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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

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

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 602 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor B-2850 10-in. 10/31/1905 How'd you like to spoon with me? Haydn Quartet ; Corinne Morgan Female vocal solo and male vocal quartet, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-4148 10-in. 12/19/1906 Don't you want a paper, dearie? Haydn Quartet ; Ada Jones Female-male vocal duet and male vocal quartet, with orchestra composer  
Victor E-4148 8-in. 12/19/1906 Don't you want a paper, dearie? Haydn Quartet ; Ada Jones Female-male vocal duet and male vocal quartet, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-4717 10-in. 7/26/1907 Ballooning Harry Tally Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-6601 10-in. 11/13/1908 Frieda Elise Stevenson Female vocal solo, with orchestra and chorus composer  
Victor B-6715 10-in. 1/12/1909 I can't say you're the only one Ada Jones ; Billy Murray Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-12363 10-in. 9/12/1912 Don't turn my picture to the wall Helen Clark ; Walter Van Brunt Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-12683 10-in. 12/9/1912 Mind the paint Elizabeth Wheeler Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-13741 10-in. 9/9/1913 If we were on our honeymoon Elsie Baker ; Frederick J. Wheeler Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-13777 10-in. 9/15/1913 Come on over here Helen Clark ; Billy Murray Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor C-13857 12-in. 9/25/1913 Gems from The doll girl Victor Light Opera Company Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra composer  
Victor C-13858 12-in. 9/25/1913 Gems from Miss Caprice Victor Light Opera Company Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-13967 10-in. 10/17/1913 Look in her eyes George MacFarlane Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor C-14018 12-in. 10/31/1913 Gems from The marriage market Victor Light Opera Company Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra composer  
Victor C-14270 12-in. 1/6/1914 Gems from Oh I say Victor Light Opera Company Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-14432 10-in. 2/10/1914 You're here and I'm here Europe's Society Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Victor B-14475 10-in. 2/17/1914 You're here and I'm here Olive Kline ; Harry Macdonough Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Victor C-14532 12-in. 3/3/1914 The laughing husband medley Victor Military Band Band composer  
Victor C-14567 12-in. 3/12/1914 Gems from The laughing husband Victor Light Opera Company Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra composer  
Victor C-15183 12-in. 9/11/1914 Gems from The girl from Utah Victor Light Opera Company Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra composer  
Victor C-15431 12-in. 11/24/1914 The girl from Utah Victor Military Band Band composer  
Victor B-15814 10-in. 3/19/1915 We'll take care of you all Edna Brown ; James F. Harrison Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Victor C-16000 12-in. 5/6/1915 Nobody home Victor Military Band Band composer  
Victor B-16004 10-in. 5/7/1915 The magic melody Billy Murray Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor C-16048 12-in. 5/25/1915 The magic melody fox trot Victor Military Band Band composer  
(Results 1-25 of 602 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Kern, Jerome," accessed March 19, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102963.

Kern, Jerome. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 19, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102963.

"Kern, Jerome." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 19 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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