Songs and the City

... And the livin' is easy: Gershwin's "Summertime" turns 75

Sheet music for "Summertime"
Miles Davis' "Summertime" beat out Coltrane's on our list.
Photo by Palumbo
Ella Fitzgerald recorded "Summertime" live in Berlin in 1960.
Willie Nelson blended country with jazz on his unforgettable "Summertime."
The Zombies presented their version on the band's 1965 debut album, "BeginHere."
George Gershwin — the man who started it all — at the piano

"Summertime" is one of the most covered songs in history, with well over 2,000 official recordings waxed since it was first written for "Porgy and Bess" back in 1935. Everyone from Billie Holiday and Pete Seeger to the Doors and Sublime have put their spin on it.

In celebration of the start of summer and the song's 75th anniversary, I've whittled down the thousands to 15 classic versions that span a variety of styles and approaches. It was a tall task (how do you choose between Miles and Coltrane?) but listening to nothing but George Gershwin for an entire weekend was a pleasure (although I'm not sure my wife and dogs would agree).

Take a listen to the "Summertime" selections below and then share some of your favorite versions in the comments.

Sam Cooke (1957)

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Is there a smoother voice in all of popular music than that of Sam Cooke? Cooke could sing the United States tax code and make it sound soulful, so there's no surprise that he kills with his version of the Gershwin classic.

Miles Davis (1958)

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This 1958 collaboration between Miles Davis and Gil Evans is perhaps the most iconic of all the "Summertime" recordings. Taken from Porgy and Bess, the second in a series of Davis/Evans collaborations, the track (and the album as a whole) is a watershed moment, highlighting the perfect marriage of Miles' instrumental and improvisational chops with Evans' sumptuous orchestral arrangements. As critic Lindsay Planer noted, "No observation or collection of American jazz can be deemed complete without this recording."

Ronnie Hawkins (1960)

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Although best known for his backing band — a group of Canadians who would later become The Band — Hawkins was a rockabilly pioneer who scored two hit songs in 1959 with "Mary Lou" and "Forty Days." His rendition of "Summertime" came the following year and infused the standard with an early rock and roll backbeat and some groovy backing vocals.

Ella Fitzgerald (1960)

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I was conflicted about which torch singer to highlight in this list. Billie Holiday recorded one of the earliest renditions of "Summertime" in 1936, and like nearly everything she touched, it's gold. Lena Horne turns in an elegant version on her "Stormy Weather" LP and Jeanne Lee dazzles with a duet with pianist Ran Blake.

But for my money, I find Ella Fitzgerald's sumptuous 1960 live reading from Berlin to be the high watermark in the female vocal realm, even beating out her own 1957 studio collaboration with Louis Armstrong. Backed by a quartet that includes Jim Hall on guitar, Ella's performance showcases her purity of tone and impeccable diction and phrasing. It's a magical moment from the First Lady of Song.

Bill Evans (1962)

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There are countless piano trio versions of "Summertime," but there's only one that's led by the incomparable Bill Evans. The addition of Paul Motian on drums is merely icing on the cake. Taken from one of the last sessions to feature the legendary percussionist, the track perfectly highlights Evans' classically-influenced impressionistic chord voicings and Motian's subtle colorings.

Albert Ayler (1963)

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"Summertime" was most often played fairly straight by the gaggle of jazz musicians that have laid it to wax, so it was blast of fresh air the first time I heard free jazz titan Albert Ayler put his own spin on the enduring standard. And while on this version you won't hear the piercing, primal wails characteristic of his seminal recordings from 1964-1967, it does introduce the huge tone and broad vibrato that established Ayler as one of jazz music's more adventurous practitioners.

The Zombies (1965)

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One of the more underrated combos from the British Invasion, the Zombies churned out some sublime pop songs during its heyday, but their cover of "Summertime" ranks among the band's finest moments. Colin Bluntstone's breathy vocals and the jazz-infused keyboard work by Rod Argent effortlessly glide atop Gershwin's indelible melody to create the perfect pop gem.

Booker T. & the MG's (1966)

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This 1966 recording finds Booker T. and the MG's turning in an especially bluesy rendition of "Summertime." Steve Cropper's exquisitely economical guitar lines are a perfect foil to Booker T's robust Hammond B3 organ tone. The slow-burning heat generated by the quartet is so intense the soul practically oozes out of the speakers.

The Ohio Players (1968)

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Even George himself would have trouble recognizing this spaced out funked up version of the standard. Cut in 1968, pre-dating the band's 1970s peak, it's a decidedly jazz take that burns nonetheless with the powerful horn-driven groove that would come to define the Ohio Players' signature sound.

Rahsaan Roland Kirk (1977)

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Rahsaan Roland Kirk was one of jazz music's most dynamic performers. A master at an arsenal of instruments — tenor sax, clarinet, stritch, manzello, flute, whistles — Kirk would often play two to three of them simultaneously, jamming as a one-man horn section.

This brief, haunting version of "Summertime" is taken from Kirk's final album, which was recorded after a debilitating stroke that left him partially paralyzed. Kirk plays an elegant harmonica while a toy piano gently plinks in the background, the composition deconstructed and boiled down to highlight its unforgettable melody.

Willie Nelson (1979)

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In addition to being a world class songwriter, Nelson is a masterful interpreter. He possesses an innate sense of how a song should delivered. Like the jazz legends that came before him, Nelson knows how to take a standard and make it his own while still honoring the essence of what made it a standard in the first place. This version of "Summertime" naturally melds the country style that made the Red Headed Stranger a legend with a jazzy delivery that sets him apart from his peers.

Bobby Womack with the Roots (1998)

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The R&B legend gets expert backing from the Roots on this stunning soulful stab at "Summertime" that was recorded for the "Red Hot + Rhapsody" benefit compilation. Gershwin's never grooved like this before.

Herbie Hancock featuring Joni Mitchell and Wayne Shorter (1998)

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Just take a look at the three names on the line above. Enough said! But in case you have any doubts, take a listen to Joni's sensual and sophisticated vocal turn. I've always held the former folkie in high esteem, especially during her jazz adventures in the mid-1970s, but this performance is nothing short of breathtaking.

Coupled with Wayne Shorter's masterful improvisation on soprano sax and Hancock's soulful piano runs, this might be the most electrifying version of the standard ever recorded. And lest you think the superstar quotient couldn't possibly get any higher, vibe out to the unmistakable harmonica strains from none other than Stevie Wonder.

Greg Osby (2003)

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As one of the most well known practitioners of M-Base (an innovative use of overlapping rhythmic cycles of various lengths inside of which the participants improvise), Greg Osby has built a stellar career over the past two decades. His take on "Summertime" features a highly inventive modern arrangement but still pays homage to the time honored traditions of swing and be-bop.

Sarah Vaughan remixed by UFO (2003)

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I'm not a big fan of mucking up classic recordings with modern DJ flourishes of scratches, samples, and loops, but I have a soft spot for Verve's first two installments of the Remixed series. Here, UFO adds a funky breakbeat to Sarah Vaughan's 1957 rendition of "Summertime," instantly transporting the standard from the lounge to the dance floor.

Movie Review

Daniel Craig shines in Queer, an unapologetic tale of love and loss

Drew Starkey and Daniel Craig in Queer

Photo courtesy of A24

Drew Starkey and Daniel Craig in Queer.

As recently as the late 2010s, if a movie was made about an LGBTQ+ character, it was more than likely about their coming out experience. Romance, if it existed, was typically chaste, and actual sex was almost completely out of the question. Things have changed dramatically in the 2020s, to the point that a major movie star has no issue starring in a film called Queer.

Based on the 1985 novella by William S. Burroughs, the film features William Lee (Daniel Craig), whom everyone calls just Lee, a writer living in 1950s-era Mexico City who spends most of his time haunting local bars with friends like fellow writer Joe Guidry (Jason Schwartzman) and hitting on younger men. His early interactions in the film seem to indicate that Lee has a bad reputation within the local gay community, as multiple people avoid him or give him odd looks.

Lee senses an opportunity when he encounters a newcomer, Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey). Despite some awkward interactions, the two of them start spending time together, although Lee has much more invested in the relationship than Eugene does. Their hit-and-miss bond continues until Lee, who’s starting to get into drugs in addition to the booze, convinces Eugene to accompany him on a trip to South America.

Directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by Justin Kuritzkes (making their second straight film together after Challengers), early on the film seems to be mostly about the divide between an older person who’s grown comfortable in his ways and a younger person who’s living a relatively carefree life. The introduction of drugs into the plot changes things, though, with Lee searching out more ways to open his eyes to what the world has to offer.

Guadagnino and his team use some interesting visual storytelling techniques to introduce ideas that may not be present in the actual script. The most successful, demonstrated in multiple scenes, is the superimposition of movements by Lee over what’s actually taking place in the scene. The subtle overlay gives the audience insight into Lee’s true feelings, showing what he can’t or won’t say out loud.

Music also plays a big part in how the plot is perceived, with the use of anachronistic songs from Nirvana and Prince serving to heighten certain moments. The score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is not as in-your-face as the one they did for Challengers, but it complements the film well, especially when the plot starts to get trippy in its final half hour.

Craig, who appears sweaty and disheveled for much of the film, is about as far from the suaveness of James Bond as you can get in this role. He takes multiple risks with his performance and almost all of them pay off. Starkey’s character is subdued by comparison, but still comes off well. Schwartzman and Lesley Manville are given showy roles, with both using altered appearances that make them nearly unrecognizable to deliver memorable performances.

Queer is not as accessible as Challengers was storytelling-wise, but the fact that it tells a story about gay men living their lives as they see fit with no interference or questions shows how far the film world has come in a short period of time. It also continues Guadagnino’s streak of making audacious films in a way that few other filmmakers are willing or able to approach.

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Queer is now playing in theaters.

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