Is George Gershwins “Rhapsody in Blue” considered to be jazz?
If you are referring to the symphonic version of “Rhapsody in Blue,” it is considered to be classical music with jazz-influenced effects. It was originally written by George Gershwin for piano and jazz band in 1924, then arranged for orchestra by Ferde Grofé four times, in 1924, 1926, 1942, and finally in 1946. The piece (using Grofé’s earliest arrangement) received its premiere in a concert entitled “An Experiment in Modern Music,” which was held on 12 February 1924, in Aeolian Hall, New York, by Paul Whiteman and his band with Gershwin playing the piano (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QxWxsK8_… and http://shopping.yahoo.com/p:Rhapsody%20i… Whiteman, who styled himself as “The King of Jazz,” commissioned Gershwin to write a jazz [piano] concerto. It became a rhapsody, which differs
