Porgy and Bess
Ray Charles and Cleo Laine
Music by George Gershwin
Libretto by Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward
2LP set
Decca London 1976
200g Quiex Super Vinyl re-issue 2024
By Tony Magee
With the passing of Dame Cleo Laine on July 24 2025, I’m reminded of the recent re-issue of her 1976 recording of Porgy and Bess with co-star Ray Charles.
Now available for the first time on 200g Quiex Super Vinyl, the two weave their soulful and hypnotic spells over the Gershwin-Heyward operetta, all under the watchful eye of legendary producer Norman Granz.
This undertaking from 1976 not only teams two of the greatest voices of the century, but also showcases an all-star lineup of support musicians. Arranged and conducted by Frank DeVol, players who were name artists in their own-right are featured, including Joe Pass and Lee Ritenour on guitars, Joe Sample on keyboards, Ernie Watts on saxophones, J.J. Johnson and Britt Woodman on trombones, Harry "Sweets" Edison on trumpet, Sam Most on flute , Bill Perkins and Jerome Richardson on various reeds, Bud Shank on alto sax, plus Victor Feldman and Paul Smith.
Background:
Porgy and Bess" is an opera set in Catfish Row, a fictionalised African-American neighbourhood in Charleston, South Carolina, inspired by the real-life Cabbage Row. The story revolves around the love between Porgy, a disabled beggar, and Bess, who is trying to escape her abusive past with her ex-husband Crown and the drug dealer Sportin' Life. The opera explores themes of community, resilience, and the challenges of addiction and redemption.
Key aspects of the setting:
Catfish Row:
This fictional neighbourhood is the central setting of the opera, depicting a close knit community with its own unique culture and struggles. It is described as a seaside area, reflecting Charleston's waterfront.
Real-life inspiration:
The opera is based on the novel "Porgy" by DuBose Heyward, which in turn draws inspiration from the real Cabbage Row in Charleston. Cabbage Row was historically inhabited by descendants of freed slaves.
Themes and atmosphere:
The setting of Catfish Row contributes to the opera's themes of community, resilience, and the challenges faced by its residents, including poverty, violence, and addiction.
The Selections:
1. Summertime - Ray Charles
2. My Man's Gone Now - Cleo Laine
3. Woman Is a Sometime Thing - Ray Charles
4. They Pass by Singin' - Cleo Laine
5. What You Want Wid Bess? - Cleo Laine
6. I Got Plenty O' Nuttin' - Ray Charles
7. Buzzard Song - Ray Charles
8. Bess, You Is My Woman Now - Ray Charles
9. Oh, Doctor Jesus - Cleo Laine
10. Crab Man - Ray Charles
11. Here Come de Honey Man - Ray Charles
12. Strawberry Woman (Instrumental) - Ray Charles
13. Strawberry Woman - Cleo Laine
14. It Ain't Necessarily So - Ray Charles
15. There's a Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon for New York - Ray Charles
16. I Loves You, Porgy - Cleo Laine
17. Oh Bess, Oh Where's My Bess? (Instrumental) - Ray Charles
18. Oh Bess, Oh Where's My Bess? - Ray Charles
19. Oh, Lawd, I'm on My Way! - Ray Charles
Alternatively, copies of the original 1976 pressing are usually available at pre-owned LP record stores, as well as outlets like the Lifeline Book-fair, eBay and Discogs.
Other jazz vocal versions of Porgy and Bess include those by:
Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong (Verve, 1959), also produced by Norman Granz
Mel Tormé and Frances Faye (Bethlehem, 1956)
Sammy Davis Junior and Carmen McRae (Decca, 1959)
Harry Bellafonte and Lena Horne (RCA Victor, 1959)