who sang the original "summertime"?

Question

...and the living is easy...

Answer 1

"Summertime" is the name of an aria composed by George Gershwin for the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess. The lyrics are by DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin. A popular jazz-standard, the song is in the Aeolian mode.

Gershwin began composing the song in December 1933, attempting to create his own spiritual in the style of the African American folk music the period. It is sung multiple times throughout Porgy and Bess, first by Clara in Act I as a lullaby, then soon after as counterpoint to the craps game scene, in Act II by Clara in a reprise, and in Act III by Bess singing to Clara's baby.

The common opinion is that "Summertime" vies with the Beatles' "Yesterday" as one of the most popular cover songs in popular music, with an estimated 2,500 different versions recorded. But: a small international group of collectors of Summertime under the name "The Summertime Connection" knows on August, 18th 2006 at 10:26 GMT of 13,534 public performances of which 10,509 have been recorded. Of those the group has 5,802 full recordings and about 1,000 samples.

Billie Holiday recorded a version of "Summertime" as did Frank Sinatra. Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong sang the song in duet. Charlie Parker played his version along with many other jazz standards with an orchestra section. Both Miles Davis and John Coltrane recorded their interpretations. R&B artist Sam Cooke scored a minor pop hit with his rendition of the song in 1957, when it backed his hit "You Send Me." One of the best known versions is Janis Joplin's recording of a blues-rock version with Big Brother & The Holding Company. Billy Stewart's version became a Top 10 Pop and R&B hit in 1966 for Chess Records. Even seemingly unlikely performers such as the Zombies and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes have made recordings of it, and Sublime's song "Doin' Time" is based on "Summertime".

American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino performed the song twice on the program in 2004 and subsequently recorded the song for her album Free Yourself. Canadian Idol contestant Jenny Gear sang "Summertime" in 2003 on top six night. Also, in season two of Canadian Idol runner-up contestant Theresa Sokyrka performed "Summertime" during the top 32 round and advanced to the top 10 with the highest number of votes that week.

Answer 2

Shucks...I thought I had a copy of the original "Porgy & Bess" version on my PC, then I looked. Nope..not a single copy of the original, but....

I do have versions by Charlie Parker, Peter Gabriel, two versions be Billy Stewart, two versions by Sam Cooke, Janis Joplin with Big Brother and the Holding Company, a Quincy Jones-Miles Davis duet, Etta James, Doc and Merle Watson, Fun Boy Three, J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers, Dave Edmonds, The Platters, Ricky Nelson, and Courtney Pine.

Answer 3

Abbe Mitchell, as Clara, in the original production of Gershwin's great "folk" opera. Billie Holliday made the first "jazz" recording, backed by Artie Shaw.

Answer 4

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
who sang the original "summertime"?
...and the living is easy...

Answer 5

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summertime_%28song%29 . Many, many people/bands have sung it. I suppose the true originals were DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin since they wrote the lyrics... Billie Holiday's is probably one of the more famous recordings.

Answer 6

I believe it came from the musical Porgy and Bess, but I don't remember who originally recorded it.

Answer 7

If you mean 'in the Summertime' it was Mungo Jerry...

Answer 8

Tracy Byrd does sing a summer time song it's country music though

Answer 9

MC has the best answer. My favorite versions are Janis Joplin and Hang on the Box.

Answer 10

It's from a musical, called 'Porgy and Bess'.