Meet the Musicians, Vol. 4: Gershwin

It's amazing to me that music which is today still considered hip, sophisticated and urbane was born from a pair of street urchins from "New Yawk" who successfully fused classical, klezmer, ragtime, blues, and opera. Composer George Gershwin (along with his lyricist brother Ira) is responsible for some of the most enduring pieces of music in the collective American psyche, from Rhapsody in Blue to Porgy and Bess. Video producer, writer, and host Dennis Kobray pours himself into the role of George Gershwin here, with the aim of inspiring youngsters to appreciate and/or pursue a career in music. Sprinkled with enriching context (including sidebars about the world events and social conditions that influenced some of the composer's greatest works), Kobray's one man show hits the mark, offering viewers a well rounded view of the artist, as well as a wonderful selection of tunes between vignettes. Highly recommended. Other titles in the Meet the Musicians series include Mozart (VL-11/98), Beethoven, Bach and Joplin. Aud: J, H, P. (C.Block)