The Gershwins and Me: A Personal History in Twelve Songs

by Michael Feinstein

From celebrated entertainer Michael Feinstein comes a beautifully illustrated account of the lives and legacies of the Gershwins—told through stories of twelve of their greatest songs and accompanied by an original CD of those songs, performed by the author.

The “Ambassador of the Great American Songbook” Michael Feinstein was just twenty years old when he got the chance of a a job with his hero, Ira Gershwin. During their six-year partnership, the two became close friends. Feinstein blossomed under Gershwin’s mentorship and Gershwin was reinvigorated by the younger man’s zeal for his and his brother George’s legacy. Now, in The Gershwins and Me , the only book of its kind, Michael Feinstein shares unforgettable stories and reminiscences from the music that defined American popular song, along with rare Gershwin memorabilia he’s collected through the years.
From “Strike Up the Band” to “Love Is Here to Stay,” each of the twelve chapters highlights one of the Gershwins’ classic songs, exploring the brothers’ lives, illuminating what the music meant to them, and telling the stories of how their iconic tunes came to life. Throughout the star-studded narrative, Feinstein unfolds the moving chronicle of his own life with the Gershwins, describing his vision for their enduring presence today. No other writer could give us such an authoritative inside perspective on these titans of American culture—and no other writer could include such a soulful collection of music as the accompanying CD packed with Feinstein’s original recordings of the twelve songs.
A timeless classic and the definitive account of the Gershwins and their legacy, The Gershwins and Me will having you humming with every turn of the page.

Genres: Biography, Music, Nonfiction, History, Memoir, American History

352 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2012

Reviews

[Marc Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book, filled with hundreds of anecdotes and personal observations about the Gershwins, their contemporaries, the Great American Songbook, the popular music scene, Broadway and Hollywood of the 1920s, ‘30s and ‘40s.

The subtitle is half right: “A Personal History in Twelve Songs.” Personal it is. Feinstein worked for Ira Gershwin for 6 years. His observations of musicians and their quirks are highly personal. His analyses of songs and shows are informed and idiosyncratic. But while the book is arranged in 12 chapters, each with its own associated Gershwin song, the songs really have little to do with the contents of each chapter.

The discussion of each song usually goes on for a page or two or three. The book is less about analyzing music than discussing the who, what, when and why of each phase of George and Ira’s careers. And that’s just fine. I can’t think of anyone more qualified to do so. Feinstein’s is both performer and historian. His writing is very entertaining. Clearly he knows his subject – the people and their music.

One small pet peeve: While it’s OK to idolize the Gershwins and their contemporaries, it’s not OK to dismiss all current music out of hand, as Feinstein does. At one point, he writes about how much he enjoys going through old sheet music. “I have a better chance of finding an unknown gem by Kurt Weill or Cole Porter or Johnny Green than I have of loving anything on the radio today.” That’s just close-minded and unnecessary.

The bonus CD is a good addition. While it’s not the best version of the 12 songs – Cyrus Chestnut’s piano playing is light and creative, but Feinstein’s singing is relatively flat and straightforward – it’s a good primer and reference, even for readers who know the Gershwin canon well.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The very-accomplished Michael Feinstein wears many hats: performer, archivist, businessman and author. He first appeared in the public eye as a twenty-year-old playing in Los Angeles piano bars in the mid-1970s. Through a connection to the deceased pianist and actor Oscar Levant, he became a temporary assistant to Ira Gershwin. The temporary position stretched into six years during which he organized and cataloged Gershwin's record albums, professional and personal memorabilia from his long career and more. Feinstein worked in Gershwin's Beverly Hills home and became steeped in the life history of Ira Gershwin and his brother, the much more famous George Gershwin. Organizing the immense output of the Gershwin brothers made him an expert on their extraordinary musical accomplishments.

Ira Gershwin was a renowned lyricist and collaborator to his brother George Gershwin, the composer of Rhapsody in Blue, Concerto in F, Porgy and Bess, and hundreds of songs, mainly introduced on the Broadway stage in the 1920s and 1930s. George Gershwin died tragically of a brain tumor in 1937, two months before his 39th birthday. Ira Gershwin survived him by many decades, dying aged 86 in 1983.

Feinstein has gone on to a long career of his own, championing and performing the works of the Gershwins, Irving Berlin, Richard Rodgers and his collaborators Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II, Yip Harburg, Johnny Mercer and many others who constitute the pantheon of great American songwriters of theater and movies from the 1920s and into the 1950s, often thought of as the Golden Age of popular music in the English-speaking world.

This book, The Gershwins and Me, is a valentine to the Gershwin brothers, and a real treasure trove of information, photos and anecdotes of their careers. Feinstein arranged it in chapters topically and thematically around twelve of their most famous songs, each having been featured in a Broadway show or a movie:
Strike Up the Band, 1927
The Man I Love, 1924
S'Wonderful, 1927
I've Got a Crush on You, 1928
They All Laughed, 1937
Someone to Watch Over Me, 1926
Embraceable You, 1930
Who Cares, 1931
I Got Plenty of Nuttin', 1935
They Can't Take That Away from Me, 1937
I Got Rhythm, 1930
Love Is Here to Stay, 1938

While the material is fascinating, some of Feinstein's opinions can be a little strong and may offend fans of certain performers, particularly Frank Sinatra, whom he deems as a great singer, but criticizes for changing some of Ira Gershwin's lyrics. Though he has a point, it seems minor when one considers Sinatra's entire career as a singer and actor through many decades. He also relates a distasteful anecdote about Judy Garland. On the other hand, he lionizes Fred Astaire (who certainly deserves it), Rosemary Clooney (who was Feinstein's long-time friend and Ira Gershwin's neighbor), and others. The tendency to gossip takes the book down a star for me, but Feinstein is not an unbiased professional historian.

On the whole, it is a great book for anyone who appreciates and is interested in the works of the Gershwins and their milieu in the 1920s and 1930s. It is beautifully produced and printed. Feinstein also includes a CD of his recordings of the songs that he used for his chapter topics.

[Ceste Stanly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have loved Gershwin's music ever since I was a little girl in the 80s. I chose a Gershwin biography in high school to do book report on & it scarred me quite a bit reading about George's prolific sex life. Read Ira's book a few years ago & loved it. Was given one children's book on Gershwin & bought another to share w/ my students. Read Fred Astaire's autobio in my 20s & found out that he & George had been besties. Saw Michael in concert in 2023 almost reluctantly. I had heard his singing before & had not been impressed. The concert also featured Jean-Yves Thibaudet & was super impressed w/ his piano skills. For some reason, I did not know that Michael had personally known Ira. I loved hearing him chat about that between his pieces. So I was determined to track down his book. I loved hearing stories about Fred Astaire that I had never heard before as well as learning that Oscar Levant was so close to George as well. Didn't know George had his own radio show. His book is a nice balance between personal stories about Ira to tracking the historicity of each work George wrote. He cited several more books that I can't wait to read next. Grew up in the DC area & been to the Library of Congress & somehow I didn't know that they had George & Ira artifacts. Can't wait to make a trip to see the archives that Michael maintains in Indiana as well

[Scott Hayden · Rating 2 out of 5]

Does it contain stories about the Gershwin's and their music?
Yup.

Does it tell about the author's fascination for the Gershwin brothers and his relationship with Ira?
Yup.

Did the author really know the Gershwin's?
Ira, yup. George? Well, he certainly knew more about him that most others, even though they never met. And that's the point that mildly irritates me.

The title on the cover puts "Gershwins" in the biggest letters.
But the picture puts the author biggest in the scene in the foreground. Ira looks on over one shoulder, George over the other. But the picture makes it plain, and the text confirms that the "and Me" in the title should have been written bigger. Amidst the cool stories of the Gershwin's sometimes you'll go pages with little mention of them, but lots of the author's opinions about singers and songwriters. That's where I lost interest.

So, if you're already a Michael Feinstein fan, you'll enjoy the book.

[Samantha Glasser]

I feel a strong kinship with Feinstein. He's from my hometown (Columbus, Ohio), and I imagine if we had been contemporaries we would have been friends. Although my passion is film and his is music, we are both highly nostalgic people with a deep appreciation for history, which has made us outcasts from the majority.

Feinstein's adoration for the Gershwin songbook is palpable in these pages, as is his sense that he got lucky when he was able to meet Ira and form a friendship. He was absolutely the right person to help him catalogue his materials and to show him that his work would live on for years after he was gone.

The writing here is alternately informal and formal, toggling back and forth between academic history and personal reflection.

[Drew Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating book about the life and musical contributions of George and Ira Gershwin. It also includes so many great anecdotes and insights into the history of musical theater, movie musicals, and those involved in the evolution of the Great American Songbook.

[Barbara Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

Musical history

I really found this a fascinating book. I really think Michael feinstein is one of the most talented performers in this country besides being a great historian

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who did you idolize when you were growing up? Perhaps you stayed up until 1 in the morning so that you could catch every single game in which Mickey Mantle played. Maybe you watched Jimmy Stewart movies so often that you could just about recite the entire script. I suspect that most of us can think of a performer of some sort whose work touched us so deeply that it became a part of the fabric of our lives.

Well, for Michael Feinstein, George and Ira Gershwin filled that role. From an early age, Feinstein was completely captivated and mesmerized by what we now call the Great American Songbook and, especially, by the work of the Gershwin's.

There's one difference, however, between Feinstein's experience and ours. Through a serendipitous series of events, Michael not only met Ira Gershwin, but worked for the great lyricist for six mostly wonderful years. "The Gershwin's and Me," is, in part, a chronicle of their relationship, but it is oh so much more.

Since I have a strong passion for the American musical theater, I was thrilled beyond words to read Feinstein's reminiscences of the time he spent with Ira. Because they knew each other so well and spent so many hours together, this book goes way beyond the usual tell-all nonsense and gives the reader a very clear picture of exactly who Ira Gershwin was. Through Michael and Ira, we also gain a deep insight into George. By book's end, we really feel like we know all three of them and are the better for it.

If that's all that this book accomplished, it would be an incredible feat. But it does so much more.

The print book is accompanied by a CD which contains the twelve songs which form the framework of this memoir. Kudos to the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped for incorporating those musical gems into their recording; hearing the music adds immeasurably to the pleasure you'll derive from this literary adventure. Each chapter begins with NLS narrator Michael Russotto reading the lyrics to the song followed by Feinstein's rendition of it. Feinstein then briefly comments on the song and then we're back to Mr. Russotto who reads the chapter to which the song connects.

While each chapter has a theme of sorts -- musical theater, movie musicals, what makes a great song -- the writing is quite free flowing. In fact, some might criticize Feinstein for his casual writing. For me, though, that's one reason I loved this so much. I felt like I was sitting in Michael's living room discussing with great fervor a passion we both shared. I kept wanting to interject a comment, argue a point, ask a question. By book's end, I felt like Michael and I knew each other pretty darn well and I only wish we could have spent more time together.

Will this book interest the casual reader? I believe it will. Even if you have absolutely no interest in the Gershwin's, I suspect you'll be intrigued by Feinstein's discussion of why some songs achieve immortality while other, equally good ones disappear from our memories. although I'm not a great musician, I was fascinated by the discussion of why Feinstein makes the decisions he does when performing a song or why he loves certain arrangements while others leave him bored to tears. Feinstein's sense of humor shines through on almost every page and I found myself laughing out loud at his agile wit and clever use of words.

So should you read this? Absolutely. You'll hear some amazing music, you'll learn a great deal about Gershwin and about music in general, you'll make a new friend named Feinstein, and you'll be the better for it. to quote an Ira Gershwin lyric, "who could ask for anything more?"

[Gloria Feit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perusing this book is much like attending a cabaret performance by Michael Feinstein: It is replete with personal anecdotes and examples of the Great American Songbook. It is accompanied by a CD of 12 of the best Gershwin tunes. And the illustrations, many of which are from the author’s personal collection amassed over decades, are not only impressive but a rare addition to an informative work.

At the age of 20, Feinstein became the personal assistant to Ira Gershwin, helping to catalog the work of perhaps the greatest songwriting team in American history [Ira with his brother, George, of course]. He spent six years at the task, which certainly qualifies him as one of the foremost authorities on his subject. The book not only addresses the Gershwins’ impressive output, but the whole genre, which he dates back to the writing of Swanee. He suggests the tunes of George and lyrics of Ira, fresh and vital, helped to shape the attitudes, morals and beliefs of the 1920s, ‘30s and ‘40s. And beyond the Gershwins, he looks at the whole genre: Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Rogers and Hart, Harry Warren and Harold Arlen, and how they were influenced by the brothers Gershwin.

In case you’re wondering, the twelve songs are: “Strike Up the Band,” “’S Wonderful,” “I’ve Got a Crush on You,” “They All Laughed,” “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “Embraceable You,” “Who Cares?,” “I Got Plenty of Nuthin’,” “They Can’t Take Than Away from Me,” “I Got Rhythm,” and “Love Is Here to Stay.”

Not only are the Gerswins memorable, but this book will be as well: for its information and art. It certainly should, and will be, I am certain, a lot more than just a display on a coffee table. Highly recommended.

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a combination Feinstein memoir/history of the Gershwins/and discussion and comparison of many other composers of the Great American Songbook. The book is full of eye-poppingly wonderful reproductions of Gershwin ephemera, photos, hand-written music notations and lyrics. Five stars for that, and for the lovely design! The book is organized into 12 chapters, each named after a Gershwin standard, and with the lyrics to that song appearing as the chapter heading. A CD is included, which has Feinstein singing those 12 standards along with the marvelous piano stylings of Cyrus Chestnut. (4-1/2 stars for the CD, being marked down only for the ploddingly slow tempo on "I Got Plenty O'Nuthin' "). So far, so good, and many of the stories Feinstein tells are fascinating. I had a few minor complaints, though. He does ramble at times, repeats himself in several instances, name-drops to an annoying degree, and his tone switches from high-brow to casual suddenly. He can't resist throwing in a lame joke here and there. He complains about singers altering the lyrics, notes or rhythms on some of Gershwin's tunes, (which he himself does on the CD in a couple of places), then turns around and praises artists for doing just that, because it "keeps the material fresh." Overall though, this is a book I would recommend to any Gershwin fan, and it made me eager to listen to the music mentioned that I haven't heard, as well as read more biographies of George and Ira Gershwin to fill in the blanks. I wish Feinstein had saved the discussion of other song-writers for another book, except for when those song-writers' paths cross directly with the Gershwins (one example, Irving Berlin).

[Julie Capell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A combination love letter to and history of the American Songbook as personified by the brothers Ira and George Gershwin, this book would make a great present for anyone with a love of show tunes, American popular music or the music of the twenties and thirties.

Our guide on this journey is Michael Feinstein, an accomplished performer of the music he is writing about, who also just happens to have worked for Ira Gershwin during the last years of that great lyricist’s life. With utmost respect—worship would not be too strong a word—Feinstein allows the reader a glimpse inside the lives of the Gershwin brothers, illuminating their milieu and the songs that are their lasting legacy. Deconstructing certain songs, Feinstein is able to convey just how ahead of their times the brothers were, and explain the reasons why so many of their songs continue to be recorded and adored worldwide. I particularly enjoyed the passages where he explained the decisions he makes when performing these songs and how small changes can make or break a performance.

There are also plenty of anecdotes about all the famous artists and performers who worked with the Gershwins, people like Al Jolson, Harold Arlen, Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Jerome Kern, Oscar Levant, Ethel Merman, et al. For readers who don’t want to exit this heady company, the book is packaged with a CD of Mr. Feinstein performing many of the songs and accompanying himself at the piano, much as Gershwin did hundreds of times at the parties of the rich and famous of his era.

[Lisa-Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very uplifting book about how a guy meets his idol, Ira Gershwin, and then becomes obsessed with the Gershwins’ musical legacy. Oh my gosh, I fell in love with the Gershwin music. The book started with a focus on Ira, the lyricist, but it quickly moved to George, the composer, and I was captivated. George wrote more than 800 songs in his short life, and at least 24 of them are enduring familiar hits. George says, “I write 13 songs a day to get the bad ones out of my head.” His productivity was incredible. Kind of like Bruce Springsteen is today. After reading the book, I had to methodically listen to all the Gershwin music on iTunes and all the versions of each familiar song and assemble elaborate playlists with the best of the best. Some surprises: Cher sings a wonderful version of “Ain’t Necessarily So” although so does Frank Sinatra; Elton John really scores with “Someone To Watch Over Me” but so does Linda Ronstadt. You get the idea. I have everything from Billie Holiday to Bon Jovi. Don’t forget Gershwin playing Gershwin. The writing in the book is jumbled because the author, Michael Feinstein, is also a musician and so the “And Me” part of the title is literal. There is a lot of Feinstein philosophy along the way. Ignore that, and focus on the amazing life of the Gershwin brothers, how American musical theater was born, how music and lyrics work together, how Hollywood might have ruined Broadway, etc. Now I need to read books about Jerome Kern, Harold Arlen, Irving Berlin, and on and on.

[Sandy Pavick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went to high school with Michael and, I confess, have always had an interest in his success. However, even given my slight bias, Feinstein has crafted a very readable biography of Ira and George Gershwin that has something for both the long-time Gershwin fan and those just discovering the brothers who wrote some of American's most singable tunes, like "Embraceable You," "Strike Up the Band," and "Love Is Here to Stay."

Feinstein is the self-proclaimed "Ambassador of the American Songbook," and his passion for the subject leaps from the page. He has devoted more than just his career to preserving the memorabilia from this era as well as the songs. He is even building a hall of fame dedicated to American standards.

"The Gershwins and Me" is part biography, part auto-biography and often the line blurs. What he manages very successfully is to bring new information and new life into the stories of two men that have been told repeatedly.

If the story and the personal anecdotes aren't enough to make you pick up this book (or give it as a gift), Feinstein includes a CD of 12 songs that help to bring the chapters to life.

[Pamela Okano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining if a bit too detailed account of George and Ira Gershwin by the singer Michael Feinstein, who--at the age of 20--was hired by Ira to catalogue the Gershwins' collection. Much better than the The Hammersteins, this book includes a CD of Feinstein singing the title songs of each chapter, most of which are songs every American should know: Strike Up the Band, The Man I Love, 'S Wonderful, I've Got a Crush on You, They All Laughed, Someone to Watch over Me, Embraceable You, I Got Plenty of Nuttin', They Can't Take that Away from Me, I Got Rhythm, Love Is Here to Stay. Lots of interesting photos as well. Probably the book rates a 3.5. It occasionally gets bogged down in Broadway minutiae, but there are plenty of interesting tidbits about the Gershwins, Fred Astaire (who knew his sister Adele was the big draw?), Ethel Merman, Frank Sinatra, etc. If you don't like Feinstein's assessments, you won't like this book. But otherwise, it was a good and easy read and wonderful reminder of all the great music the Gershwins wrote.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Michael Feinstein may be an entertaining storyteller in person, but at least you could walk out of a live show. It's great that he worked for Ira Gershwin for so many years and knew intimate details of his life and George's. But do I care that he fought with Ira's widow? Or what random Gershwin paraphernalia he's spent his life collecting? There were some good stories mixed in with the bad ones, but with the story changing every paragraph they were hard to follow or focus on.

This book was easy to put down. Physically. It's coffee table sized. A better format would have been full sized photos with salient quotes or long captions. No attempt at a narrative was necessary here.

[Stewart Summers · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is an amazing story how the ultimate Gershwin fan ends up working for Ira Gershwin for 6 years. First he meets Oscar Levant's widow who then introduces him to Lee Gershwin...Ira's wife.


Michael Feinstein was not just an employee of Ira's. They became very close...I believe Ira looked upon Michael as the son he never had.

I loved the book, could not put it down. Very well put together, loved the rare color photographs of George Gershwin.

My one beef...the chapter on vocalists. Michael takes Sinatra to task for taking liberties with George and Ira's tempos and lyrics. And...Feinstein denies emulating Johnny Mathis as a vocalist. I beg to differ.

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the book a lot, although it dragged a little towards the end. It is a great story--about the Gerswins (George, the composer, and Ira, the lyricist), told by Michael Feinstein, who met and became friends, and later, a kind of partner--with Ira. Feinstein is in love with the "Great American Songbook" (popular songs written from 1920-1960, those written by Gershwin, Porter, Berlin, etc.), although he believes that George Gershwin was by far the greatest composer of all. In fact, sometimes the book borders a little on being a hagiography, although it offers a lot of fascinating history and anecdotes for anyone who is interested in popular music of this era and/or the Gershwins.

[Beverly Hollandbeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't read this review if you don't want to hear me gush. This book is simply a sensual luxury. Not only is there the text of this love fest from Feinstein to the Gershwin brothers, there are also enough photos and copies of documents to fill a scrapbook, AND a CD of Feinstein singing 12 of the Gershwin songs. Rich, rich, rich. And since I am familiar with the Gershwin contemporaries, who are also characters in this story (Irving Berlin, Maurice Ravel, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter,Oscar Hammerstein, Richard Rodgers, et al.), every time a song title is mentioned, it begins to play in my head. Like a said, a sensual experience.

[Library Maven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feinstein has crafted a fascinating look into the lives and work of George and Ira Gershwin using twelve of their songs as a backdrop. Woven into the narrative are Feinstein's personal insights from his years as an assistant to Ira Gershwin and vast research into American popular song. Although I read this from an advance reader copy, so I did not have a chance to view the illustrations of Gershwin documents and memorbilia that will be included in the final book, this looks to be an important book that music fans and libraries will want to add to their collections.

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had seen Michael Feinstein on PBS talking about The Gershwins and was really impressed with his knowledge of them and his passion for this type of music. The book was excellent, packed with info about The Gershwins and info about music. There was even a CD of music in it. The graphics and design of the book were beautiful too. Michael Feinstein worked very hard on this book. I appreciate his efforts.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

"'S Wonderful" to read about the Gershwins from the viewpoint of Ira's personal assistant. Michael Feinstein includes anecdotes and photos that helped me understand the songwriting duo and the effect that they had on American Society. As a delightful bonus, it includes a CD of some of their best tunes.

[Stormy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best thing about this book is its design -- beautiful typeface, unique photos, quality paper. Michael Feinstein comes across more than once as a loveable, yet uptight, young friend and archivist of Ira Gershwin. Anyone who can make the mega famous Tommy Tune really, really angry has a very stubborn personality. Ha!

[Lancelot Link · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the book. It's filled with fascinating information about George and Ira Gershwin and the music from that time. I love the great writing in so many of the songs from that era. Unfortunately, I thought the CD in the back was virtually unlistenable.

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much more than just a dry bio of the Gershwins, even more than a memoir made possible by the fact that Feinstein worked for Ira as a young man. The book and its design work almost like a scrapbook of the Gershwins' life and music. A must for any fan of the Great American Songbook.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely wonderful book!!! If you like the American Popular songbook, George Gershwin or Michael Feinstein (I love them all!) you will really appreciate the written and pictorial content of this book.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not a Feinstein fan, but this is an exceptional book. Wish I could give it six stars! Great information about both Gershwin brothers and wonderful history of American musical theater.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure I learned much I didn't know about the Gershwins and their world, but Feinstein is certainly an enthusiast. The middle stretch was a bit too much "Me" and not enough "The Gershwins."

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun reading about song writing in the old days.

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Made my enjoyment of Feinstein’s actual Gershwins and Me concert on Sunday infinitesimally more meaningful!

[Bob]

Wonderful book mostly about the Gershwins but also a look at the American Songbook. Lots of opinions. Could be edited tighter but fabulously entertaining. anyway