Ira Gershwin
Ira Gershwin (born Israel Gershovitz; December 6, 1896 – August 17, 1983) was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs in the English language of the 20th century. With George, he wrote more than a dozen Broadway shows, featuring songs such as "I Got Rhythm", "Embraceable You", "The Man I Love" and "Someone to Watch Over Me". He was also responsible, along with DuBose Heyward, for the libretto to George's opera Porgy and Bess. The success the Gershwin brothers had with their collaborative works has often overshadowed the creative role that Ira played. His mastery of songwriting continued after George's early death in 1937. Ira wrote additional hit songs with composers Jerome Kern, Kurt Weill, Harry Warren and Harold Arlen. His critically acclaimed 1959 book Lyrics on Several Occasions, an amalgam of autobiography and annotated anthology, is an important source for studying the art of the lyricist in the golden age of American popular song. |
Birth and Death Data: Born December 6, 1896 (Manhattan), Died August 17, 1983 (Beverly Hills)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1920 - 1951
Roles Represented in DAHR: lyricist
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 226-250 of 271 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brunswick | E20838-E20839½ | 10-in. | 11/29/1926 | Do-do-do | Ray Perkins | Male vocal solo, with piano | lyricist | |
Brunswick | E20842-E20843 | 10-in. | 11/30/1926 | Maybe | Franklyn Baur ; Virginia Rea | Mixed vocal duet, with 2 pianos | lyricist | |
Brunswick | E20844-E20845 | 10-in. | 11/30/1926 | Someone to watch over me | Franklyn Baur ; Virginia Rea | Mixed vocal duet, with 2 pianos | lyricist | |
Brunswick | E20896-E20897 | 10-in. | 12/7/1926 | Do-do-do | Ray Perkins | Male vocal solo, with piano | lyricist | |
Brunswick | E25483-E25484 | 10-in. | 12/9/1927 | The man I love | Vaughn De Leath | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Brunswick | E25566-E25568 | 10-in. | 12/13/1927 | ‘S wonderful | Bernie Cummins Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take 25568) | lyricist | |
Brunswick | E25569-E25571 | 10-in. | 12/13/1927 | Funny face | Bernie Cummins Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and male vocal trio; without vocal (take E25571) | lyricist | |
Brunswick | E25864-E25866 | 10-in. | 1/6/1928 | The man I love | Ben Bernie ; Hotel Roosevelt Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (E25866) | lyricist | |
Brunswick | E26237-E26239 | 10-in. | 1/23/1928 | Say so! | Harry Archer Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take E26239) | lyricist | |
Brunswick | E26240-E26242 | 10-in. | 1/23/1928 | Oh gee! Oh joy! | Harry Archer Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take E26242) | lyricist | |
Brunswick | E30587-E30588 | 10-in. | 7/30/1929 | Do what you do! | Roger Wolfe Kahn Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with vocal; without vocal (take G) | lyricist | |
Brunswick | E30589-E30590 | 10-in. | 7/30/1929 | Liza (All the clouds’II roll away) | Roger Wolfe Kahn Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with vocal; without vocal (take G) | lyricist | |
Brunswick | E31882-E31883 | 10-in. | 1/17/1930 | Strike up the band! | Red Nichols Strike Up the Band Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with vocal; without vocal (take G) | lyricist | |
Brunswick | E31884-E31885 | 10-in. | 1/17/1930 | Soon | Red Nichols Strike Up the Band Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with vocal; without vocal (take G) | lyricist | |
Brunswick | E31884-E31885 | 10-in. | 1/17/1930 | Soon | Red Nichols Strike Up the Band Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with vocal; without vocal (take G) | lyricist | |
Brunswick | C1866 | 10-in. | 4/3/1928 | The man I love | Bessie Brown | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Brunswick | C2047 | 10-in. | 7/12/1928 | The man I love | Minnie Spiesberger | Female vocal solo | lyricist | |
Brunswick | C4415 | 10-in. | 9/14/1929 | Do what you do! | Kay Ronayne | Female vocal solo, with piano | lyricist | |
Brunswick | C6506 | 10-in. | Nov. 1930 | Cheerful little earful | Tom Gerun Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with vocal; without vocal (take G) | lyricist | |
Brunswick | C7875-C7876 | 10-in. | 6/24/1931 | In the merry month of Maybe | Frankie Trumbauer’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with vocal trio; without vocal (take G) | lyricist | |
Brunswick | LTR336 | 10-in. | 10/17/1930 | Oh lady be good | Earl Burtnett Biltmore Quintette | Jazz/dance quintet, with vocal | lyricist | |
Brunswick | TCL1445 | 10-in. | 2/2/1931 | I got rhythm | Ethel Merman | Female vocal solo | lyricist | |
Brunswick | TCL1452 | 10-in. | 2/28/1931 | Cheerful little earful | Dorothy Williams | Female vocal solo | lyricist | |
Brunswick | [Br (U.K.) cat 129-a] | 10-in. | approximately July 1927 | Do-do-do | Helen Morgan | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Brunswick | [Br (U.K.) cat 129-b] | 10-in. | approximately Sept. 1927 | Maybe | Helen Morgan | Female vocal solo, with male vocal duet and piano | lyricist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Gershwin, Ira," accessed April 19, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102148.
Gershwin, Ira. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 19, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102148.
"Gershwin, Ira." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 19 April 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Ira Gershwin
Discogs: Ira Gershwin
Allmusic: Ira Gershwin
Grove: Ira Gershwin
IMSLP: Ira Gershwin
IMDb: Ira Gershwin
Britannica: Ira Gershwin
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Gershwin, Ira, 1896-1983 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n50076010
Wikidata: Ira Gershwin - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q61059
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/39519496
MusicBrainz: Ira Gershwin - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/509086c2-9cc8-4e77-89e9-322e34240ffc
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