Although there are a couple of pieces performed by
George Gershwin himself, the rest of this two-CD, 41-track compilation,
The Essential George Gershwin, is devoted to interpretations of his works. It's impressive in its stylistic and chronological sprawl, though inconsistent. Spanning 1925-2002 (though most of it predates 1970), the performances include instrumental classical pieces; pop vocals by
Frank Sinatra,
Dinah Shore,
Doris Day,
Rosemary Clooney,
Mel Torme, and
Tony Bennett; and jazzier covers by
Miles Davis,
Ethel Waters,
Billie Holiday,
Benny Goodman,
Harry James,
Ella Fitzgerald,
Sarah Vaughan,
Alberta Hunter, and
Cab Calloway. There are a number of cuts by artists more associated with the screen and stage than the recording studio, like
Fred Astaire and
Gene Kelly. And there are some rather unusual items here, like the 1960 cover of "It Ain't Necessarily So" by
Aretha Franklin; the "Third Movement (Allegro Agitato)," from "Concerto in F," with
Oscar Levant on piano (with the Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra of New York); and the whiter-than-white harmony pop of
the Hi-Lo's on "Of Thee I Sing."