Rare footage of George Gershwin playing ‘I Got Rhythm’ on piano unearthed

19 February 2024, 15:19 | Updated: 21 February 2024, 09:13

George Gershwin - I Got Rhythm (1931)

Some rare footage of Gershwin nailing a piano solo in 1930s New York has been uncovered, and it’s enough to rekindle your love of music all over again.

It’s rare that we ever get the chance to see one of the world’s greatest composers performing one of their most famous pieces, at the dawn of their career.

But thanks to this recently discovered footage, we get that chance – with none other than George Gershwin.

In the clip (watch above), Gershwin plays his iconic ‘I Got Rhythm’, one of the now-seminal jazz standards and most loved pieces of music in history.

The performance was filmed at the 1931 opening of the New York Manhattan Theatre, which today is known as the Ed Sullivan Theater, and is now home to The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.

Read more: How Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue became his greatest masterpiece

Before this performance, the song – whose lyrics were penned by George’s brother, Ira Gershwin – had already been featured in two musicals: Treasure Girl in 1928, and Girl Crazy in 1930. But it wasn’t until Gene Kelly’s 1951 film An American in Paris that the song found international fame.

The footage is surprisingly clear, and gives us unparalleled insight into Gershwin’s playful onstage character.

Before he sits down at the piano, the composer greets the cheering audience with effortless charisma. And from the moment he starts playing, we can tell he’s having fun – dancing his hands over the keys to deliver a masterful, vibrant performance with a carefree grin on his face.

Read more: 10 reasons why we love George Gershwin

His right hand glides across the keyboard in smooth motions, while his left hand bounces up and down almost theatrically, making the piano performance double as a well-choreographed dance.

The composer’s casual smile and fluid movements may be deceiving, though, as this composition is certainly not lacking in sophistication and technical difficulty. It cleverly combines a simple chord progression with a more complex, syncopated rhythm, forming one of the catchiest, most singable tunes of all time. For this very reason, ‘I Got Rhythm’ took the jazz world by storm, because it allows for unprecedented variety and improvisation.

In Gershwin’s own performance of his masterpiece, he takes the tempo at an impressive pace. Seemingly aware that he’s left the audience wanting more, he flashes a smile in their direction as he tops off his performance with a sparkling glissando.

In the rare opportunities we get to see composers performing their own work, the meaning and intention behind the music become clearer. We can recall the brilliance of a piece, discover new perspectives to explore for the first time, or simply fall in love with the act of music-making itself.

Thanks to this dazzling new video, and Gershwin’s unforgettable performance, we have the chance to do all three.

With thanks to Jack Gibbons (find him here on YouTube) for uncovering this footage.