Inspiring Songs of Cole Porter and Jerome Kern
In-person – Tuesday 3:10 pm – 4:50 pm
Sept. 19, 26, Oct. 3, 10, 17, 24
We review the music and lives of two prolific composers, Jerome Kern and Cole Porter, who left a fantastic musical legacy! While Cole Porter wrote both the music and the words, Jerome Kern worked with several collaborators, most notably Oscar Hammerstein II. Hammerstein wrote all the marvelous lyrics for the grand songs of the epic musical, “Showboat”. And, who could ever forget Jerome Kern’s greatest song, All the Things You Are, with lyrics again by Oscar Hammerstein. From Cole Porter we have such memorable songs as Night and Day, I’ve Got You Under My Skin and True Love. He composed glorious music and sophisticated lyrics that evoke the times in which he lived. His songs have become a big part of our Great American Songbook! Dr. Joe tells us captivating stories, reviews the impressive lyrics and plays this iconic music for us on a piano keyboard in his own creative style.
Joe Utterback earned his Master’s Degree in Piano Performance from Wichita State University and his Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Kansas. He has over 500 published jazz and classical compositions in his Composer Catalogue. Dr. Joe has been Director of Music/Organist at Stratford First Congregational Church since 1996. He has been on the faculty of Sacred Heart University for 29 years. Dr. Joe has taught for 18 years at LLI, and he continues to perform throughout the U.S. and around the world.