Yes, for half the planet that’s way too early to dream about summer yet but this song is something you could always listen to and which lyrics would light a small soul fire every time you hear it. Composed as early as in 1935 by George Gershwin and so popular up to now, marvelous, isn’t it? Some say that it’s the finest creation of the composer. And indeed, Gershwin managed to skillfully combine jazzy elements with African-American motifs that go perfectly well with the lyrics by DuBose Heyward, the “Porgy and Bess” opera author, for which this music piece was specifically written.
Summertime can be called a historical piece in a way. As a matter of fact, it is one of the most recorded songs ever – the number of covers written for it reached 33 thousands! Some of them got really big commercial success (Summertime by Billy Stewart), others were called most distinctive and powerful (Summertime by Celine Dion), and modern music bands still include their own Summertime version into new albums (Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Doors, Morcheeba, etc.)
It’s pretty clear with the lyrics. What about the music? Of course, the original is beyond comparison to anything else but there really are some nice arrangements of the piece. Here is one particularly curious work that is scored for a lovely and rare duo – tenor and bass trombone arrangement of “Summertime” by Shannon Mowday does have its own charm. Check it out.
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