Jerome Kern

Jerome Kern (1885–1945) was one of the founding fathers of the American musical and a master melodist of the Great American Songbook. Across a prolific career he helped transform the Broadway musical from a loose revue into an integrated drama, above all with Show Boat (1927, with lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II), a landmark that tackled serious themes of race and hardship. His songs, among them ‘Ol’ Man River,’ ‘Smoke Gets in Your Eyes’ and the Academy Award-winning ‘The Way You Look Tonight,’ have become standards beloved by singers and jazz musicians alike. His gift for long, sweeping, deeply expressive melody influenced generations of American songwriters.