Summertime is a George Gershwin aria from the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess. Composed in 1934 with lyrics by DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin, the lullaby is sung by the character Clara in Act 1 and is revisited throughout the opera. The original stage performance was by Abbie Mitchell, with Gershwin accompanying on piano for the first recording in 1935. The tune blends jazz with African American folk and spiritual influences, is in a minor key with a pentatonic flavor, and is widely regarded as one of Gershwin’s finest songs and a cornerstone of the jazz standard repertoire. It has been covered thousands of times, including Billie Holiday’s 1936 version, Miles Davis’s 1958 rendition on the Porgy and Bess album, and the 1959 Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong collaboration. The aria appears on numerous albums and soundtracks tied to Porgy and Bess, reflecting its enduring presence in both classical and popular music.
