“Summertime.” The incomparable George Gershwin created it. Here are a few of the stars who have covered it. Billie Holiday. Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. Willie Nelson. Janis Joplin. Johann Sebastian Bach. Not really, but check Billy Preston’s version at about 2:20. “Now this is the way I would imagine Bach would play it. If Bach was here tonight, he’d do it something like this.” Billy also busts out his Ray Charles “Summertime” impression. Happy birthday, George Gershwin (aka Jacob Bruskin Gershowitz), born on this day in Brooklyn (1898-1937). Bonus clip: Jazz pianist Hiromi Uehara performing “I Got Rhythm”!!
