Gershwin Yrs PBBoth the definitive biography of the Gershwin brothers and a lavishly illustrated chronicle of the American era their music and lyrics embodied, The Gershwin Years celebrates the musical achievements of George (1898 1937) and Ira (1896 1983) while offering a revealing inside look at their lives. The brothers drew inspiration from its varied faces black culture from Porgie and Bess, the frantic sophistication of the 1920s for such musical comedies as