Christopher Schlegel Update 05-20-2010

Another George Gershwin gem, “The Man I Love” is the sixth tune on my Solo Jazz Guitar Standards, Vol. 1 disc.

http://cdbaby.com/cd/schlegel8

The legend behind this tune is that Gershwin attempted to craft an entire song starting with the typically throw away ending of many show pieces, “That’s all folks!”.  Or if you’ve ever sang the campy ending to “Happy Birthday To You”, it’s the part tacked on the end, “And many moooooo-re!”.  It’s also the well-known, bluesy ending to Gershwin’s own “Rhapsody In Blue”.

The tune Gershwin built is a masterpiece of beautiful melodic themes perfectly integrated with a brilliant harmonic structure.  Learning this song and making my own arrangement of it was a milestone in my development as a solo artist.

Here’s an old studio practice version.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-NTieZAXnQ

Here’s a more recent live version.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-VrI6xYvUY

Enjoy!