Rob Kapilow's What Makes It Great?

Rhapsody in Blue is George Gershwin’s most famous composition and a defining piece of the American Jazz Age, but almost no one has heard the original 1924 version for piano and jazz band. Dramatically different from the orchestral piece we know today, it was written for Paul Whiteman’s jazz band featuring highly unusual instrumentation. Come hear the original composition, and dive into the fascinating story of a piece that marked a new era of Ame...