Biographical Note
Harvey Granat is a singer and historian/educator specializing in the music of the Great American Songbook. Many of his cabaret and concert programs focus on the work of particular composers and/or lyricists, and he often highlights the musical performances with information regarding the songwriters’ lives and careers and the circumstances of the creation of the songs. Granat co-produced the Broadway revue of songs of Sammy Cahn, Words and Music (1974), and served on the Board of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Granat began collecting music manuscripts, letters, contracts, photographs, and other documents relating to American popular song in the 1970s. He has also enjoyed a successful career in the business world.
George (1898-1937) and Ira (1896-1983) Gershwin were brothers who rose to prominence writing songs for Broadway musicals and Hollywood films in the 1920s and 1930s. George also composed concert music including the iconic Rhapsody in Blue. Ira collaborated with several other well-known songwriters, including Harold Arlen, Aaron Copland, Vernon Duke, Jerome Kern, and Kurt Weill. For a detailed chronological history of the brothers' lives, please see the Biographical Note in the finding aid for the George and Ira Gershwin Collection.