Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away)" is a song composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin and Gus Kahn. It was introduced in 1929 by Ruby Keeler (as Dixie Dugan) in Florenz Ziegfeld's musical Show Girl.[1] The stage performances were accompanied by the Duke Ellington Orchestra.[2] On the show's opening night in Boston on June 25, 1929, Keeler's husband and popular singer Al Jolson suddenly stood up from his seat in the third row and sang a chorus of the song, much to the surprise of the audience and Gershwin himself.[3] Jolson recorded the song a few days later on July 6, 1929, and his rendition rose to number nine on the charts of the day.[4]

Other notable recordings

A popular jazz standard, the song has been recorded by:

• Ipana Troubadors, vocal by Smith Ballew, recorded July 9, 1929 for Columbia Records (catalog No. 1903D).[5]
• Leo Reisman and His Orchestra, recorded July 9, 1929 for Victor Records (catalog No. 22069A).[6]
• Fletcher Henderson and His Orchestra - recorded on September 25, 1934 for Decca Records (catalog No. 555).[7]
• Art Tatum Swingsters - recorded on October 9, 1934 for Decca Records (catalog No. 1373).[8]
• Teddy Wilson - a single release on the Brunswick label in 1935.[9]
• Benny Goodman Quartet, recorded August 2, 1937 for Victor Records (catalog No. 25660).[10]
• Chick Webb and His Orchestra - recorded on May 3, 1938 for Decca Records (catalog No. 1840).[11]
• Paul Whiteman Swinging Strings - recorded on November 15, 1938 for Decca Records (catalog No. 2223).[12]
• Frankie Carle and His Orchestra, recorded April 2, 1942 for Columbia Records (catalog No. 36689).[13]
• Ethel Smith - recorded on October 24, 1944 for Decca Records (catalog No. 23426).[14]
• The Quintet of the Hot Club of France, featuring Django Reinhardt - recorded January 2, 1946 for Decca Records.[15]
• Al Jolson - he recorded it again on June 11, 1947.[16]
• Bing Crosby - recorded May 21, 1954 with John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra.[17]
• Thelonious Monk - included in his album The Unique Thelonious Monk (1956) and again in Monk (1964).
• The Four Freshmen - included in their album Four Freshmen and Five Saxes (1957).
• Chet Atkins - on Finger-Style Guitar (1957).
• Bobby Darin - included in his album Bobby Darin Sings The Shadow of Your Smile (1966).
• Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea - on album An Evening with Herbie Hancock & Chick Corea: In Concert - recorded February 1978 for Columbia Records (catalog No. 35663).
• Michael Feinstein - for his album Pure Gershwin (1987).
• Mel Tormé - for his album Velvet & Brass (1995).
• Judy Garland - a 1963 TV version included in the album The Show That Got Away (2002).[18]
• Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli - recorded together in 1943, included in Bioshock's Licensed Soundtrack (2007).[19][20]

Film appearances

• 1945 Rhapsody in Blue
• 1945 George White's Scandals - performed on the Hammond B3 Organ by Ethel Smith.
• 1946 The Jolson Story - sung by Larry Parks (dubbed by Al Jolson), danced by Evelyn Keyes.
• 1946 The Big Sleep - heard outside Eddie Mars' house
• 1947 The Man I Love - played by San on the piano when Petey calls the Bamboo Club.
• 1951 An American in Paris
• 1951 Starlift - sung and danced by Patrice Wymore (singing dubbed by Bonnie Lou Williams)

In popular culture

Liza Minnelli performed the number at her 2008-9 concert Liza's at The Palace...!. It is also included in the 2015 Broadway musical An American in Paris, a joke on the mispronunciation of "Lise" - the female lead's name - by the American Jerry Mulligan. The song inspired Judy Garland to name her first child Liza (Minnelli).

Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappeli's licensed version appears as a song in Bioshock (2007). Players will hear it upon activating a jukebox in the level, and will hear its notable tune during the Farmer's Market section. Featured in-game, the song has been slowed down[21] whilst the original recording is played at slightly faster speed.[22]

See also

• List of 1920s jazz standards

Notes