The attached review from The Magazine of Art was published in 1937 concerning the gifts and legacy of the American composer George Gershwin (1898 – 1937). The article was written within days of his death and filled with fascinating bits about his career, education and the instant popularity that was thrust upon him:
“The Gershwin invasion of Tin Pan Alley came at a time when history was being made. The Broadway-Negro tradition that stemmed from Stephen Foster and the anonymous tune-smiths who wrote old minstrel shows, was being carried on by bards like Paul Dresser, Harry von Tilzer, and the amazing Witmark family. Jerome Kern and Irving Berlin labored in the Alley cubicles. Something called ragtime was in the air and jazz was about to be born.”
