The Complete Gershwin Songbooks collects three discs also released separately: 'S Wonderful, 'S Marvelous, and 'S Paradise. The first two discs include the greatest vocalists Verve had to offer, including Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Anita O'Day, Shirley Horn, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, Bing Crosby, Joe Williams, Fred Astaire, and even Antonio Carlos Jobim. Obviously, the songs are all classics and the versions presented are quite legendary themselves. The third disc in the set includes instrumental versions of Gershwin standards (by Bill Evans, Coleman Hawkins, Stan Getz, Clifford Brown, Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson) that focus on the composer's stunning gift of melody and harmonic interplay -- just as the vocalists' versions highlight his lyrical prowess. Not all the versions are definitive, but The Complete Gershwin Songbooks includes many treats for fans of classic traditional pop.
Disc: 'S Wonderful
1. They Can't Take That Away From Me - Billie Holiday
2. Summertime - Helen Merrill
3. Let's Call The Whole Thing Off - Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
4. Embraceable You - Sarah Vaughan
5. But Not For Me - Dinah Washington
6. They All Laughed - Bing Crosby
7. The Man I Love - Betty Carter
8. Oh, Lady Be Good - The Gordons With Dizzy Gillespie And Stuff Smith
9. There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York - Louis Armstrong
10. How Long Has This Been Going On? - Ella Fitzgerald
11. 'S Wonderful - Joe Williams
12. I Loves You Porgy - Nina Simone
13. I've Got A Crush On You - Bill Henderson
14. Fascinatin' Rhythm - Fred Astaire
15. Someone To Watch Over Me - Blossom Dearie
16. Our Love Is Here To Stay - Shirley Horn
Disc: 'S Marvelous
1. I Got Rhythm - Ernestine Anderson
2. Nice Work If You Can Get It - Billie Holiday
3. Embraceable You - Joe Williams
4. Who Cares? - Anita O'day
5. A Woman Is A Sometime Thing - Louis Armstrong
6. Love Walked In - Sarah Vaughan
7. Love Is Here To Stay - Blossom Dearie
8. Oh, Lady Be Good - Fred Astaire
9. Of Thee I Sing - Ella Fitzgerald
10. For You For Me, For Evermore - Morgana King
11. A Foggy Day - Dinah Washington
12. Someone To Watch Over Me - Arthur Prysock
13. Isn't It A Pity? - Shirley Horn
14. They Can't Take That Away From Me - Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
15. 'S Wonderful - Sarah Vaughan
16. Fascinatin' Rhythm - Antonio Carlos Jobim
Disc: 'S Paradise (Instrumentals)
1. Fascinatin' Rhythm - Louie Bellson
2. My Man's Gone Now - Bill Evans And Jim Hall
3. Mine - Buddy DeFranco
4. How Long Has This Been Going On? - Coleman Hawkins
5. Somebody Loves Me - Oscar Peterson
6. Prelude II - Kenny Burrell
7. They All Laughed - George Shearing
8. Nice Work If You Can Get It - Stan Getz & Bob Brookmeyer
9. I Loves You, Porgy - Bill Evans
10. Love Is Here To Stay - Jimmy Cleveland
11. The Man I Love - Toshiko Akiyoshi
12. A Foggy Day - Tal Farlow
13. Strike Up The Band - Oscar Peterson
14. Embraceable You - Clifford Brown
15. 'S Wonderful - Don Elliott
16. Someone To Watch Over Me - Art Tatum
