Other Music

Though "Summertime" is the most popular song from Porgy and Bess, notable variations of other music from the opera have found their way into the sphere of mainstream listening. While some of these versions come from Porgy and Bess album recordings, others were simply recorded as a stand-alone compositions.

I Loves You Porgy

Vocalist and pianist Nina Simone's version of this aria is quite striking (below top). First recorded in 1957, her version is quite different in tone, phrasing, and color from the original aria as sung by Bess (below bottom).

It Ain't Necessarily So

Though taken from the Porgy and Bess recording by Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, the version (below left top) is much more "low-down" than the original. Peggy Lee's version (below left bottom), released in 1956, is quite sultry, while Jack McDuff's version (below right top) is an instrumental. Cab Calloway's version (left) is much more comical than the original (below right bottom).

Gone

Though not written by Gershwin, "Gone" is a derivative work composed by Gil Evans for the Miles Davis recording of Porgy and Bess in 1958. Evans' original work (below top) was performed and recorded by Stefon Harris and Blackout in 2009.