On February 12, 1924, George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue was performed for the first time. Paul Whiteman, an influential orchestra conductor, believed jazz needed to be considered a serious art form and wanted it for his orchestra. At the concert, Gershwin himself accompanied the orchestra on piano. (He composed it in under 5 weeks and had to improvise his part that afternoon.) Rhapsody is now regarded as an important 20th century contribution to music.
