Rhapsody in Blue: The Music of George Gershwin

Instructor: Stuart Johnson

During his short life and meteoric rise to fame, George Gershwin composed some of the greatest music of the 20th century. The creation of mainstream music places him alongside that of Richard Rodgers, Harold Arlen and Cole Porter. However, Gershwin was more than just a pop and jazz composer; his "Porgy and Bess" is considered one of the greatest American operas of all time. Stu Johnson will follow George Gershwin's career through slides and recorded renditions of "I Got Rhythm," "But Not for Me," "Summertime," "Love Is Here to Stay" and many, many more.

About the Presenter: Since 2007, Stuart has been lecturing on jazz and jazz-related topics at numerous locations throughout the Metro Detroit area, including libraries, SOAR LLI, and MORE Macomb, as well as other senior groups and organizations. He has presented at the music theatre class at the University of Detroit-Mercy and at a convention of the International Association of Jazz Record Collectors. Stu's classes are routinely among the best attended MORE presentations.