George Gershwin

Jews & American Pop: A Tin Pan Alley Parade

From: Guy Rathbun
Series: the Club McKenzie: Your 1920s Jazz Speakeasy
Length: 59:00

In recognition of Hanukkah, this show is dedicated to the Jews who catapulted popular music to stage and radio from the 1900 to the early 1930s. Read the full description.

Piece Audio

Playing: Jews & American Pop: A Tin Pan Alley Parade
From: Guy Rathbun

Gershwin_small It's unimaginable how different American popular music would be without the influence of some of its greatest names in composition. They happened to be Jews. The first song to sell over a million copies of sheet music -- 5 million sold -- was written by Charles K. Harris "After the Ball." Harry Von Tilzer reportedly said he wrote 8,000 songs. Jerome Kern altered the forces of American musical theater and, in turn, influenced George Gershwin and Irving Berlin. "God Bless America" is synonymous with everything Americana; "White Christmas" is the epitome of seasonal music; "Easter Parade" tells a beautiful story of the celebratoin of spring, and "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" is still performed thousands of times every year.

And, it's laced with a dash of Klezmorim spirit.

Also in the the Club McKenzie: Your 1920s Jazz Speakeasy series

Turn on the Heat (58:57)
From: Guy Rathbun

Largely forgotten, bandleader Sam Lanin is possibly the most prolific recording artist of the 1920s. No one really knows just how many records he is responsible for simply ...

Puttin' On the Ritz (58:59)
From: Guy Rathbun

Composer and lyricist Jerome Kern summed up the life and work of Israel Baline (Irving Berlin) when he said, “Irving Berlin has no place in American music. He is American ...

The Kid (58:57)
From: Guy Rathbun

By 1911, tailgate trombonist Kid Ory was leading one of the best-known bands in New Orleans. Eight years later he formed a successful band in Los Angeles, but after five ...

The Hawk: 40-years with Coleman Hawkins (58:58)
From: Guy Rathbun

Considered the first great tenor saxophonist in jazz, Coleman Hawkins was a child he was a gifted musician. In 1922, Mamie Smith spotted him in and hired him to play with her ...

Billy Cotton: That Rhythm Man (58:57)
From: Guy Rathbun

Despite the vast popularity of "That Rhythm Man," as Billy Cotton was known, his recognition did not reach the states like the bands lead by Ambrose, Noble, Hilton and others.

The Uke (58:57)
From: Guy Rathbun

The ukulele became as commonplace in the American parlor as the piano in the 1920s. Today we think of the tiny guitar as a Hawaiian instrument, when in reality, it was ...

The Odd Couple (58:57)
From: Guy Rathbun

Sidney Bechet was one of the early jazz virtuosos. Born in New Orleans, he began his professional career long before jazz was put to wax. Then there was Mezz Mezzrow. ...

Laughing in Rhythm (58:57)
From: Guy Rathbun

Laughter is the best medicine. But, it feels that today's musicians may be taking themselves too seriously. Here are selections from the 1920s to the '40s where some of the ...

Pee Wee (58:57)
From: Guy Rathbun

Although he hailed from St. Louis, Charles Ellsworth “Pee Wee” Russell took his clarinet cues from New Orleans. Only now is he beginning to be recognized as one of the most ...

The Wordsmiths (58:57)
From: Guy Rathbun

This program features those wonderfully talented lyricists of the 1920s who created such memorial songs as "Margie," "You Took Advantage of Me," "Three Little Words," "A Fine ...

Piece Description

It's unimaginable how different American popular music would be without the influence of some of its greatest names in composition. They happened to be Jews. The first song to sell over a million copies of sheet music -- 5 million sold -- was written by Charles K. Harris "After the Ball." Harry Von Tilzer reportedly said he wrote 8,000 songs. Jerome Kern altered the forces of American musical theater and, in turn, influenced George Gershwin and Irving Berlin. "God Bless America" is synonymous with everything Americana; "White Christmas" is the epitome of seasonal music; "Easter Parade" tells a beautiful story of the celebratoin of spring, and "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" is still performed thousands of times every year.

And, it's laced with a dash of Klezmorim spirit.

Broadcast History

Original broadcast on KCBX Public Radio, December 11, 2009

Musical Works

Title	Artist	Album	Label	Year	Length
Margie	Original Dixieland Jazz Band	LP.		1917	00:00
And the Angels Sing	Benny Goodman Orchestra	LP.		1939	00:00
Der Shtiler Bulgar	Abe Schwartz Orchestra	78 RPM.		1915	00:00
I Got Rhythm	Ernie Caseres Trio	LP.		1930	00:00
Embraceable You	Red Nichols & his Five Pennies	LP.		1929	00:00
After the Ball	Joan Morris & William Bolcom	After the Ball.	Nonesuch	1990	00:00
Terkisher Vale-Ve-Yove Tants	Naftule Brandwine	78 PRM.		1918	00:00
Margie	Eddie Cantor	78 RPM.		1919	00:00
Bird in a Gilded Cage	Joan Morris & William Bolcom	After the Ball.	Nonesuch	1990	00:00
Second Hand Rose	Fanny Brice	LP.	1925		00:00
Alexander's Ragtime Band	Bessie Smith	LP.		1926	00:00
I've Got the World on a String	Louis Armstrong	LP.		1930	00:00
Rock-a-Bye Your Baby	Al Jolson	LP.		1926	00:00
I Still suits Me	Paul Robison & Elizabeth Welsh	78 RPM.		1928	00:00
Ol' Man River	Bix Biederbecke & the Gang	Bix Beiderbecke.	Columbia	1928	00:00
Oy Tate S'iz Gut	Naftule Brandwine	78 RPM.		1917	00:00