The Gershwin Years

Both the definitive biography of the Gershwin brothers and a lavishly illustrated chronicle of the American era their music and lyrics embodied, The Gershwin Years celebrates the musical achievements of George (1898–1937) and Ira (1896–1983) while offering a revealing inside look at their lives. The brothers drew inspiration from its varied faces—black culture from Porgie 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. 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.