Gershwin–Lady be Good, lady song, 1924, Fred and Adele

In the last post, we reprinted part of an article written by Rob Fisher, the founding music director of ENCORES! We heard the vocal rendition of “Fascinating Rhythm.” In this post we are going to hear an instrumental version of the title song of the 1924 musical, Lady, Be Good. It is performed by the Carl Fenton Orchestra and gives us a better impression of the irresistible rhythms coursing through George Gershwin’s mind and body. The electricity of the music comes out more plainly in the instrumental version.

It is important that we understand the raw, jazz sound in 1924, if we are to understand how these sounds were balanced by a more traditional melodic line that Gershwin also heard and reduced to sheet music.