During his short but prolific career, George Gershwin (1898-1937) produced a varied body of work that combined symphonic composition with the musical styles popular in his era, including jazz and African-American spirituals. Known primarily for his jazz-tinged orchestral work Rhapsody in Blue, his folk opera Porgy and Bess, and his many wonderful songs featured in the films of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Gershwin and his lyricist brother Ira were key figures in the songwriting circles of pre-war America. Rodney Greenberg's lively biography paints a vivid picture of this exciting era in the development of American music, and places Gershwin's life and career within the social and cultural contexts in which he flourished. George Gershwinis part of Phaidon s successful 20th Century Composersseries, which presents authoritative and engaging biographies of the great creative musicians of our time, augmented by striking visual material and essential reference information. This edition of the book features a whimsical new cover by Jean-Jacques Semp??, the world-renowned illustrator and cartoonist.