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George Gershwin never lacked ambition. Starting as ahustler of tunes on Tin Pan Alley during the World War I era, Gershwin became asuccessful author of Broadway musicals in the 1920s. He might have rested onhis résumé as a hit songwriter, but Gershwin kept his eyes on the horizon. WithRhapsody in Blue (1924), Gershwinmemorably combined classical music with jazz, regarded then as rap is today. Hedrew on the melancholy of the blues and his Jewish heritage for Porgy and Bess (1935), America’s mostenduring opera. His story is well told by Walter Rimler, who balances Gershwin’sracy life with understanding for the era and appreciation for his contributionsto music.
