I Got Rhythm is a song composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, published in 1930, which became a widely-known jazz standard. Its chord progression, known as the "Rhythm changes", is the foundation for many other popular jazz tunes such as Charlie Parker's Bebop standard "Anthropology". This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Ira Gershwin (6 December 1896 – 17 August 1983) was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs of the 20th century. ... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jazz standard refers to a tune that is widely known, performed, and recorded among jazz musicians. ... In jazz, rhythm changes are a modified form of the chord progression of George Gershwins song I Got Rhythm, which form the basis of countless (usually uptempo) jazz compositions. ... Charles Bird Parker, Jr. ... Bebop is a form of jazz characterized by fast tempos and improvisation based on harmonic structure rather than melody. ...

History

The song came from the musical Girl Crazy which also includes another hit song, Embraceable You, and has been sung by many jazz singers since. It was originally written as a slow song for Treasure Girl (1928) and found another, faster setting in Girl Crazy. Ethel Merman sang the song in the original Broadway production and Broadway lore holds that George Gershwin, after seeing her opening reviews, warned her never to take a singing lesson. Girl Crazy is a theater musical with music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and book by Guy Bolton and John McGowan. ... Embraceable You is a popular song. ... Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ethel Merman (January 16, 1908 – February 15, 1984) was a Tony Award winning star of stage and film musicals, well known for her powerful voice and vocal range. ... The Lion King at the New Amsterdam Theatre, 2003 Broadway theatre[1] is the most prestigious form of professional theatre in the U.S., as well as the most well known to the general public and most lucrative for the performers, technicians and others involved in putting on the shows. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ...

The song melody uses four notes of the five-note pentatonic scale, first rising, then falling. A rhythmic interest in the song is that the tune keeps behind the main pulse, with the three "I got..." phrases syncopated, appearing one beat behind in the first bar, while the fourth phase "Who could..." rushes in to the song. Its chord progression, known as the "Rhythm changes", is the foundation for many other popular jazz tunes. The song was later expanded and used as the theme in Gershwin's last concert piece Variations on "I Got Rhythm" in 1934. The song has become iconic of the Gershwins, of swing, and of the 1920's. A pentatonic scale is a musical scale with five pitches per octave. ... In music, syncopation is when a stressing of a normally unstressed beat in a bar or failure to sound a tone on an accented beat occurs. ... In jazz, rhythm changes are a modified form of the chord progression of George Gershwins song I Got Rhythm, which form the basis of countless (usually uptempo) jazz compositions. ... Variations on I Got Rhythm is a set of variations for orchestra and piano solo composed by George Gershwin in 1933-34. ...

The song is featured in the 1951 musical film An American in Paris. Gene Kelly sang the song and tap-danced, while french-speaking children whom he had just taught a few words of English shouted the phrases "I got" each time they appeared in the lyrics. An American in Paris is a 1951 musical film based on the classical composition by George Gershwin. ... Eugene Curran Kelly (August 23, 1912 – February 2, 1996), better known as Gene Kelly, was an American dancer, actor, singer, director, producer, and choreographer. ... Man tap dancing Tap dance was born in the United States during the nineteenth century, and today is popular all around the world. ...

A partial list of singers who have recorded this song would take up several pages. The most popular versions are those of The Happenings (#3 on the US charts in 1967), Judy Garland, Ethel Merman, and more recently, Jodi Benson. The Happenings were a pop music group from the 1960s. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday and the summer of 1967 was known as The Summer of Peace and Love (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922 – June 22, 1969) was an Oscar-nominated American film actress and singer, best known for her role as Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz (1939). ... Ethel Merman (January 16, 1908 – February 15, 1984) was a Tony Award winning star of stage and film musicals, well known for her powerful voice and vocal range. ... Jodi Benson (born Jodi Marzorati on October 10, 1961) is an American voice actress and singer of Greek decent, best known for providing both the singing and the speaking voice of Disneys Princess Ariel in The Little Mermaid and its sequels. ...

It is a very popular jazz standard. Many songs use its chord progression, from Ornette Coleman's "Chippie", to the theme tune of The Flintstones. Charlie Parker alone based many songs on its chord progression, e.g. "Anthropology". Gary Larson referenced the song in the Far Side. Jazz standard refers to a tune that is widely known, performed, and recorded among jazz musicians. ... Ornette Coleman (born March 19, 1930) is an American saxophonist and composer. ... The Flintstones is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. ... Charles Bird Parker, Jr. ... Gary Larson is the creator of The Far Side, a (sometimes subdivided) single-panel comic strip which appeared in many newspapers for fourteen years until Larsons retirement January 1, 1995. ... This article concerns the Far Side comic strip. ...

The piece I Got Rhythm was originally penned in the key of D flat major.

A version of the song set to a disco beat was recorded by Ethel Merman for her infamous Ethel Merman Disco Album in 1979. The Ethel Merman Disco Album is a 1979 album by American Broadway legend Ethel Merman. ...

Another version of the song was arranged soley for the guitar by Ton Van Bergeyk. It appears on the album 'Black and Tan Fantasy'

Reference

• Greenberg, Rodney (1998). George Gershwin. Phaidon Press. ISBN 0-7148-3504-8.
• Gershwin, George (1996). The Complete Gershwin Keyboard Works. WB MUSIC CORP. ISBN 0-29156-29838-3.