Oscar Peterson Plays Porgy & Bess
Encyclopedia
Oscar Peterson Plays Porgy & Bess is a 1959 studio album
by Oscar Peterson
, playing selections from George Gershwin
's 1935 opera, Porgy and Bess
.
All songs composed by George Gershwin
, with all lyrics by Ira Gershwin
and Dubose Heyward
, unless otherwise indicated.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by Oscar Peterson
Oscar Peterson
Oscar Emmanuel Peterson was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. He was called the "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington, "O.P." by his friends. He released over 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, and received other numerous awards and honours over the course of his career...
, playing selections from George Gershwin
George Gershwin
George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
's 1935 opera, Porgy and Bess
Porgy and Bess
Porgy and Bess is an opera, first performed in 1935, with music by George Gershwin, libretto by DuBose Heyward, and lyrics by Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward. It was based on DuBose Heyward's novel Porgy and subsequent play of the same title, which he co-wrote with his wife Dorothy Heyward...
.
Track listing
- "I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'" – 6:26
- "I Wants to Stay Here" – 6:22
- "SummertimeSummertime (song)"Summertime" is an aria composed by George Gershwin for the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess. The lyrics are by DuBose Heyward, the author of the novel Porgy on which the opera was based, although the song is also co-credited to Ira Gershwin by ASCAP....
" – 3:50 - "Oh, Dey's So Fresh and Fine" – 0:55
- "Oh, Lawd, I'm on My Way!" – 2:35
- "It Ain't Necessarily SoIt Ain't Necessarily So"It Ain't Necessarily So" is a popular song with music by George Gershwin and lyrics by Ira Gershwin. The song comes from the Gershwins' opera Porgy and Bess where it is sung by the character Sportin' Life, a drug dealer, who expresses his doubt about several statements in the Bible.The role of...
" (George GershwinGeorge GershwinGeorge Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
, Ira GershwinIra GershwinIra Gershwin was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs of the 20th century....
) – 4:01 - "There's a Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon for New York" – 7:13
- "Oh Bess, Oh Where's My Bess?" – 4:56
- "Here Come de Honey Man" – 1:11
- "Bess, You Is My Woman Now" – 3:28
All songs composed by George Gershwin
George Gershwin
George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
, with all lyrics by Ira Gershwin
Ira Gershwin
Ira Gershwin was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs of the 20th century....
and Dubose Heyward
DuBose Heyward
Edwin DuBose Heyward was a white American author best known for his 1925 novel Porgy. This novel was the basis for the play by the same name and, in turn, the opera Porgy and Bess with music by George Gershwin.-Life and career:Heyward was born in 1885 in Charleston, South Carolina and was a...
, unless otherwise indicated.
Performance
- Oscar PetersonOscar PetersonOscar Emmanuel Peterson was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. He was called the "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington, "O.P." by his friends. He released over 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, and received other numerous awards and honours over the course of his career...
- piano - Ray BrownRay Brown (musician)Raymond Matthews Brown was an American jazz double bassist.-Biography:Ray Brown was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and had piano lessons from the age of eight. After noticing how many pianists attended his high school, he thought of taking up the trombone, but was unable to afford one...
- double bass - Ed ThigpenEd ThigpenEdmund Leonard "Ed" Thigpen was an American jazz drummer, best-known for his work with the Oscar Peterson trio from 1959 to 1965...
- drums
Production
- Norman GranzNorman GranzNorman Granz was an American jazz music impresario and producer.Granz was a fundamental figure in American jazz, especially from about 1947 to 1960...
- producer - Batt Brown - assistant producer
- Jon Schapiro
- Aric Lach Morrison
- Benny Green - liner notes
- Suha Gur - mastering
- Michael Lang - supervisor
- David Lau - director, art direction
- Herman LeonardHerman LeonardHerman Leonard was an American photographer known for his unique images of jazz icons.-Life:...
- photography - Nausica Loukakos - design
- David Stone MartinDavid Stone MartinDavid Stone Martin , born David Livingstone Martin, was an influential American artist best known for his illustrations on jazz record albums....
- artwork - Phil SchaapPhil SchaapPhil Schaap is an American jazz disc jockey, historian, archivist and producer. He hosts a daily morning radio program on 89.9 FM New York, WKCR, the radio station of Columbia University, his alma mater, in New York City. The show, called Bird Flight, is broadcast from 8:20 am–9:30 am on weekdays...
- research, restoration