Porgy and Bess (Sammy Davis Jr. and Carmen McRae album)

Last updated
Porgy and Bess
Sammy Carmen Porgy Bess.jpeg
Studio album by
Released1959
Recorded1958
Genre Jazz, opera, Broadway musical
Label Decca DL-8554
Sammy Davis Jr. chronology
Sammy Davis Jr. at Town Hall
(1958)
Porgy and Bess
(1959)
Sammy Awards
(1960)
Carmen McRae chronology
Birds of a Feather
(1958)
Porgy and Bess
(1959)
Book of Ballads
(1959)

Porgy and Bess is a 1959 album by Sammy Davis Jr. of selections from George Gershwin's opera Porgy and Bess co-starring Carmen McRae. Davis is accompanied by orchestras conducted by Buddy Bregman and Morty Stevens, sometimes supported by the Bill Thompson singers. McRae is featured on three of the ten songs, "Summertime", "My Man's Gone Now" and the only duet, "I Loves You, Porgy", all three backed by an orchestra directed by Jack Pleis. [1] [2] "The record is piled to the sky with strings, harps, choruses, and pillowy orchestration," writes Tim Sendra on AllMusic, but "credit[s] Sammy and Carmen for holding up their end of the deal." [3]

Contents

Track listing

  1. "Summertime"
  2. "A Woman Is a Sometime Thing"
  3. "My Man's Gone Now"
  4. "I Got Plenty o' Nuttin'"
  5. "Bess, You Is My Woman Now"
  6. "It Ain't Necessarily So"
  7. "I Loves You, Porgy"
  8. "There's a Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon for New York"
  9. "Oh Bess, Oh Where's My Bess"
  10. "Oh Lawd, I'm on My Way"

All music composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin.

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<i>Porgy and Bess</i> Opera by George Gershwin

Porgy and Bess is an English-language opera by American composer George Gershwin, with a libretto written by author DuBose Heyward and lyricist Ira Gershwin. It was adapted from Dorothy Heyward and DuBose Heyward's play Porgy, itself an adaptation of DuBose Heyward's 1925 novel Porgy.

<i>Porgy and Bess</i> (Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong album) 1959 studio album by Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong

Porgy and Bess is a studio album by jazz vocalist and trumpeter Louis Armstrong and singer Ella Fitzgerald, released on Verve Records in 1959. The third and final of the pair's albums for the label, it is a suite of selections from the George Gershwin opera Porgy and Bess. Orchestral arrangements are by Russell Garcia, who had previously arranged the 1956 jazz vocal recording The Complete Porgy and Bess.

Porgy and Bess, the opera by George Gershwin, has been recorded by a variety of artists since it was completed in 1935, including renditions by jazz instrumentalists and vocalists, in addition to operatic treatments.

Catfish Row, originally titled Suite from Porgy and Bess, is an orchestral work by George Gershwin based upon music from his famous opera Porgy and Bess. Gershwin completed the work in 1936 and it premiered at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia on January 21 of that year, with Alexander Smallens conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra. Gershwin played the piano part, including the piano solo in the opening moments. This piece preserves some of the darkest and most complex music Gershwin ever wrote.

"It Ain't Necessarily So" is a popular song with music by George Gershwin and lyrics by his brother Ira Gershwin. The song comes from the Gershwins' opera Porgy and Bess (1935) where it is sung by the character Sportin' Life, a drug dealer, who expresses his doubt about several statements in the Bible. The song's melody also functions as a theme for Sportin' Life's character.

<i>Gershwin Live!</i> 1982 live album by Sarah Vaughan

Gershwin Live! is a 1982 live album by Sarah Vaughan, of music composed by George Gershwin, accompanied by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas. The album was arranged by Marty Paich.

<i>The Gershwins Porgy and Bess</i> 2006 studio album by Decca Records

Porgy and Bess (2006), first studio cast recording directly based on the original 1935 production of George Gershwin's opera Porgy and Bess. This studio recording originated as several semi-staged performances which took place on February 24 and 25, 2006 at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center in Nashville, with Alvy Powell as Porgy, Marquita Lister as Bess, Nicole Cabell as Clara and Robert Mack as Sportin' Life. The Nashville Symphony Orchestra was conducted by John Mauceri. The recording incorporates changes Gershwin made to his original score after its first publication, which were not discovered until 1987.

<i>The Wham of Sam</i> 1961 studio album by Sammy Davis Jr.

The Wham of Sam is a 1961 studio album by Sammy Davis Jr., arranged by Marty Paich and Morty Stevens.

<i>Porgy and Bess</i> (Oscar Peterson and Joe Pass album) 1976 studio album by Joe Pass, Oscar Peterson

Porgy and Bess is a 1976 album by pianist Oscar Peterson and guitarist Joe Pass featuring music from George Gershwin's opera Porgy and Bess. This is the only album on which Peterson plays the clavichord.

<i>Porgy & Bess</i> (Joe Henderson album) 1997 studio album by Joe Henderson

Porgy & Bess is a 1997 album by the jazz saxophonist Joe Henderson, released on Verve Records. It contains Henderson's arrangements of music from George Gershwin's opera Porgy and Bess. It was his final album as a leader.

<i>Its All Over but the Swingin</i> 1957 studio album by Sammy Davis Jr.

It's All Over but the Swingin is a 1957 album by Sammy Davis Jr., arranged by Jack Pleis and Morty Stevens.

<i>Boy Meets Girl</i> (Sammy Davis Jr. and Carmen McRae album) 1957 studio album by Sammy Davis Jr., Carmen McRae

Boy Meets Girl is a 1957 studio album by Sammy Davis Jr. and Carmen McRae.

<i>Porgy and Bess</i> (Harry Belafonte and Lena Horne album) 1959 studio album by Harry Belafonte, Lena Horne

Porgy and Bess is an album by Harry Belafonte and Lena Horne, released by RCA Victor in 1959. It features songs from George Gershwin's opera Porgy and Bess. Belafonte and Horne sing two songs together: "There's a Boat That's Leavin' Soon for New York" and "Bess, You Is My Woman Now". The album was re-issued on a 2-CD set in 2003 together with Jamaica by BMG Collectables in Stereo. The album was ranked No. 1 in Canada for 10 of the 11 weeks between August 31 and November 9, 1959.

Porgy and Bess is an opera by George Gershwin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sammy Davis Jr. discography</span>

The American jazz singer Sammy Davis Jr. recorded extensively throughout his career and most recordings remain in the catalogs as various reissues. The following is a selected list of albums in chronological order by date of release.

<i>All the Way... and Then Some!</i> 1958 studio album by Sammy Davis Jr.

All The Way... and Then Some! is a studio album by Sammy Davis Jr., released in 1958.

<i>Porgy & Bess</i> (Buddy Collette album) 1959 studio album by Buddy Collette and the Poll Winners

Porgy & Bess is an album by multi-instrumentalist Buddy Collette featuring jazz versions of music from the George Gershwin opera Porgy and Bess recorded at sessions in 1957 and released on the Interlude label in 1959.

<i>Porgy & Bess Revisited</i> 1959 studio album by Stewart-Williams & Co.

Porgy & Bess Revisited, subtitled Played by a Very Unusual Cast, is an album of jazz interpretations of songs from the George Gershwin opera Porgy and Bess performed by cornetist Rex Stewart and trumpeter Cootie Williams, with saxophonists Hilton Jefferson and Pinky Williams and trombonist Lawrence Brown, that was recorded in late 1958 and released on the Warner Bros. label.

<i>Percy Faith Plays George Gershwins Porgy and Bess</i> 1959 studio album by Percy Faith

Percy Faith Plays George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess is a 1959 album by Percy Faith. It was released in 1959 by Columbia Records. The album features Faith and his orchestra playing music from George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess.

References

  1. Cf. images of the Porgy and Bess LP labels on Discogs.
  2. The recording sessions with Carmen McRae took place in New York on October 29, 1958, and the duet was recorded in Los Angeles on December 8, 1958, according to the Carmen McRae 1950s sessionography on Jazzdiscography.com
  3. Porgy and Bess at AllMusic