Summertime is one of the great classic songs performed by many great singers in Jazz and Blues. My personal favorite was sung by Janis Joplin. Also, I wanted to write a little about the history of the song. Summertime is a enduring classic. Its appeal has lasted the test of time for decades . At one time, I had collected over fifteen versions of this song. Summertime is one of my all time favorite songs. Performed by so many artist that it would take too long to list them all. However, some of my favorite versions were done by Janis Joplin, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and the instrumental version by Kenny G.
The first time that I heard this song was on a Janis Joplin album. I owe a lot of my musical interest in it to Janis, for singing this great classic. Janis Joplin has anyways been a great inspiration to me in singing. As, a singer I have sung many songs of Janis’ but could never quite copy her unique style of hitting those extreme high notes that are uniquely her signature style. I don’t think that I have heard of many other singers that could totally copy her, though many have tried. Janis Joplin was powerful, raw and definately unique in her style of singing which made her an icon. Janis was influenced by Bessie Smith, who is one of my all time favorite blues singers.
Originally the song “Summertime” was written for the opera “Porgy and Bess” by George Gershwin in 1936. In 1926 George Gershwin read the novel Porgy, by DuBose Heyward and was inspired to write a folk opera based on the story. It was 1934 before Gershwin began composing the project. Porgy and Bess was Gershwins longest and most ambitious project. However, it wasn’t truly successful in his lifetime. Yet after years and years of setbacks , he never gave up on the dream of its success.
The plot of the play is about Bess a woman with a troubled past, that wants to break free from her abusive lover Crown who is wanted for murder. The only person that is willing to look beyond her troubled past and give her support and a safe haven is the town cripple Porgy. Their relationship falls into great disapproval from residents of the fishing village in which Porgy lives, them fearing the return of Crown. The setting of the village is in Folly Beach, South Carolina in 1912.
I am glad George Gershwin never gave up on his dream of making this classic available to so many singers and listeners to enjoy through the decades.
A YouTube video of Janis Joplin singing “Summertime”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzNEgcqWDG4
