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Swanee

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Song

George Gershwin began as a teenager as a song plugger for a publisher in Tin Pan Alley: he played new songs to customers and performers. In 1919 he wrote Swanee, with the lyricist Irving Caesar. When the famous singer Al Jolson recorded it in 1920, it became Gershwin's first big hit, with an estimated two million records sold. Later Gershwin wrote Rhapsody in Blue and the opera Porgy and Bess.

Listening

Listening tip. Hear how Al Jolson sings with big flourishes, as in the theatre, with an orchestra that follows the rhythm of ragtime.
Categories: Albums and songs