Best Of: Folk Musician Jerron Paxton / Lyricist Ira Gershwin's Legacy

Summary

Fresh Air Episode Summary: "Best Of: Folk Musician Jaron Paxton / Lyricist Ira Gershwin's Legacy"

Released on December 6, 2024, NPR’s Fresh Air presents a compelling episode that spotlights the talents of folk musician Jaron Paxton and delves into the enduring legacy of lyricist Ira Gershwin. Hosted by Sam Briger and Terry Gross, the episode offers intimate conversations, insightful reviews, and enriching musical demonstrations, providing listeners with a deep appreciation of contemporary folk artistry and classic American songwriting.

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Interview with Folk Musician Jaron Paxton

Introduction and Background

The episode opens with Sam Briger introducing Jaron Paxton, a 35-year-old folk musician renowned for his renditions of music from the 1920s and earlier. Paxton, who plays guitar, banjo, and harmonica, has recently released his first album of original compositions titled Things Done Changed. Unlike his previous works, which focused on traditional folk songs, this album showcases Paxton’s unique songwriting abilities.

Transition to Original Compositions

Paxton discusses his shift from performing traditional music to creating original songs. He explains, "Most of these songs, if not all these songs, came from a little bit of inspiration and also at least a little bit of pushing the pencil along the page, I think, as Irving Berlin said" [02:38]. This transition marks a significant evolution in his musical journey, allowing him to infuse contemporary themes into the rich tapestry of early 20th-century folk music.

Songwriting Process and Inspiration

Delving deeper into his creative process, Paxton emphasizes the importance of inspiration and disciplined writing. "Songwriting is a funny part of the life of a folk musician. Most of us folk musicians tend to play our culturally inherited music..." he states [05:39]. He highlights how personal experiences and observations shape his songwriting, addressing themes like love, loss, gentrification, and self-discovery.

Approach to Instrumentation and Influences

Paxton elaborates on his approach to playing various instruments, particularly the guitar. "I think my approach to music in general... is to get the most out of them I can" [06:46]. He draws inspiration from country blues traditions, aiming to create a full, immersive sound with solo performances. Demonstrating his technique, Paxton showcases his guitar skills, emphasizing the rhythmic foundation that allows him to layer melodies and vocals seamlessly [08:31].

Personal Background and Family Heritage

Sharing insights into his upbringing, Paxton reveals, "I was surrounded by the one thing you couldn't get enough of, which was love. And had a big multi-generational family" [10:39]. Growing up near Watts in Los Angeles, his family’s rich musical heritage, particularly his great-grandfather Joe’s expertise with the banjo and guitar, profoundly influenced his musical path [15:25]. This deep-rooted connection to traditional instruments fuels his passion for acoustic music.

Challenges with Vision and Career Impact

Paxton candidly discusses his struggle with eye diseases affecting both peripheral and central vision. "When I say not being able to drive is just about the biggest disability I have, it's really true" [20:30]. These challenges have shaped his career choices, limiting his mobility but also deepening his commitment to music as a versatile and portable form of expression.

Musical Demonstrations and Techniques

Throughout the interview, Paxton provides live demonstrations of his musical prowess. He plays “Things Done Changed,” the title track from his new album [03:55], and illustrates his harmonica techniques, showcasing his ability to create complex, multi-layered sounds that mimic the presence of multiple instruments [23:41]. His expertise in the stroke style banjo playing, influenced by Pete Seeger, highlights his dedication to maintaining the authentic sound of country blues [15:55].

Notable Quotes:

• "Songwriting is a funny part of the life of a folk musician." – Jaron Paxton [05:39]
• "I truly in my heart of hearts believe acoustic instruments have more power than any other instruments around." – Jaron Paxton [12:49]
• "They just sit down with their fingers and their instruments and their voice and create this world where nothing was missing." – Jaron Paxton [06:46]

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Review of Beatles Documentary "Beatles 64" by David Biancouli

Following the interview with Paxton, David Biancouli, a Professor of Television Studies at Rowan University, provides an insightful review of Disney’s new Beatles documentary, Beatles 64 [24:36]. Biancouli praises the documentary for its comprehensive exploration of the Beatles' first trip to America, capturing the essence of their arrival and the ensuing wave of Beatlemania.

Highlights of the Documentary

Biancouli outlines the documentary's coverage of pivotal moments, including the Beatles' landing at John F. Kennedy Airport on February 7, their residency at the Plaza Hotel, and their historic performances on the Ed Sullivan Show, which reached 73 million viewers [25:10]. The film benefits from rare behind-the-scenes footage and personal anecdotes, providing a fresh perspective on the band's dynamic and cultural impact.

Behind-the-Scenes Insights and Archival Footage

The documentary incorporates archival materials shot by the Maisel brothers, Al and David, known for their work with iconic figures like Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones [28:30]. These exclusive clips offer a fan's-eye view of the Beatles' interactions, showcasing their camaraderie and natural charisma that endeared them to the American public [29:26].

Cultural Impact and Beatlemania

Biancouli emphasizes how Beatles 64 effectively portrays the cultural phenomenon of Beatlemania. He notes the Beatles' ability to win over skeptical journalists and the public alike through their humor and genuine personalities, which are vividly captured in the documentary [27:04]. The film also touches on the Beatles' interactions with other celebrities, such as Ronnie Spector, illustrating their universal appeal and influence [28:43].

Notable Quotes:

• "Beatles 64... works really well at exploring and explaining an intense two week period in musical and cultural history." – David Biancouli [25:10]
• "They instantly win them over when one reporter repeats the accusation that the Beatles are nothing but four Elvis Presleys." – David Biancouli [27:09]

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Conversation with Author Michael Owen on Ira Gershwin's Legacy

Transitioning to the second main segment, Terry Gross engages in an enlightening conversation with Michael Owen, the author of Ira: A Life in Words, about the profound impact of Ira Gershwin on American music [34:27].

Ira Gershwin and His Musical Collaboration

Owen discusses the collaborative relationship between Ira Gershwin and his younger brother, George Gershwin. "George was more extroverted. Ira was more like shy or wanted to stay more in the background," Owen explains, highlighting their complementary personalities and how they influenced their creative partnership [39:11]. Their synergy resulted in timeless classics like "Fascinating Rhythm," "Embraceable You," and "They Can't Take That Away from Me."

Songwriting Process and Creative Dynamics

Delving into their creative dynamics, Owen reveals that George often initiated the songwriting process with melodic ideas, to which Ira would contribute sophisticated and witty lyrics. This collaborative effort is exemplified in iconic songs such as "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," where Ira added the poignant coda, "If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow, why oh why can't I?" [42:04]. Owen emphasizes Ira's role as both a supportive collaborator and a master wordsmith who infused depth and nuance into their compositions [44:45].

Literary Influences and Lyricism

Owen highlights Ira Gershwin's extensive literary background and his ability to weave complex literary references into his lyrics. For instance, in the song "But Not for Me," Ira incorporates clever wordplay and references to Russian plays, showcasing his intellectual approach to songwriting [43:02]. This meticulous craftsmanship set Ira apart as a lyricist who not only complemented the musical genius of his brother but also stood as a formidable artist in his own right [44:16].

Ira Gershwin's Legacy and Final Years

The conversation also touches upon Ira Gershwin's later years, his declining health, and his lasting legacy. Despite facing physical ailments that limited his activity, Ira remained a revered figure in the music industry. Owen recounts Ira's collaboration with Michael Feinstein, who helped preserve Ira's archival work and continued his legacy through performances and scholarship [50:26].

Notable Quotes:

• "Ira always wanted to have some fun with the lyrics." – Michael Owen [44:45]
• "Ira was more like shy or wanted to stay more in the background." – Michael Owen [39:11]
• "Ira was immersed in words..." – Michael Owen [38:37]

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Conclusion

This episode of Fresh Air masterfully intertwines the sounds of traditional and contemporary folk music with a scholarly exploration of one of America’s greatest lyricists. Through Jaron Paxton’s heartfelt interviews and musical demonstrations, listeners gain insight into the artistry and resilience required to craft meaningful music. Concurrently, the in-depth discussion on Ira Gershwin's legacy by Michael Owen enriches our understanding of the intricate relationship between lyrics and melody in shaping the American songbook. Additionally, the thoughtful review of Beatles 64 by David Biancouli adds a nostalgic yet fresh perspective on the Beatles' monumental impact on culture and music. Overall, the episode offers a harmonious blend of personal stories, expert analysis, and musical excellence, making it a must-listen for enthusiasts of folk music and classic American songwriting alike.

Transcript

[Michael Fassbender]

This message comes from Showtime original series the Agency on Paramount. Michael Fassbender plays a covert CIA agent in the new 10 episode spy thriller now streaming on the Paramount with showtime plan. Visit paramountplus.com to get started.

[Sam Briger]

From WHYY in Philadelphia, I'm Sam Briger with Fresh AIR Weekend. Today. Folk musician Jaron Paxton brings some instruments to play for our conversation. He plays guitar, banjo and harmonica. Paxton is known for performing music from the 1920s, but he just came out with an album of his own songs called Things Done Changed.

[Jaron Paxton]

Most of these songs, if not all these songs, came from a little bit of inspiration and also at least a little bit of pushing the pencil along the page, I think, as Irving Berlin said.

[Sam Briger]

Also, Terry talks with author Michael Owen about Ira Gershwin, the lyricist behind many of the most enduring songs in the great American popular songbook. Songs like Fascinating Rhythm, I Got Rhythm, Swonderful, Embraceable, you, let's Call the Whole Thing off, and they Can't Take that Away from Me. He has a new book about Gershwin, and TV critic David Biancooli reviews a new Beatles documentary on Disney that's coming up on Fresh Air Weekend.

[Terry Gross]

Support for this podcast and the following message come from Autograph Collection hotels offering over 300 independent hotels around the world, each exactly like nothing else. Hand selected for their inherent craft, each hotel tells its own unique story through distinctive design and immersive experiences, from medieval falconry to volcanic wine tasting. Autograph Collection is part of the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio of over 30 hotel brands around the world. Find the [e-mail] Support for the following message come from LinkedIn Ads. With LinkedIn Ads, you can reach professionals relevant to your business, target them by job title, industry company and more by launching your next campaign with a free $100 ad credit at LinkedIn.com results, terms and conditions apply. Support for the following Message come from LinkedIn ads. With LinkedIn ads, you can reach professionals relevant to your business. Target them by job title, industry company and more by launching your next campaign with a free $100 ad [e-mail] results, terms and conditions apply.

[Michael Fassbender]

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[Sam Briger]

So start building [e-mail] this is FRESH AIR Weekend. I'm Sam Brigger. Prior to his new album, Jaron Paxton has been entertaining audiences with his take on music that's mostly 100 years old or older. Some of the music dates back to the Civil War. He plays folk music, blues, hot jazz, ragtime, and fiddle and banjo tunes, among others. He's released several albums, but this new album, Things Done Changed, is his first. Where all the tracks were written by him, songs that are deeply rooted to music of the 20s and 30s and older, but reflects Paxton's contemporary feelings and observations about things like love, lost and found, gentrification and finding yourself far from home. Paxton was generous enough to bring some of the instruments he plays to the studio today. If he had brought all the instruments he plays, he would have had to rent it. A van. Guitar, fiddle, piano, harmonica, banjo and the bones is not even a complete list. Paxton, who is 35, grew up in Los Angeles, near Watts, and has called himself a throwback in a family of throwbacks. He now lives in New York. Let's hear the title track from the new album. This is Things Done Changed.

[Jaron Paxton]

And it said baby it hurt me to my heart Together so long now we got.

[Sam Briger]

To get the parts and things and.

[Jaron Paxton]

Change.

[David Biancouli]

Between you and me.

[Sam Briger]

Seem just.

[Jaron Paxton]

Like time can't be like they used to be. You might only wondering what it's all about. Have I pull up have it done feels aloud oh, things change between you and me Seem like time can't be like they used to be Smiling face it sure could always be fine now Seem like your smile don't want me round Seem like thank you between you and me Seem just like time can be like they used to be.

[Sam Briger]

That's the song Things done Changed from the new album by Jeron Paxton of the same name. Jaron Paxton. Welcome so much to FRESH air.

[Jaron Paxton]

It's good to be here.

[Sam Briger]

So as I said, you've released a few albums before, but this is your first album of your own compositions. Have you been writing all along but just recently decided to release these songs?

[Jaron Paxton]

Yeah. Songwriting is a funny part of the life of a folk musician. Most of us folk musicians tend to play our culturally inherited music, which isn't quite the same as doing covers of other people's music. But, you know, you play music that's reflective of your culture and mostly done that. And every once in a while something will inspire me and it'll stick around. And, you know, I like writing music based on inspiration more so than anything. So a few of these songs, most of these songs, if not all these songs, came from a little bit of inspiration and at least a little bit of inspiration and also at least a little bit of pushing the pencil along the page. I think as Irving Berlin said, can.

[Sam Briger]

You talk about how you approach the guitar? Like, is there a particular guitar player that was very influential to how you play?

[Jaron Paxton]

Well, I think my approach to music in general, not just the guitar, but to all the instruments I play, is to get the most out of them I can. That's the guitar, the banjo, the harmonic, all these things. Everything I like about those instruments, and especially the piano, is that in the style of music I was steeped in and brought up in, which is mostly the world of country blues, there was this magical thing that would happen where one musician would sit down and create this beautiful world where nothing was missing. You didn't need basses or drums or a second musician or anything. They just sit down with their fingers and their instruments and their voice and create this world where nothing was missing. So that's the approach I took to all my instruments and especially the guitar. Because that was the. That was the world that I was surrounded by. And just having that access to that real, full sound is something I want to maintain. And I don't know, I think that's probably the biggest contribution to why I've remained one of the few soloists out there. There's not too many people who can hold the audience's attention for, you know, two one hour sets with just one person on stage and their instruments. But my audience has never seemed to be disappointed.

[Sam Briger]

I was wondering if you could show us, perhaps with an instrumental like, how you approach the blues. And the blues can be played lots of different ways. Like one of the ways that it's often played is like a simple three chord song. But there's a lot going on in the way you play the blues. So could you demonstrate that? I know you brought a guitar with you, and I heard when you were getting ready that this is quite an old guitar, huh?

[Jaron Paxton]

Oh, yeah, this is a. This is the cheapest guitar that Gibbs had made. Cost 4.95 when it was for sale. Little kalamazoo.

[Sam Briger]

And when you say 4.95, I think you mean $4.95.

[Jaron Paxton]

$4.95. Half a week's wages.

[Sam Briger]

So how old is this guitar then? Is it about 100 years old?

[Jaron Paxton]

I think it's from 28, 29.

[Sam Briger]

So not yet a bird. Not a century yet. So you said that when you're playing a guitar solo, you want it to sound like a bunch of instruments kind of playing together. Could you show us what that's like on the guitar?

[Jaron Paxton]

All right, all right, I got you there. I got you there. All right. Well, when you, when you want that nice full sound out of the guitar, you've got to have a nice little rhythm behind you. And that could be just about anything. Let's try this one. That's the rhythm of the song. So now you have this nice accompaniment to back up anything you want. And then you've got your voice, which you can lay on top of it, which I ain't doing nothing now but talking, but you also got some fingers that you can play with too, and give the guitar a nice little voice.

[Sam Briger]

That's Jaron Paxton with his guitar. Joining us today, he's a new album of all original compositions called Things Done Changed. Jaron, you grew up in South Los Angeles near Watts. What was your home like?

[Jaron Paxton]

Oh, it was a lovely place. I'd say I was, you know, we didn't have too much money, but I was surrounded by the one thing you couldn't get enough of, which was love. And had a big multi generational family. I was in the house with my mother and my grandmother, and for the first few years it was my grandpa, my uncle, my. So it was with me, it was six of us in there. And my great grandmother was across the street and you know, three of her children were around her and you know, all the cousins would come over at least once a week to visit her. And you know, so I grew up around lots of lovely family and a, you know, big backyard that 80% of the food I grew up eating came out of.

[Sam Briger]

Well, you've said that you're a throwback from a family of throwbacks. What does that mean?

[Jaron Paxton]

Well, you could probably tell that just in music I love and my aesthetic that things at certain levels are contemporary, don't quite appeal. And I tend to like. Some people call it tradition, some people call it old fashioned. You know, I just like things of a certain aesthetic that tend to be a little bit older than what we have now. And my grandmother was the same way. She was born in 28 and she was sort of a throwback to. Not her mother's age. She was born in 1906, but more her father's age and he was born 1886. In certain ways she was like that, but in certain ways she was a very modern woman. So when you got a person who's throwing back to the 1880s, you know, you've got something there. And then her father was a bit of a throwback himself. And when you're a throwback and you're born in 1886, you're going back pretty far. You're going back a long ways. You know, he played a throwback banjo, which is sort of kind of why I played this instrument. The instrument he didn't play didn't match his age. It more matched his parents age, but that's the kind of person he was.

[Sam Briger]

It sounds like you were particularly drawn to the country blues. Like what do you think it was that spoke to you?

[Jaron Paxton]

Well, it was the thing that spoke to me the most about the music was the tone of the instruments. And it's something till yet I still have a prejudice towards. I truly in my heart of hearts believe acoustic instruments have more power than any other instruments around. You know, even hearing the same acoustic music through a speaker or through headphones or anything like that does not compare with having an instrument in the same room as you and having the air that vibrates out of that instrument vibrate you and your eardrums. And you know, I've done it, I've experienced it as a participant and as an audience member. Just the emotional power of being in the room with somebody playing the instrument quite well. It can't be beat. And I think I could gather that at that young age through those old scratchy records, not even knowing what it was, having no idea. You know, like I said, I was a seven, eight year old kid who, you know, first hear John Hurt and Scott Dunbar and Buckle White and people like that. And I didn't know, you know, I didn't know that there were two kind of guitars or things like that. But that just the sonic beauty of those instruments just wrapped me up and took me away.

[Sam Briger]

And when did you start playing banjo?

[Jaron Paxton]

I started playing banjo before I played the guitar. I started playing banjo when I was about, oh, I think about 13 and a half, about 18 months after playing the fiddle and being pretty bad at that in my early days and realizing most of the fiddle I liked was surrounded by banjo music.

[Sam Briger]

And you said your grandfather played the banjo?

[Jaron Paxton]

He played the banjo, the guitar and the fiddles. So I've heard. But this would be my great grandfather.

[Sam Briger]

Your great grandfather?

[Jaron Paxton]

Yeah, my grandma's daddy who was born way back in 86. But according to Granny, they had to run off a plantation when she was about six or seven or so years old and had to leave Joe's instruments behind. So nobody too much younger than her, which, she was the oldest, which, shoot, that includes everybody. Nobody younger than her really remembers Joe playing any instruments. But she remembers seeing a banjo on the wall and hearing the sounds of it and guitars and fiddles and things like that. I don't know how great a musician he was, but she knows he played them.

[Sam Briger]

Well, you brought a banjo with you today. It's kind of a special banjo. Can you tell us about it?

[Jaron Paxton]

This banjo I brought with me here, it's one I've been playing for a while. It's a 1848 model banjo sticker, model banjo, as they call it. They don't know how many of these, how popular these things got, but I like the way they're constructed. They tend to produce a mighty sound.

[Sam Briger]

On the song that you play on the album, It's All Over. Now, in the liner notes, you say that you play this stroke style. Can you explain what that is or demonstrate that for us?

[Jaron Paxton]

All right. The stroke style is what they called in books published at the time is I guess, what they call claw hammer banjo now or Fralin or whatever. And I think most of those words can be traced back to none other than the great New Yorker, Pete Seeger. Pete Seeger had a big influence on banjo culture, much bigger than he's given credit for, which I think includes finding those words and making them ubiquitous among banjo players. But the stroke style is you stroke the string with the tops of your fingers rather than picking it like that with each individual finger, you hit it with the top and you can hear like the difference between picking and each one of those stroke notes have a little bit punchier sound. And you combine that with the way you play with your thumb and you get a nice cross cultural reference here. Ah, let's call the Brand New Shoes.

[Sam Briger]

John, that was great. Our guest today is Jaron Paxton. His new album is called Things Done Changed. We'll hear more of the interview after a short break. I'm Sam Briger and this is FRESH AIR weekend.

[Terry Gross]

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[Sam Briger]

When you were a teenager, you started having trouble with your eyesight. What was happening?

[Jaron Paxton]

Well, I'd had trouble with my peripheral vision my whole life, but then I had two different eye diseases that start to mess with my central vision. And once that started to happen, the problems with my peripheral vision got to be pretty unavoidable and some places got to be a little bit hazardous. I don't know if you know, but people from south, especially during the day and time I grew up, we didn't move too much. And Los Angeles being a big driving culture, you sure didn't walk anyplace. You know, I left as an 18 year old having, I think maybe walked a mile in my neighborhood and could count the times I did that on one hand. So, you know, things like curbs were a bit unfamiliar to me. So, you know, imagine a pretty healthy strapping boy just kind of bumbling and falling all over. That's what I was up to for a little while.

[Sam Briger]

What's your eyesight like now?

[Jaron Paxton]

It's about the same. I still have big troubles with my peripheral vision, which stops me from driving. My central vision, I think it's better than what it was. But part of that is the technology has improved. I used to go around New York City with a little small telescope around my neck to see things like train signs and street signs and things like that. Now that I'm an iPhone user, which I never thought I would be, you know, I could zoom in on something 10 times and that's actually a lot more handy than this little telescope I was using.

[Sam Briger]

Well, I think because of your eyesight you had to reconsider what you wanted to do for work. Is that correct?

[Jaron Paxton]

Yeah, yeah. I was on drive trains and things like that. And, you know, I'd probably have done some of the other laboring jobs that most of the folks in my family have done. But when I say not being able to drive is just about the biggest disability I have, it's really true.

[Sam Briger]

You know, since you were so interested in trains or you were interested in being a train driver as a kid. Do you particularly like train songs?

[Jaron Paxton]

Oh, yeah, I think so. As much as people who like rural music tend to get stereotypes as loving songs about trains and mama, you can't help it, I don't think. But if I find a good Train song. I'll sit and listen to it for a good while.

[Sam Briger]

Would you mind playing one that you like particularly?

[Jaron Paxton]

Oh, well, my favorite is probably the Pullman Passenger Train, which I can't do here. Let's see.

[Sam Briger]

Before you play the harmonica, I just want to say that like all the instruments you play, you seem to be able to make it sound like you're playing two different parts on the harmonica. So I just want. I don't know if you do that in this song, but I just wanted listeners to keep an ear out for that.

[Jaron Paxton]

Oh, yeah, it's not. It's not sounding like I'm playing two different parts. I am playing two.

[Sam Briger]

Oh, yeah, okay, fair enough.

[Jaron Paxton]

Let's see. Maybe I'll start off. Start off this way. Oh, that harmonica's been set on. Hold on. Ooh, that one's been set on too. La.

[Sam Briger]

John, that was great.

[Jaron Paxton]

Thanks.

[Sam Briger]

That was our guest, Jerome Paxton playing the harmonica. Was that hard to figure out how to do?

[Jaron Paxton]

In the words of Fats Waller, it's easy to do when you know how.

[Sam Briger]

Okay, well, that couldn't be more cryptic if I'd asked it to be.

[Jaron Paxton]

Yeah.

[Sam Briger]

I watched a video of you playing and singing a song, Hesitation Blues. Yeah. And no, no, no. But at one point you were singing and then you played the harmonica with your nostril at one point.

[Jaron Paxton]

Hey, there's a lot of different ways to skin a cat and entertain the audience.

[Sam Briger]

Well, thank you for doing that.

[Jaron Paxton]

Cheers.

[Sam Briger]

Jerome Paxton, I just want to thank you so much for coming in today to bring your instruments and playing some music for us. Thank you very much.

[Jaron Paxton]

Thank you, Sam.

[Sam Briger]

Jaron Paxton's new album is called Things Done Changed. Disney, which already gave us the three part Beatles documentary, Get Back and the restored version of their Let It Be film, has another new Beatles documentary to present. Called Beatles 64. It covers a very short but significant period in the group's history. Our TV critic David Biancooli has this review.

[Jaron Paxton]

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Tonight, live from New York, the Ed Sullivan show.

[David Biancouli]

Sixty years later, what can a new film say or show about the Beatles first trip to America that isn't already familiar? Or that is presented in a significantly different fashion? As it turns out quite a lot. Beatles 64, the new documentary presented by Disney plus, works really well at exploring and explaining an intense two week period in musical and cultural history. Director David Tedeschi starts his film with the group's first trip to New York, landing at the newly renamed John F. Kennedy Airport on February 7, and ends with their return to Liverpool 15 days later. In between, they holed up at the Plaza Hotel, reached 73 million viewers on their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show, played their first US concert in Washington D.C. did a second live Ed Sullivan show from Miami and flew back home triumphant, leaving America in the first giant wave of Beatlemania. Beatles 64 the film benefits greatly from behind the scenes and fan's eye view footage shot at the time by the Maisels brothers Albert and David, who also famously shot film of early Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones at Altamont and Little Edie and Big Edie at Grey Gardens. The group's first press conference at JFK has the press trying to make fun of the Beatles or treat them as novelties. But the four lads from Liverpool instantly win them over when one reporter repeats the accusation that the Beatles are nothing but four Elvis Presleys. Ringo Starr wiggles his pelvis in response and John Lennon follows to raucous laughter from the reporters. From the very start they treat the press not as something to fear, but something to play.

[Jaron Paxton]

Could you please sing something? No, sorry.

[Michael Owen]

Next.

[Sam Briger]

There's some doubt that you can sing.

[Jaron Paxton]

No, we need money first.

[Michael Owen]

Our psychiatrist briefly sent you nothing but.

[Jaron Paxton]

Four Elvis Presley two. It's not true.

[Michael Owen]

What do you think your music does for these people?

[Jaron Paxton]

Well, pleases them, I think. Well, they must do because they're buying it.

[Michael Owen]

Why does it excite them so much?

[Jaron Paxton]

We don't know really. If we knew, we'd form another group and be managers.

[David Biancouli]

Vintage interview and performance clips are collected and presented artfully. George Harrison in an interview from the 90s explains why the Beatles hit America and the press the way they did.

[Jaron Paxton]

The Beatles were very. I mean they actually were funny. Everybody in Liverpool thinks they're a comedian. I mean that's a well known fact. And all you have to do is drive up there and go through the Mersey Tunnel and the guy on the toll booth is a comedian, you know, they all are. We had that kind of bred and born into us and when you just transposed it into New York or somewhere it was, it was great. I mean we were just being hard faced really and they loved it.

[Michael Fassbender]

And do you think it was being made even stronger by the fact there.

[Jaron Paxton]

Were four of you bouncing off one another? Absolutely, yeah. You just dried up and somebody else was already there with another fab quip.

[David Biancouli]

Another wonderful vintage interview from a decade ago has singer Ronnie Spector talking about how she and the Ronettes helped the Beatles escape from the Plaza Hotel which was surrounded by a mob of adoring teenage fans.

[Jaron Paxton]

I'll tell you the truth. They had to escape. They were prisoners. So I got a limousine, we went down the back stairs and went to Harlem. I said, I'm taking you to Harlem. Nobody will notice you up there. And they didn't. They thought they were a bunch of Spanish dogs because the Spanish Harlem.

[David Biancouli]

So they didn't pay them any mind.

[Jaron Paxton]

We went into Sherman's Barbecue, it was called 151st in Amsterdam. They went in and they loved it because nobody recognized them. You know, the black guys are eating their ribs and the Spanish guys, and nobody paid them any attention. And it was great. They loved that, that nobody paid them any attention. See how sweet they were. They didn't care about stardom so much. Oh, we're going to be on Ed Sullivan. They said, ronnie, who's Ed Sullivan? You know.

[David Biancouli]

The film features new interviews as well. One of the film's producers, Martin Scorsese, conducts separate interviews with Paul McCartney and Ringo. McCartney has filmed at his Brooklyn photographic exhibit from earlier this year where he points out one of his favorite photos that he took during those. The Beatles are relaxing poolside in Miami and George is being handed a drink by a young woman.

[Jaron Paxton]

Liverpool guys, 15 years after World War II and we're now here in Miami. This is the one that sums up the good life in Florida. He's got his shades on, he's got the sunshine, he's got his drink, and he's got the girl in the yellow bikini delivering it to him.

[David Biancouli]

Instead of emphasizing the very familiar ed Sullivan footage, Beatles 64 instead presents complete songs from the much rarer Washington D.C. performance, which was filmed in the round in a boxing ring for a closed circuit TV presentation. Giles Martin, the son of Beatles producer George Martin, remixed the music and it sounds great. One of the young people in the audience that day was film director David lynch, who talks about it.

[Michael Owen]

I was in high school, I lived in Alexandria, Virginia. I was into rock and roll music, mainly Elvis Presley, who brought rock and.

[Jaron Paxton]

Roll music to the world to me.

[Michael Owen]

Anyway, I ended up going to this concert.

[Jaron Paxton]

I didn't really have any idea that.

[Michael Fassbender]

It was the first concert.

[Jaron Paxton]

I didn't. I don't know.

[Michael Owen]

And it was.

[Jaron Paxton]

I didn't have any idea how big this event was. And it was in a gigantic place where they had boxing matches. The Beatles were in the boxing ring.

[Michael Owen]

It was so loud, you can't believe.

[Michael Fassbender]

I'm gonna tell.

[Jaron Paxton]

You.

[David Biancouli]

Other fresh stories come from such people as Jamie Bernstein, the daughter of Leonard Bernstein, record producer Jack Douglas, who tells a fabulous story about John Lennon and Motown singer Smokey Robinson, who talks of the importance of the Beatles covering one of his songs. A year or so later, he'd return the favor on national television by singing Yesterday with the Miracles.

[Jaron Paxton]

They were the first white group that I had ever heard in my life, the first white artist ever of their magnitude that I ever heard in my life. Say, yeah, we grew up listening to black music. We love Motown. We listen to black music. We don't know this person. No other white artist had ever said that, not anyone of magnitude until the Beatles said that.

[David Biancouli]

By collecting the footage, gathering the stories and presenting very generous samples of the songs, Beatles 64 makes it clear why the Beatles made such an impact and why the group and its music continue to not only be remembered, but revered.

[Sam Briger]

David Biancouli is professor of television studies at Rowan University. He's at work on a book about the visual artistry of the Beatles. He reviewed Beatles 64, now streaming on Disney. Coming up.

[Jaron Paxton]

Yep.

[Sam Briger]

Terry talks with author Michael Owen about Ira Gershwin, the lyricist behind some of the most enduring songs in the great American Popular Songbook. We'll hear plenty of great Gershwin music. I'm Sam Briger and this is FRESH.

[Terry Gross]

AIR Weekend support for npr. And the following message come from Rosetta Stone, the perfect app to achieve your language learning goals. No matter how busy your schedule gets, it's designed to maximize study time with immersive 10 minute lessons and audio practice for your commute. Plus tailor your learning plan for specific objectives like travel. Get Rosetta Stone's lifetime membership for 50% off and unlimited access to 25 language courses. Learn more at rosettastone.com NPR this message comes from NPR sponsor Oxfam, a global organization that fights inequality to end poverty and injustice. Communities around the globe are facing crisis after crisis that have put millions at risk. Oxfam is there when disasters strike, delivering life saving aid. But they don't stop there. Oxfam partners with local leaders to help communities grow stronger and advocates for lasting solutions to poverty and injustice. Join them this giving season. [e-mail] NPR this message comes from NPR.

[Michael Fassbender]

Sponsor Land's End Outfitters. Your brand is important and they create apparel. Your team will want to wait. Go to business.landsin.com pod20 and use code pod20 for 20% off your first product.

[Sam Briger]

Our next guest, author Michael Owen, talks with Terry about the life and enduring lyrics of Ira Gershwin. His new book is called Ira A Life in Words.

[Michael Owen]

Here's Terry the classic songs Lady Be Good, Embraceable you swonderful love is here to stay. Let's call the whole thing off. Fascinating rhythm I got rhythm I've got a crush on you. My ship the man that got away Long ago and far away I could go on. They all have lyrics by Ira Gershwin. Most of his best known songs were written with his younger brother, the pianist and composer George Gershwin, but Ira also wrote with Harold Arlen, Jerome Kern and Kurt Weil. My guest, Michael Owen, is the author of the new book Ira A Life and Words. Owen was the archivist for the Ira and Leonard Gershwin trusts until those papers were given to the Library of Congress. Owen now works with the trusts as a consulting archivist and historian. He's also the author of a book about the singer Julie London. Let's start with Ella Fitzgerald singing Lady Be good from her 1959 album Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook. It's the title song from an early Gershwin musical, O sweet and lovely lady.

[Jaron Paxton]

Be good.

[Sam Briger]

Oh, lady, be good.

[Jaron Paxton]

To me. I am so awesome, lovely, misunderstood so.

[Sam Briger]

Lady, be good.

[Jaron Paxton]

To me, oh, please have some pity. I'm all alone in this big city, I tell you.

[Michael Owen]

Michael Owen, welcome to FRESH air. I love the Gershwin's music, so it's a pleasure to be able to talk with you about it. I opened with Lady Be Good because I think it ties together the early part of Ira Gershwin's career with the part in the 1950s when he wasn't really writing much and his career, his songs like needed a Boost and Ella Fitzgerald's Gershwin Songbook really helped give him that. So can you talk a little bit about the importance of both of those? And, you know, the Lady Be Good musical and the Ella Fitzgerald Gershwin Songbook.

[Michael Fassbender]

Thank you first off, for having me on. 1924 was absolutely a big year for Ira. Ira and George had brought them together for the first time as a songwriting team to write a Broadway show. And because Lady B. Goode was such a success, it fostered the rest of their career together. But. But by the time the late 1950s came around when L. Fitzgerald recorded the songbook, Ira's career had come to an end. He might not have known that at the time, but it did. We know that now. And the Songbook, one of a series of songbooks that Ella Fitzgerald did of other songwriters of the period, brought a new light, a new focus on the songs that the brothers wrote. And so it was a commercial success, it was an artistic success, and it brought on a wealth of new recordings of those songs and others in the catalog and helped Ira financially quite well.

[Michael Owen]

George and Ira had very different interests and personalities. George was more extroverted. Ira was more like shy or wanted to stay more in the background. And. And you know, George was very musical. Ira was immersed in words. He read a lot. He kept a record of what he read. He started writing light verse that was published in the college magazine or newspaper and other places. Were they close as children being so different from each other?

[Michael Fassbender]

They were only two years apart and they were the first and second children of Morse and Rose Gershwin. And so they grew up together even though their interests were very separate. George was somebody who went out and got into fights and came home with a black eye. Iroh was back in his room reading newspaper articles and magazines and books. So his life became more one of observation rather than activity. Whereas George's life would have been a 180 degree difference from that.

[Michael Owen]

When Ira was young, either in high school or college, he became friends with IIP Harburg, the lyricist probably most famous for writing the lyrics for the wizard of Oz. And he also wrote the very famous lyric, Brother, can you spare a dime? And not only were they friends, and they often talked about not only poetry and light verse, but also lyrics together. Ira actually contributed a couple of lines to over the Rainbow from the wizard of Oz. What was Ira's contribution?

[Michael Fassbender]

Well, all three of the writers who were friends, Harold Arlen, the composer, and JA Parberg and Ira, who had been classmates and writing partners together before. When Arlen and Harburg had been hired to write the score at MGM for the wizard of Oz, they played the tune that Arlen's tune that became over the Rainbow for Ira because he was a sounding board. And I must say that that was the way it was with all these writers of that period. They were all generally friendly to each other. I don't think there was a lot of competition. I mean, there was competition, obviously, but there wasn't angry competition. So when the song was finished, or at least when Harburg and Arlen thought the song was finished, they came over Ira's house and Arlen sat down at the piano and played the tune and Harper sang the song. And Ira liked it a lot, but he felt like that there was something missing at the end, a coda to the song. And so Ira was the one who came up with the line about bluebirds flying at the end, which is one of the more famous lines from the song.

[Michael Owen]

But if happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow why, oh, why can't I?

[Michael Fassbender]

Right. And I think that sums up the song in many ways. It sums up the film. It sums up Dorothy's journey. But I think he just was helping out his friends. And whether he got credit for that or not didn't really make that much difference to him.

[Michael Owen]

And he did not get credit as a.

[Michael Fassbender]

He did not get credit. No, no.

[Michael Owen]

Why don't we just hear that coda? Just hear the end of the song.

[Jaron Paxton]

If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow why, O I can.

[Sam Briger]

Die.

[Michael Owen]

That was the end of Somewhere over the Rainbow from the wizard of Oz. And we heard those last couple of lines, which were actually written by Ira Gershwin. Ira read so many books and, you know, wrote light verse. And some of the lyrics have really fun, funny literary references in them. And an example for that is. But Not For Me, which is a beautiful song. And it has the line, I found more skies of grey than any Russian play can guarantee. One of his famous lines. Can you talk a little bit about that song and how it originated?

[Michael Fassbender]

Well, Bonampet for Me was one of the songs that was written for the 1930 musical Girl Crazy, which featured a very young Ginger Rogers. That was a song that Ginger Rogers sang in the show, a ballad that she sang. And it was also the show that brought Ethel Merman to everybody's attention. So I got Rhythm Is in the same show. And it was perhaps the height of the Gershwin's silly shows by 1930, before they went into some of the political shows of the few years after. And then Porgy and Bess. But not For Me is. It's a very romantic ballad, and you can take it that way. But if you listen to the lyrics closely, you can hear both Ivers influences, because, as you say, he read a lot and he had a huge library. But also his tricky rhymes about wedding knots. And being that. That was not for me part of.

[Michael Owen]

The lyric, and it's. The end of the lyric goes. When every happy plot ends with a marriage knot and there's no knot for me. So a clever play on words.

[Michael Fassbender]

Absolutely correct. And I think that one of the things that Ira complained about sometimes was that in a theater, most people were never going to get that sense of the song. They were going to hear the two words and the two sounds, not and not. And they'd think they were the same thing. And it was only the people who actually studied the sheet music or who sang the song professionally who might pick it up. But he did this on purpose.

[Michael Owen]

Why?

[Michael Fassbender]

Because he always wanted to have some fun with the lyrics. I don't think he ever thought of lyric writing, particularly in his early years as a job, so much as it was his way of making his thoughts about love and art known to the world of musical theater and film music and popular songs. And whether people got that or not, that certainly wasn't up to him. But he was very protective of his lyrics. And when singers would sing songs, not in the way that he wrote them, singing I've got rhythm instead of I got rhythm, you know, he was. He was somewhat offended by that in a humorous way.

[Michael Owen]

It was the same with Swunderful. Somebody saying, it's wonderful. He'd get pretty upset. And I was listening to the Lee Wiley, she did a whole set of Gershwin songs and she sings, it's wonderful. It's supposed to swonderful, but she's such a great singer. Anyhow, let's not get too distracted. And here let's hear. But not for Me. Should we hear Leigh Wiley singing it?

[Michael Fassbender]

Absolutely. Let's hear Leigh Wiley.

[Michael Owen]

And this is on her recording from the 1930s, right?

[Michael Fassbender]

Yes, Leigh Wiley. She's generally a forgotten name in the world of popular song these days, but she was one of the first performers to do what we now call songbook albums.

[Michael Owen]

So let's hear Lee Wiley's recording from the 1930s of Georgia and Ira Gershwin's But Not For Me.

[Jaron Paxton]

They're writing songs of love but not.

[Michael Fassbender]

For me.

[David Biancouli]

The lucky stars above but.

[Jaron Paxton]

Not for me with love to leave.

[Sam Briger]

The way I found More clouds of.

[Michael Fassbender]

Grain Than any Russian plain could guarantee.

[Jaron Paxton]

I was a fool too far and get that way.

[Sam Briger]

I o last and.

[Jaron Paxton]

All for like a day.

[Michael Fassbender]

Although I can be smiling the memory of.

[Terry Gross]

Of your kisses.

[Michael Owen]

Lee Wiley recorded in the 1930s singing the Gershwin song But Not For Me. My guest, Michael Owen, is the author of a new book called Ira Gershwin A Life in Words. What was their approach to writing together? Everybody wants to know what came first, the words or the music. And their approach to writing together changed over the years.

[Michael Fassbender]

It did. I would jokingly would usually say that what came first was the contract, but.

[Michael Owen]

Sammy Khan used to say that too.

[Michael Fassbender]

Yes, I think they all said that. Yes, in the early days. And I would say that it would have been from the 20s into the mid-1930s. It was usually George's melodic ideas that started the ball rolling for a song. And it might just have been a fragment of a melody. And Ira had a very good memory for melodies, even though he couldn't really play the piano. But he did remember them in a certain way that kept them in his mind and could bring them back and try to remind his brother of something that might have been brought up a few months earlier. And it was a very unique relationship. I mean, I know that every songwriter worked in a different way. Songwriting partnerships worked in different ways. But typically over the years, Ira would be at a little card table next to George at the piano. And he would have his big sheets of paper with him. And he would just scribble out ideas. And if you looked at some of the archival material that I used in writing this book and went through Ira's papers as I did, you can see the vast amount of changes and ideas that flowed through his head as his brother was elaborating on these melodies. But eventually, over the years, it became more of a joint partnership, that it wasn't always the music that came first. Particularly as they got into the so called political musicals of the 30s, of the I Sing and things like that, where the lyrics came more to the forefront of the show rather than the music. Memorable music though it is. But this is the lyrics, the satirical nature of those lyrics that brought Ira to a new level where people were starting to compare him to one of his idols, Gilbert W.S. gilbert of Gilbert Solomon fame.

[Michael Owen]

How did Ira Gershwin's life end?

[Michael Fassbender]

Well, ira died in 1983. He had been housebound for a number of years. His last real work was in the early 1960s. And so after the end of the 1960s, which was basically the last time he traveled, he increasingly stayed at his house. He had had a stroke and various other physical ailments over the years which were leaving him more incapacitated. But I will say that his final years actually were quite good ones, because among other things was the arrival of a young man by the name of Michael Feinstein, who I know you've had on your show, who was hired initially to sort of entertain Ira and wound up working on Ira's archive. And I did some similar work to what Michael did in terms of the archive, but certainly not entertaining Ira. I wasn't around then, and there was a piano that was brought up into Ira's bedroom. And Michael spent a lot of time at the house singing for Ira. Some of the more obscure corners of Ira's catalog, which entertained a man who had become somewhat isolated. But it was a good life, it was a successful life. And it's certainly one that is well remembered by those of us who love great songs, great lyrics, and the Great American songbook.

[Michael Owen]

Michael Owen, thank you so much for talking with us.

[Michael Fassbender]

Thank you, Terry. It's been a pleasure.

[Sam Briger]

Michael Owens new book is Ira A Life in Words. Fresh Air Weekend is produced today by Thea Chaloner. Fresh Air's executive producer is Danny Miller. Our technical director and engineer is Audrey Bentham. Our interviews and reviews are produced and edited by Phyllis Meyer, Anne Marie Baldonado, Lauren Krenzel, Teresa Madden, Monique Nazareth, Susan Nikundi and Anna Bauman. Our digital media producers are Molly CV Nesper and Sabrina Seward. For Terry Gross and Tanya Mosley, I'm Sam Bricker.

[Terry Gross]

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