George Gershwin at the Piano “Oh, lady be good” performed by George Shearing
with Sheet Music Download from our Library.
“Oh, Lady Be Good!” is a 1924 song by George and Ira Gershwin. It was introduced by Walter Catlett in the Broadway musical Lady, Be Good! written by Guy Bolton, Fred Thompson, and the Gershwin brothers and starring Fred and Adele Astaire. The song was also performed by the chorus in the film Lady Be Good (1941), although the film is unrelated to the musical.
Please, subscribe to our Library.
If you are already a subscriber, please, check our NEW SCORES’ page every month for new sheet music. THANK YOU!
Recordings in 1925 were by Paul Whiteman, Carl Fenton, and Cliff Edwards. A 1947 recording of the song became a hit for Ella Fitzgerald, notable for her scat solo. For her album Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook (1959), it was sung as a ballad arranged by Nelson Riddle.
Recorded versions
- Rob Agerbeek – Three of a Kind (1998)
- Fred Astaire – rec. December 1952 – The Astaire Story
- Count Basie – rec. February 4, 1939 (Decca)
- Buck and Bubbles – rec. December 26, 1933 (Columbia)
- Kenny Burrell – rec. August 25, 1959 – On View at the Five Spot Cafe (Blue Note)
- Joe Carroll – The Man with the Happy Sound (1962)
- Cliff “Ukulele Ike” Edwards – rec. January 2, 1925
- Carl Fenton and His Orchestra – recorded on December 11, 1924 (Brunswick)
- Ella Fitzgerald – with Bob Haggart (1947)
- Ella Fitzgerald – rec. 1959 – Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook
- Benny Goodman Trio – rec. April 27, 1936 as the B–side of China Boy (Victor)
- The Gordons with Dizzy Gillespie and Stuff Smith – rec. April 17, 1957
- Jack Hylton and his Orchestra – rec. March 29, 1926
- Buddy Lee with the Gilt–Edged Four – rec. May 17, 1926 (Columbia)
- Charlie Parker and Lester Young for Jazz at the Philharmonic, January 28, 1946
- Dianne Reeves – We All Love Ella: Celebrating the First Lady of Song (2007)
- Slim & Slam – rec. May 3, 1938 (Vocalion)
- Mel Tormé and Buddy Rich – Together Again: For the First Time (1978)
- Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra – rec. December 29, 1924 (Victor)
- John Wilson Orchestra– Gershwin in Hollywood, live at the Royal Albert Hall (2016)
- Django Reinhardt– Django Reinhardt swing de Paris 4 CD set (2003)
See also
“When Lester Young played on the second chorus, the jazz world was introduced to another way of playing the tenor saxophone … Jazz would never be the same.” | ||
– Chris Tyle |
As improvisational vehicles, many songs could not endure the transition from the loose Dixieland style of the “Roaring Twenties” to the smooth, swing sound of the 1930’s. They were dropped from jazz musicians’ catalogs, performances, and recordings and relegated to period collections and specialty bands.
There are, however, a handful of songs written in the mid-twenties or earlier that have persisted as the topmost jazz standards: WC Handy’s “St. Louis Blues” (1914); the Ken Casey, Maceo Pinkard, Ben Bernie composition “Sweet Georgia Brown” (1925); and George and Ira Gershwin’s “The Man I Love” (1924) and “Oh, Lady Be Good” (1924).
Walter Catlett introduced “Oh, Lady Be Good!” on the stage of the Liberty Theater December 1st 1924. The song was included in the Broadway Musical Lady, Be Good! a popular show that would run for 330 performances. The show starred Fred and Adele Astaire, Walter Catlett, Alan Edwards, Jayne Auburn, Kathlene Martyn, and Cliff Edwards. It opened to generally favorable reviews, with the critics raving about the Astaires’ footwork and the “jazzy” Gershwin score.
In 1925 “Oh, Lady Be Good!” went on to become a pop chart hit three times with Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra (1925, instrumental, #2) Carl Fenton and his Orchestra (1925, instrumental, #9) Cliff Edwards (1925, #13) |
Lady Be Good was one of several shows in 1924 that represented a significant departure from the romantic operetta style. According to Edward Jablonski’s book Gershwin: A Biography, these pioneering productions were “… brittle in tone, ‘smart,’ characterized by athletic dances, tongue-in-cheek love songs”; in other words, forerunners of the modern musical comedy.
Best site for sheet music download.
“Oh, Lady Be Good!” was one of a dozen songs in the all-Gershwin Broadway score. Also becoming hits were “So Am I,” “Little Jazz Bird,” “The Half of It, Dearie, Blues,” and “Fascinating Rhythm.” Lady Be Good was also a turning point in the career of Cliff Edwards. Edwards’ ukulele rendition of “Fascinating Rhythm” stole the show and would prove to be the beginning of a string of Broadway appearances for him.
Browse in the Library:
Artist or Composer / Score name | Cover | List of Contents |
---|---|---|
The Complete Keyboard Player Book 3 by Kenneth Baker | ||
The Complete Piano Player Book 1 by Kenneth Baker | The Complete Piano Player Book 1 | |
The Complete Piano Player Book 2 by Kenneth Baker | ||
The Complete Piano Player Book 4 by Kenneth Baker | ||
The Complete Piano Player Book 5 by Kenneth Baker | The Complete Piano Player Book 5 | |
The Complete Piano Player Easy Blues | The Complete Piano Player Easy Blues | |
The Complete Piano Player Style Book by Kenneth Baker | The Complete Piano Player Style – Book by Kenneth Baker | |
The Conformist – Main theme (Georges Delerue) | ||
The Contradictions Of Jazz (Studies In Jazz) by Paul Rinzler (Book) | ||
The Corrs – Angel | ||
The Corrs – It’s Easy To Play The Corrs | The Corrs – It’s Easy To Play The Corrs | |
The Corrs – One Night | ||
The Corrs – Play Guitar With – MP3 audio tracks embedded in PDF Play Along with Tablature | Play Guitar With – The Corrs | |
The Corrs – Runaway | ||
The Cottage on the Beach (Atonement OST) Dario Marianelli | ||
The Country Music Fake Book | The Country Music Fake Book | |
The Creative Development of Johann Sebastian Bach Volume I (1695-1717) | ||
The Creative Development of Johann Sebastian Bach, Vol II, 1717-1750 | ||
The Cure – The Best Of [Guitar Tablature Songbook] | The Cure – The Best Of [Guitar Tablature Songbook] | |
The Cure Disintegration(Guitar & Vocal sheet music) with Tablature | The Cure Disintegration Guitar | |
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Alexandre Desplat | The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Alexandre Desplat | |
The Danish Girl – Fonnesbech (Alexandre Desplat) | ||
The Danish Girl (Alexandre Desplat) | ||
The Day of the Dolphin (Georges Delerue) | ||
The Deer Hunter – Cavatina – Stanley Myers | ||
The Definitive Jazz Collection Alto Saxophone With Chords | The Definitive Jazz Collection Alto Saxophone With Chords | |
The Disappearance Of Hatsune Miku Piano | ||
The Doobie Brothers Long Train Runnin Piano Vocal Guitar chords | ||
The Doors – Hello I Love You | ||
The Doors – Light My Fire | ||
The Doors – Riders On The Storm | ||
The Doors – Rock Score (band songbook) | ||
The Doors Anthology (Guitar & Tablature) | The Doors Anthology (Guitar & Tablature) | |
The Doors Guitar Tablature Anthology | The Doors Guitar Tablature Anthology | |
The Doors Songbook | ||
The Doors The Music Of The Doors | The Doors The Music Of The Doors | |
The dream within (Lara Fabian) | ||
The Eagles (Guitar Backing) Jam with – (with MP3 audio tracks to play along) with Tablature | The Eagles Jam with | |
The Ecstasy of Gold (Ennio Morricone) | ||
The Elder Scrolls III Morrowind Title Music | ||
The End Of The World – Skeeter Davis | ||
The End Of The World – Skeeter Davis (Musescore File).mscz | ||
The English Patient – Main Theme (Musescore File).mscz | ||
The English Patient Piano Solo Gabriel Yared | ||
The Entertainer (Musescore File).mscz | ||
The European Piano Method Vol. 1 Fritz Emonts | ||
The European Piano Method Vol. 2 Fritz Emonts | ||
The Evolution Of Jazz Arranging by Fred Sturm (Book) | ||
The Evolution Of The Art Of Music Cambridge Librar. (Book) | ||
The Exciters – Tell Him | ||
The Exercise Book Guitar Grimoire Series Adam Kadmon Guitar Tablature | ||
The Exorcist Main Theme Piano Solo arr. Robert Miles and Storm Kesocascay | The Exorcist Main Theme Piano Solo arr. Robert Miles and Storm Kesocascay cover | |
The Fantasticks – Celebration – Tom Jones & Schmidt, Harvey | The Fantasticks. Celebration – Tom Jones & Schmidt, Harvey | |
The Fault In Our Stars Songbook Sheet Music Piano Vocal Guitar | The Fault In Our Stars Songbook Sheet Music Piano Vocal Guitar | |
The First Noel – 17th Century English Carol – Easy Piano Arr. With Lyrics (Musescore File).mscz | ||
The First Principles Of Pianoforte Playing (By Tobias Matthay) (1905) | ||
The Fountain – Lastman – Clint Mansell | ||
The Four Seasons – Vivaldi (Musescore File).mscz | ||
The Four Seasons (Complete) (Musescore File).mscz | ||
The Fray – How To Save A Life | ||
The Fray How to Save a Life | The Fray How to Save a Life | |
The Freddie Mercury album (Queen) Piano Vocal Guitar | The Freddie Mercury -Album | |
The Free Music Analysis Anthology by Mark Feezell | Book Theory | |
The Frim Fram sauce by Joe Ricardel and Redd Evans -Jazz Play Along | The Frim Fram sauceMusic: | |
The Full Monty (The Musical) – Piano Conductor Score Book by Terrence McNally Music and Lyrics by David Yazbek | The Full Monty (The Musical) – Piano Conductor Score | |
The Fusion Guitar Workbook (Deutsch German) with Tablature | ||
The Genius Of Kurt Weill (1938) | The Genius Of Kurt Weill (1938) | |
The Genius Of The Jazz Giants Vol 4 | The Genius Of The Jazz Giants Vol 4 | |
The Giants Of Jazz Piano | The Giants Of Jazz Piano | |
The Gipsy Jazz Guitar Songbook | The Gipsy Jazz Guitar Songbook | |
The Girl From Ipanema (Antonio Carlos Jobim & Vinícius de Moraes) Jazz Piano Solo arr. sheet music | ||
The Girl From Ipanema (Guitar Tabs) (Musescore File).mscz | ||
The Girl with the Sun in her Hair (John Barry) | ||
The Glorious Ones – I Was Here (Piano vocal) by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty | The Glorious Ones – I Was Here (Piano vocal) by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty | |
The Godfather – Love theme (Nino Rota) | ||
The Godfather – Main Theme | ||
The Godfather 2 – End Title (Nino Rota) | ||
The Godfather Songbook – piano | ||
The Godfather Theme (Nino Rota) | ||
The Godfather Waltz (Musescore File).mscz | ||
The Godfather Waltz (Nino Rota) | ||
The Golden Era Of Rock And Roll (Piano, vocal and Guitar Chords) | The Golden Era Of Rock And Roll (Piano, Vocal And Guitar Chords) | |
The Gravel Road (The Village OST) James Newton Howard | ||
The Great American Movie Songbook (for organ & keyboard) Very easy | The Great American Movie Songbook | |
The Great Composers (By Hezekiah Butterworth) (1884) | ||
The Greatest Love Songs Of The 21st Century | The Greatest Love Songs Of The 21st Century | |
The Greatest Love Songs Of The 60s | The Greatest Love Songs Of The 60s | |
The Greatest Love Songs Of The 70s | The Greatest Love Songs Of The 70s | |
The Greatest Love Songs Of The 80s | The Greatest Love Songs Of The 80s | |
The Greatest Love Songs Of The 90s | The Greatest Love Songs Of The 90s | |
The Greatest Showman Vocal Selections | The Greatest Showman Vocal Selections | |
The Grinch You’re A Mean One Mr. Grinch (Easy Solo Piano Arr.) By Dr. Seuss And Albert Hague | The Grinch You’re A Mean One Mr. Grinch (Easy Solo Piano Arr.) By Dr. Seuss And Albert Hague | |
The Grinch You’re A Mean One Mr. Grinch (Jazzy Solo Piano Arr.) By Dr. Seuss And Albert Hague | The Grinch You’re A Mean One Mr. Grinch (Jazzy Solo Piano Arr.) By Dr. Seuss And Albert Hague | |
The Grinch – You’re A Mean One Mr. Grinch (Easy Solo Piano Arr.) By Dr. Seuss And Albert Hague (Musescore File).mscz | ||
The Grinch – You’re A Mean One Mr. Grinch (Jazzy Solo Piano Arr.) By Dr. Seuss And Albert Hague (Musescore File).mscz | ||
The Guitar Works Of Garoto Vol 1 Guitar Scores | The Guitar Works Of Garoto Vol 1 Guitar Scores | |
The Guitarist’s Scale Book by Peter Fogl with TABs | ||
The Hanging Tree Sheet Music (From The Hunger Games Mockingjay, Part 1) (James Newton Howard) | ||
The Harmonious Blacksmith – Gf Händel (Musescore File).mscz | ||
The Harmony Of Bill Evans by Jack Reilly | The Harmony Of Bill Evans (Piano Score) | |
The Healing – Lady In The Water | The Healing – Lady In The Water | |
The Hill (Marketa Irglova) | ||
The History Of Jazz – Book by Ted Gioia (Oxford Un. Press) | ||
The history of the blues – Koopmans Andy (Book) | ||
The Hobbit – Song of the lonely mountain (Neil Finn) | The Hobbit song of the lonely mountain | |
The Horse Whisperer Sheet Music Voice Of God – Thomas Newman | ||
The Horse Whisperer Sheet Music – Montana – Thomas Newman | The Horsewisperer – Montana – Thomas Newman | |
The Horse Whisperer Sheet Music – The Vast Continent – Thomas Newman | The Horsewisperer – Montana – Thomas Newman | |
The Horsewisperer – Montana – Thomas Newman | ||
The Horsewisperer – The Vast Continent – Thomas Newman | ||
The Horsewisperer – Voice Of God – Thomas Newman | ||
The House of the raising Sun – Traditional (Guitarr arr. sheet music) | The House of the raising Sun – Traditional (Guitarr arr. sheet music) | |
The Hundred Best Short Classics Book 2 Cuthbert Whitemore | The Hundred Best Short Classics Book 2 Cuthbert Whitemore | |
The Hunger Games – James Newton Howard The Train | ||
The Immigrant – Love theme (The Godfather OST) Nino Rota | ||
The Immigrant (The Godfather OST) Nino Rota | ||
The Imperial March Star Wars Sheet Music For Piano by John Williams | The Imperial March Star Wars Sheet Music For Piano | |
The Improvisation Of Musical Dialogue A Phenomenology Of Music (Bruce Ellis Benson) Book | ||
The Interpretation Of Piano Music (By Mary Venable) (1913) | ||
The Jazz Piano Book Mark Levine | jazz piano book |