George Gershwin

Son of Russian Jewish immigrants, born in Brooklyn in 1898 and passed away in 1937, George Gershwin is considered one of the greatest jazz composers and performers of the 20th century. A concert pianist and successful composer, he surrounded himself with the greatest artists of his time (including Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Herbie Hancock, Alban Berg, Maurice Ravel, Kurt Weill, and Sergei Prokofiev) and had a brief but brilliant career.