Cole Porter vs Irving Berlin

[MrScorpio]

Poll question: Cole Porter vs Irving Berlin

[elleng]

1. YES!

YES!

[MilesColtrane]

2. Cole Porter, easy.

Porter vs. Gershwin, now that one would be tough.

[valerief]

5. That IS a dilemma! Both are wonderful. By Gershwin, do you mean Ira and George? nt

[MilesColtrane]

7. Yeah, I consider them as a dyad, an inseparable pair.

[valerief]

8. I think it would have to be the Gershwins for Rhapsody in Blue alone.

But Love Walked In always gets me, too.

[MilesColtrane]

10. One of the biggest single contributions from the Gershwins was "I Got Rhythm".

More jazz tunes have been based off of that song's harmonic progression than almost any other. (The blues being the only exception.)

You really can't consider yourself a jazz musician until you can improvise fluently over "Rhythm Changes" as the chords are called.

Then, as you mention, there's "Rhapsody in Blue", and "Porgy and Bess", etc., etc., etc.

[valerief]

13. Interesting. I'm not a musician, but sometimes I like to play around

on a music program and write songs. I've got 'I've Got Rhythm' in one of my fake books, so maybe I'll give it go one of these days, too!

[WCGreen]

16. An American in Paris....

Great piece and wonderful movie...

[Mendocino]

14. As great as Rhapsody is

"Summertime" does it for me.

[valerief]

9. Have you done a Davis vs. Coltrane poll? Brubeck vs. Adderley? nt

[MilesColtrane]

11. I'll leave that to someone else.

When you start talking about the very top artists in jazz history it would be nearly impossible (for me at least) to rate them.

Maybe if you narrowed the criteria to a single aspect of their career. i.e. composing, improvisational ability, bandleading skills, subsequent influence on players of their specific instrument.

[valerief]

12. I'm too uninformed to do that. I just know enough to play certain CDs and enjoy them. nt

[mulsh]

3. Irving Berlin started slingin songs in Bowery bars at the turn of the century.

Had his first hit "Alexander's Rag Time Band" in 1911 and never stopped writing. He was a self taught pianist and lyricist. George Gershwin said of him, "the greatest songwriter that has ever lived." Jerome Kern said, " Irving Berlin hs no place in American music - he is American Music."

Cole Porter started writing when he was in Yale. He's a great songwriter too but not nearly as influential as Irving Berlin.

[valerief]

15. "Top Hat" is one of my favorite movies and Berlin wrote "Top Hat, White Tie, and Tails".

Makes me wanna dance now!

[Auggie]

4. Porter by a landslide

[valerief]

6. I forgot about Sammy Cahn in the previous thread!!!

Ain't That a Kick in the Head
All the Way
Come Fly With Me
The Tender Trap
Teach Me Tonight
The Second Time Around

and so many more!