Summertime

I have never had the privilege of visiting Charleston (yet).

I have never seen Porgy and Bess.

I have never done a lot of things but whenever I need to lower my heart rate and can get access to my music and earphones there is one song that always does it.

George and Ira Gershwin together with the author of a story based in the slums of his home town of Charleston in South Carolina  (DuBose Heyward) composed a modern day (1934) opera. There was no shortage of spirituals to draw from and no shortage of classically trained singers to perform them; but George had a radical plan.

Rather than use white artists and existing music he soaked up the atmosphere of the historic city and composed an entirely original score in a semi modern jazz spiritual mix. His next thought was to use a cast of classically trained coloured artists; we cannot grasp the full impact of this in our day but it was utterly unheard of.

Initially the production was met with ridicule from every side but slowly wormed it’s way into popular culture. Sadly Mr Gershwin would never know just how influential his work and decisions were and would continue to be for decades to come in barrier breaking and provoking discussion and change. A brain tumour claimed him just two years after the opera opened at the age of 38.

His body of work is incredible for the few years that he was active and I find this a huge inspiration.

Louis Armstrong is responsible for my favourite version of Summertime, those first few notes just knock beats off of my heart rate by degrees until the silky voice of Ella Fitzgerald slides in and continues the downward trend. When Louis takes over again with his little chuckle it is all settling to a smooth calm.

In the background, the drum and bass quietly tick like a beating ceiling fan trying in vain to break the stifling heat of a Southern summer, and that picture is all part of the joy that calms this old heart of mine to peace.

Coupled to all of this is the added thought of listening to Louis while sitting on a rock looking over the ocean on a hot day with a medium Cuban aroma gently burning in my hand and bringing an appreciation of the start of another break from the rush of life for a week.

Such is the place that this song has achieved in my life that one day in the car my daughter said,  “I feel like this song is the soundtrack to my life.” That was a proud daddy moment indeed, not only that she still likes it, but that at 9 years old she composed such a sentence.

This year my wife’s Aunt and Uncle retired to Charleston so hopefully we will have an opportunity to visit them and see this wonderful city.

I am grateful to men like George Gershwin who used their talents to the full in the short years that they walked this earth, also that we have the privilege of enjoying them nearly 80 years later. It makes me all the more determined to use mine and encourage everyone to use what they too have to give.