Summertime by Abbie Mitchell

This release has 1974 date (discogs)

Here it is from youtube. Since it's a rehearsal, can it really be listed as the original performance? You can hear what the "vocals" are by George Gershwin (at the beginning) not singing.

Last updated by maryhelen on 2017-06-11 12:16:55 UTC - Show original message

Well well-- regardless of what discogs has for the singer as Soprano, Abbie Mitchell, here are 2 reliable sources (NPR and the Library o Congress) that say the original Bess was Anne Brown:

https://www.loc.gov/item/smor.19351010/

http://www.npr.org/2000/10/08/1112186/porgy-and-bess

Your research skills are seriously impressive maryhelen... It's inspiring, quite frankly!

Thanks-- I must confess it was my profession and I taught research plus, I love it and it's my obsession.

This should clear thing up, such that Abbie Mitchell was the first to record (release) Summertime, but in Porgy and Bess, she had another role. Thus Anne Brown is the first performance even though not released til years later. These distinctions should show on SHS don't u think?

Abriea "Abbie" Mitchell Cook (25 September 1884 – 16 March 1960), also billed as Abbey Mitchell, was an American soprano opera singer who sang the role of "Clara" in the premier production of George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess in 1935, and was also the first to record "Summertime" from that musical.

You certainly present a compelling argument but we need to give tsk a chance to process it, the changes are not mine to make

m.

the evidence is there-- facts. Aren't you an editor?

Here's another with all the credits:

https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/porgy-and-bess-11998/#opennightcredit

I'm just a junior, I can't (not even technically) mess with entries that "belong" to a senior editor. Patience my dear!

Hi Maryhelen

This release has 1974 date (discogs)

Yes, we had a 1991 release, I've changed it to this 1974 release. Thanks for finding that!

Has George Gershwin himself credited with "Vocals", maybe this should be a joint performance?

Not exactly sure what to do about this. On the album, the track is called "Introduction & Summertime", and as you say Gershwin's vocals are in the introduction part. I think I will leave it as it is for now.

Well well-- regardless of what discogs has for the singer as Soprano, Abbie Mitchell, here are 2 reliable sources (NPR and the Library o Congress) that say the original Bess was Anne Brown:

Not sure what you're asking us to do here. Yes, Anne Brown was the original Bess, but "Summertime" was sung by the character Clara, and Abbie Mitchell was the original Clara.

Thanks!

Last updated by baggish on 2017-10-27 21:46:25 UTC - Show original message

Assignee: tsk baggish

Status: open processed

Whoops, sorry, should have addressed this part to Moe:

Has George Gershwin himself credited with "Vocals", maybe this should be a joint performance?

Not exactly sure what to do about this. On the album, the track is called "Introduction & Summertime", and as you say Gershwin's vocals are in the introduction part. I think I will leave it as it is for now.