They Had Rhythm,They Had Music

The Gershwin Bothers

Summertime. Someone to Watch Over Me. I Got Rhythm. You Can't Take That Away from Me. A Foggy Day. Let's Call the Whole Thing Off. The Gershwin brothers created some of the greatest songs in the catalog of American popular music. And now they have their own exhibit in the Library of Congress.

The Gershwin Legacy is designed to showcase the immense contributions of piano playing composer George and his lyricist older brother Ira. The exhibit contains music scores, original lyrics, and other memorabilia.  One of the highlights is the piano that George used along with the table and typewriter that Ira employed to finalize his lyrics, which he first wrote in long-hand as his brother wouild compose the catchy melodies.

" Composing at the piano is not a good practice," George once said. "But I started out that way and it has become a habit."

To further understand the Gershwin importance, and more importantly, to hear some of the world's leading artists perform their songs, you can access the official Gershwin Brothers website by clicking here.

Travelers' Tip:
We've said it before and we'll say it again - flexibility and spontaneity are 2 traits needed for a great travel experience. We arrived at the Library of Congress only intending to see 3 exhibits. But when we learned that a guided tour of the facility would be offered, we jumped at the chance.  I highly recommend it.