The score of Porgy and Bess is considered one of the greatest entries in the American musical canon. George Gershwin’s inventive arrangements, which Diedre Murray characterizes as a “hybrid” of jazz and classical music, have helped shape the landscape of contemporary American music—R&B, soul music, modern jazz, even Top 40 pop owe a debt to Porgy and Bess. The proof? “Summertime” is among the most recorded songs of all time, with thousands of versions rendered in a wide variety of styles: from Willie Nelson to Kenny G, from Sam Cooke to Sublime. Below are a few of the landmark recordings of Porgy and Bess tunes:
Billie Holiday (1936)
Selections from George Gershwin’s Folk Opera Porgy and Bess (1940)
Masterworks Heritage Edition—Gershwin: Porgy and Bess (1951)
