THE GREATIST RECORDINGS OF ALL TIME

41."RAPHSODY IN BLUE"-GEORGE GERSHWIN
PAUL TILLOTSONS FULL VERSION OF GERSHWINS ORIGINAL ARRANGEMENT

GEORGE GERSHWIN HAD ONLY 37 YEARS TO MAKE HIS MARK ON THE WORLD OF
MUSIC.IF NOT FOR THE GENUIS THAT MARKED HIS PERSONA -THERE IS NO WAY
HE COULD HAVE MADE THE ASTONISHING AMOUNT OF MUSIC THAT HE DID.
GERSHWIN WROTE "RHAPSODY IN BLUE" AT A MERE 25 YEARS OF AGE.IT'S A
WATERSHEAD COMPOSITION IN NEARLY EVERY CONCIEVABLE WAY.IT
COMBINE'S CLASSICAL MUSIC IDEA'S WITH JAZZ,RAGTIME AND STRIDE PIANO
TECHNIQUE'S THAT GERSHWIN LEARNED FIRST HAND FROM THE GREAT BLACK PIANIST'S OF HARLEM-GERSHWIN WOULD MAKE MANY TRIPS TO HARLEM
IN ORDER TO LEARN THE FANTASTIC NEW ELEMENTS OF SYNCOPATION THAT
WERE EVOLVING IN HARLEM ON A DAILY BASIS.
ALONG WITH BILLIE HOLIDAY AND LOUIS ARMSTRONG;GERSHWIN WAS ONE
OF AMERICA'S FIRST ARTIST'S TO IGNORE THE BARRIERS BETWEEN BLACK AND
WHITE MUSIC-INSTEAD HE HEARD ALL MUSIC AND COMBINED THEM IN HIS
"RHAPSODY" AND IN DOING SO CREATED ONE OF THE GREATIST CONTRABUTION'S
TO THE WORLD OF MUSIC IN ONE STUNNING MASTERPIECE THAT WAS UNLIKE
ANYTHING EVER WRITTEN BEFORE OR SINCE."RHAPSODY IN BLUE" OPENED UP
A WHOLE NEW VISTA OF POSSIBILITIES IN MUSIC THAT ARE STILL BEING EX-
PLORED TODAY.