Debuted in 1932’s Girl Crazy, and made world famous by Ethel Merman for the original Broadway production. “I Got Rhythm” was composed in 1930 by George Gershwin, with brother Ira supplying the lyrics. It has become the jazz standard, a required piece for anyone wanting to learn how to improvise.
Not only is it an important song in its own right, but there have been literally countless tunes that have been “borrowed” from those iconic chord changes, many of these becoming standards in themselves.
If you’re not familiar with the tune, the best place to start is with Ethel Merman’s original take, Gene Kelly’s upbeat version from the famed film, or Judy Garland’s 1943 teaming with Mickey Rooney.
We’ve listed some of the most famous jazz reads of the song, as well as the important tunes by musicians who composed their own themes based on the chord changes of “I Got Rhythm”.
Best versions of “I Got Rhythm” or songs based off of it
Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie: “Anthropology” “Moose The Mooche” “Shaw ‘Nuff” and “Dizzy Atmosphere”, ”Dexterity”. Bird and or Diz take the Gershwin piece and set it on fire.
Duke Ellington: “Cottontail”. Ben Webster’s tenor solo is still the standard bearer.
- Thelonious Monk: “Rhythm-A-Ning”. Joyful ricochet’s of “Rhythm:
- Lester Young: “
Lester Leaps In”, “Shoe Shine Boy”. Both versions are the apotheosis of cool toned heat. Sonny Rollins: “Oleo”. While Rollins wrote “Oleo”, the best version is the “peek-a-boo” 1955 read with Miles Davis’ first classic quintet with John Coltrane.
- The Flintstones Theme “Meet The Flintstones”. What more needs to be said, except
“WILMA!!” 
- Miles Davis “The Theme” and “The Serpent’s Tooth”. The former is the eternal closer of a set, and the latter a dark read of “Rhythm”
- Sonny Stitt “The Eternal Triangle”. Stitt bops like Bird.
Benny Goodman Quartet 1938 Carnegie Hall Concert:” I Got Rhythm”. Goodman’s famous stop-starts and Gene Krupa’s upping the pace each closing chorus at the famed concert makes this one of the standard bearers.Oliver Nelson: “Hoe-Down”. Every song on this 1961 classic is either a blues or a different coloring of “Rhythm”, with the Aaron Copland theme a cooker.
Louis Armstrong: “I Got Rhythm” (1931). Satchmo set the bar high with this swinging pre-swing take.- Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Parker, Lester Young: Jazz at the Phil Concert 1946 “I
Got Rhythm”. This is the only summit meeting of three of the most influential sax players, and it’s molten gold. - Count Basie, Benny Carter, Benny Goodman-1942 Metronome All Stars: “I Got Rhythm”. The best of 1942 playing “The Best”
