from Have a heart Victor Light Opera Company Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra lyricist, composer  
Victor B-19317 10-in. 2/28/1917 I wonder why Marion Harris ; Billy Murray Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-19334 10-in. 3/2/1917 You never knew about me Edna Brown ; Edward Hamilton Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-19335 10-in. 3/2/1917 An old fashioned wife Alice Green Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
(Results 26-50 of 611 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Kern, Jerome," accessed November 4, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/102963.

Kern, Jerome. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 4, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/102963.

"Kern, Jerome." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 4 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/102963

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