Erroll Garner: Summertime
recorded in New York City, January 3, 1952
featuring John Simmons on bass and Shadow Wilson on drums
What's up y'all? I woke up on Friday morning fully excited to post this, only to find that my Internet was down for the very first time since it was installed 5 years ago. Then I was away at a wedding all weekend with no web access. Blame it on a simple twist of fate.
Anyways, "Summertime": I kind of have issues with this song, not because I don't love it (I do), but because I feel that it's overplayed. (Indeed, according to Wikipedia: "It is widely believed that "Summertime" vies with the Beatles' "Yesterday" as one of the most often covered songs in popular music, with an estimated 2,600 different versions recorded.") That being said -- I love this version of "Summertime"! One of my favorite intros ever and quite possibly my favorite ending ever.
"Summertime" was written by George Gershwin, Dubose Heyward, and Ira Gershwin for the 1935 opera Porgy & Bess.
available on the life-changing compilation Body & Soul
2 comments:
Emmett, may I be the first to welcome you back. You have been missed.
This is a lovely summer starter track.
Good to see you back, Emmett.
For the very reasons you outline in your intro, i find it uncomfortable to be in the same room with the more familiar vocalised versions of this song - particularly Ella Fitzgerald and, sadly, Janis joplin's great take from Big Brother's "Cheap Thrills" - but this has a really nice feel, precisely because Garner puts his own unique slant on it and tumbles it into a much lighter cerebral space. Meandering in a very cool way, and new to me to boot. Nice.
Post a Comment