
George Gershwin: Bidin' My Time
This program is set among excerpts of letters and archival interviews with George Gershwin and his brother and lyricist Ira Gershwin, his longtime musical collaborator Kay Swift, and the legendary pianist Oscar Levant. The words of Todd Duncan and Anne Brown, the original Porgy and Bess, provide an intimate perspective on the creation of Gershwinâs âfolk operaâ and the invaluable contributions of its performers. Peppered among hits like âEmbraceable Youâ and âLove Is Here To Stayâ are pieces of essays written by George Gershwin in which he pondered and pontificated on the meaning of âjazzâ and the definition of âmusicâ itself. Asserting his constant effort to eschew genres, Gershwin wrote: âFrom any sound critical standpoint, labels mean nothing at all. Good music is good music, even if you call it âoysters.ââ