Highbrow/Lowdown
Theater, Jazz, and the Making of the New Middle Class
David Savran
The culture clash that permanently changed American theater
Look Inside the Book
Sample Audio Tracks
Author David Savran has selected a series of musical compositions especially for this site, that he feels help to identify some important trends discussed in the book. Read the descriptions below and click the links to hear a clip of each song.
| Fascinating Rhythm | Fred Astaire, "Fascinating Rhythm" from At the Movies
NOTE: The big hit from Lady, Be Good!, the Gershwins' first Broadway smash, "Fascinating Rhythm." |
| Crazy Rhythm | Caroll Gibbons & The New Mayfair Dance Orchestra, "Crazy Rhythm" from The Charleston
NOTE: "Crazy Rhythm," the 1928 song by Roger Wolfe Kahn and Irving Caesar that explains what happens when a highbrow meets a lowbrow. |
| Sweet And Low-down | Various Artists - AVID Entertainment, "Sweet And Low-down", from George Gershwin - A Celebration: Fascinating Rhythm
NOTE: The big hit from Tip-Toes, the Gershwins' 1925 hit, "Sweet And Low-down." |
| When Do We Dance? | Various Artists - AVID Entertainment, "When Do We Dance?", from George Gershwin - A Celebration: Fascinating Rhythm
NOTE: "When Do We Dance?" from Tip-Toes. |
| These Charming People | Various Artists - AVID Entertainment, "These Charming People", from George Gershwin - A Celebration: Fascinating Rhythm
NOTE: "These Charming People" from Tip-Toes. |
| Concerto in F | Michael Tilson Thomas; Garrick Ohlsson, "Concerto in F for Piano and Orchestra/Allegro," from Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue; Concerto in F; An American in Paris: Classic Library Series
NOTE: George Gershwin's Concerto in F, the work that proved that he could write serious concert music. |
| Ballet Pour instruments Mecanique et Percussion, Roll One | The New Palais Royale Orchestra & Percussion Ensemble, Maurice Peress, "Ballet Pour Instruments Mecanique et Percussion, Roll One," from The Original Ballet Mechanique - George Antheil's Carnegie Hall Concert of 1927
NOTE: George Antheil's Ballet mecanique, the most scandalous and revolutionary piece of music of the 1920s. |
| I'm Just Wild About Harry | Vaughn De Leath, "I'm Just Wild About Harry," from Ukulele Lady
NOTE: "I'm Just Wild About Harry," by Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle, the big hit of Shuffle Along. |
| Rhapsody in Blue | Michael Tilson Thomas, "Rhapsody in Blue," from Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue; Concerto in F; An American in Paris: Classic Library Series
NOTE: George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue (1924), the piece that changed American music forever. |
Copyright © 2009, University of Michigan. All rights reserved. Posted April 2009.
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