George Gershwin was an amazing guy because he was very much into the popular music of his day, but he also delved in classical. When he wrote the Rhapsody in Blue in 1924, it was panned by the critics. They said he broke too many rules. They didn't like that he brought American jazz and blues elements into an orchestral piece. They said it wasn't "serious" music and it wouldn't last.
Well, the critics were wrong. The Rhapsody in Blue is, to this day, the most widely recognized and most immensely popular piece of American classical music, and by a wide margin. It's a favorite all over the world, and it's considered the most distinctly American classical sound. At the Opening Ceremony of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, they had 50 pianists at white grand pianos on the field all playing the Rhapsody in Blue. I should add that the Andantino (slow movement) from the Rhapsody in Blue is the most beautiful and haunting melody I have ever heard.
But this song 'S Wonderful is very light, very fun, and very clever.
George Gershwin died in 1937 from a brain tumor, and John F. Kennedy was only 20 years old at the time. I have no reason to think they ever met. But, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington has featured Gershwin works, such as his folk opera Porgy and Bess in 2011. And every year, the Library of Congress gives out the Gershwin Prize for popular song, and they have the ceremony at the Kennedy Center.
So, I dedicate this song to George Gershwin and John F. Kennedy, two men who excelled in their chosen fields and did so without compromising.
https://soundcloud.com/ralphcinque/swonderfulmp3
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