Music of the Kennedy White House

Music flourished in the Kennedy White House. Unlike any President that came before him, John F. Kennedy, influenced by his wife Jacqueline’s deep love of culture, brought an appreciation for music and the arts literally to a national stage. Classical music, opera, gospel, jazz, and even rock ‘n’ roll were embraced by the Kennedys, and concerts were de rigueur events for entertaining dignitaries and heads of state. Many of the most acclaimed composers of the twentieth century were Kennedy White House visitors, including Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland. The Kennedy White House supported a wide range of musical artists and encouraged Americans to seek out a greater involvement with the arts. Music of the Kennedy White House is a celebration of the music that the president and the first lady loved. It spotlights their personal favorites, including Mack the Knife from The Threepenny Opera, Chubby Checker’s The Twist, and September Song from Knickerbocker Holiday, along with classic selections from Kennedy White House performers. Included are songs by gospel legend Mahalia Jackson, iconic vocalist Ella Fitzgerald, Dixieland trumpeter Al Hirt, and jazz great Count Basie, who were among the many leading musicians of the day chosen to participate at the Kennedy inaugural festivities. Also featured is Leonard Bernstein’s Fanfare For JFK, which was written for the new president and premiered at the inaugural gala, with the composer conducting, on January 19, 1961. The performance by virtuoso cellist Pablo Casals on November 13, 1961 (which included Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio No. 1 in D Minor) was perhaps the most celebrated concert given at the White House during the Kennedy years. Among its two hundred invited guests were many of the nation’s most prominent composers and conductors. In 1962, after completing a tour of Latin America under President Kennedy’s Cultural Exchange Program, the Paul Winter Jazz Sextet became the first jazz group ever to perform at the White House. An original recording from that performance, never before released, is included on this CD. Earlier that year soprano Grace Bumbry made her American debut at the White House following a state dinner for Vice President Lyndon Johnson. Other memorable Kennedy White House music events included a piano concert by Eugene List (which included the piece The Banjo) given during a visit by former President Truman and his wife, and a spirited dance party led by society big band leader Lester Lanin in the White House’s historic East Wing. Broadway musicals and ballet productions also found a home at the Kennedy White House. Performances included the American Ballet Theatre’s production of Billy the Kid, with composer Aaron Copland in attendance and Brigadoon, with lyrics by President Kennedy’s Harvard classmate Alan Jay Lerner. Another popular Lerner & Loewe musical, Camelot, provided what became the unofficial theme of the Kennedy administration. With their leadership, charisma, and style, John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy encouraged Americans to participate along with them in exploring and enjoying music in its many forms.

Jonathan Romeo