Abbie Mitchell (1935) FIRST RECORDING [SUMMERTIME]

The first ever recording of “Summertime”, taken at a rehearsal performance on July 19, 1935. Featuring Abbie Mitchell on vocals and George Gershwin on piano. The JGC History series features specifically curated playlists to help trace the lineage of some of the most influential jazz compositions of all time. Join me on Patreon for Lead Sheets, Play-Alongs, Transcriptions, Lessons and much more: https://www.patreon.com/jazzguitarcomprehensive Some notes about the composition as found on https://www.jazzguitarcomprehensive.com/ Composer: George Gershwin Lyricist: DuBose Heyward Year: 1934 Origin: Introduced in the 1935 Opera Porgy and Bess. Style: Originally composed as an aria, over the years it has been adapted to a wide variety of styles. Form: A-B (16 Bars) [8-8] The head is played twice on the way in and out. Key: Commonly played in A minor, although it is often taken in many different keys. Harmony/Overview: The harmony of the composition is altogether very functional, and along with the melody possesses an almost folk-song like aesthetic due its simplicity and pentatonic based lament. The song begins on the relative minor, and proceeds to IVmi in the 5th bar. The A section then finishes with a minor II - V back to Imi. The B section begins identically to A, although it ventures to the relative Major briefly before returning back to Imi with another minor II - V. Recordings: This composition is one of the most popular jazz standards of all time, with over 2,000 different recordings to date. The first release comes from Helen Jepson in 1935, although a recording taken earlier that year at a rehearsal of Porgy and Bess features Abbie Mitchell performing the tune. This recording however was not released publicly until much later. The tune has since been adapted and performed in nearly every style imaginable with great cross-over success. Countless jazz musicians have left behind memorable recordings and it continues to be performed frequently to this day. JGC Top Picks: John Coltrane, My Favorite Things, 1960 Joe Henderson, Porgy & Bess, 1997 Jonathan Kreisberg, Nine Stories Wide, 2003 Please consider supporting this channel through a donation, https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/jazzguitarc You can also support me on Patreon for much more musical content, https://www.patreon.com/jazzguitarcomprehensive Be sure to subscribe to my main channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsHefbnzId7of6XcFJWh8UQ As well as my second channel for Play-Alongs and Loops: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPZJrGlk1zNvczjpbNbyOiA The World's Premier Site for Jazz Guitar Education and Beyond https://www.jazzguitarcomprehensive.com/ DISCLAIMER: This video has been uploaded for educational purposes and is protected under fair-use. This channel will never be monetized and any ads are run solely on behalf of the rightful copyright owner. #AbbieMitchell #GeorgeGershwin #Summertime