Larry Adler & Itzhak Perlman perform Gershwin's Summertime (Parkinson BBC 1980)

[AJWelch111]

When I first heard this played I sounded like two instruments!!! On a very very expensive Violin!

[cass276]

The 2 souless dislikes probably think that this ain't a patch on "gagsta rap"............(sigh)

[RosewaterElf]

Absolutely mesmerising! I just saw this on tv and rushed here to find it. Stunning!

[1decroy]

A joy and wonderful to listen to...

[rmcg888]

This video clip doesn't quite do justice to what was one of the all time magical moments on British television. In the middle of a Parkinson chat show, these two musical masters played an impromptu version of Summertime that had Parkinson, the studio guests and the audience on their feet and in tears. Parkinson even said that he thought they had just captured one of the greatest moments in television history - that is how poignant this recording was.

[vaikla]

Absolutely outstanding!!!

[foxtrotvictorsix]

i have been trying to find this video for ever Thank you for uploading it.

[Uilenstede48]

Truly speaks to the heart. Everytime I listen to this, it never fails to melt me.

[Mancunian6]

Yes unbelievable djahilon. Did you ever see/hear the duet he did, also on Parkinson, with Stephan Grappelli? That was amazing too. Seems nobody has uploaded it which is a shame but I'll keep looking. :)

[krakenwave]

@Mancunian6

I remember Grappelli did a duet sometime on Parkinson around 1975 with Yehudi Menuhin - you sure that wasn't it?

[Mancunian6]

@krakenwave Oh I remember the one you mention yes and like I said, I'm fairly sure Larry did a duet with Steffan Grappelli as well, although I wouldn't stake my life on it. :)

[whenmyguitar]

Thank you very much !

[darkgarb555]

I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!

[TimboTheWhale]

Masterful !!

[quicktothe4]

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH

[billfiddle]

always loved Itzak...

[CriticalListener]

Oh my. Holding my breath just listening to the pure soul of it all.

[djhailon]

I love the bit @ 1:33 start's the section with harmonica and ends with violin... The blend between the two is totally seemless

[1471ization]

@djhailon Absolutely mesmerising Thankyou for posting it

[nickbarcenas]

at 2:04 he does this bitchen ass hand vibrato that just sounds fucken amazing it sounds just like a violin that shit was sick i wish i could do that larry ur the shit r.i.p..

[whmozart]

If you grow old to become like this, you've mastered your life.

[trimar42]

ave

magnifique

ca , c est du talent à l état pur

et un mix des generations que l on trouve , hélas , trop peu souvent !

merci for this post

fred from france

[nickbates61]

I want this played at my funeral - absolute perfection

[Kerome33]

Marvellous... Even after listening to it a dozen times it still makes my hair stand on end. Perfection in musical form.

[scion221984]

I can't believe anyone could dislike this, it's beautiful

[aerospacepat]

The harmonica and violin blend together so beautifully

[LR53HGZ]

Oh Wow, you just have to stop what you're doing and marvel at these fantastic musicians, at the top of their game. Wonderful!

[Julius81]

Fits nicely on your Soul. Beautiful, All Class, and now to repeat again.

[nisabubur]

did they ever record this? i can't keep going to youtube every time i need a dose of this!

[tommyrockon]

Some great comments posted on here, music rarely gets better than this. I need to record this because I want it playing when the curtains are closing around my box at the Crem.

[BeatriceBlake]

This song is far too short :-)

[evergreensceptre]

What a great relationship they both share in this piece. I love seeing Larry look at Itzhak and smile, and then hearing Itzhak making tha joyfull grunt when Larry makes that sweet sound at the end.

Great people, Great Music!

[chessman2200]

That is miraculous! Holy ****!

[000000000789]

silence

[longdog2009]

Two quality musicians playing their instruments properly.

[elxcrio]

this is a himn

[tonyfrom45]

Larry Adler, the Horowitz of the harmonica.

Tony in Monterey

[tommyrockon]

Sorry folks ... Jacob Bronowski

[tommyrockon]

On The Best of Parkinson this piece was played directly after an interview from Dr Stefan Bronowski about his Ascent of Man series where Bronowski recalls filming a sequence at the Auschwitz concentration camp. The interview faded out and these wonderful musicians faded in. The two things were made for each other, spine tingling music... thanks for posting it

[ernalizagould]

wow wow wow magical

[nearyboy1]

Saw this on tv when i was 12, never forgotten it and now i have loved seeing it again, moved to tears! stunning

[Peterrees1969]

The best after all these years

[hopebgood]

wonderful! XD

[5050zulu1]

A 2:14  orgasm

[krakenwave]

The last of the great Saturday night TV in the UK,

[krakenwave]

1.13 chord/key change and little bit onwards - totally mindblowingly exquisite

[cass276]

I envy the audience that night...they just witnessed a moment when two superb musicians, who obviously respect each other "caught fire" - as I belive it's called in music circles.

A very rare occurance, and you treasure it if it happens and you are there to see it.

Everything has to be right, the atmosphere, the company, the mood,- and it just happens.

Wonderfull!!.

[mrschalky]

Saw the original broadcast on the Parkinson show. Still remember it well. Also remember a Tony Bennett performance of a Johnny Mercer medley when he appeared on the Val Doonican show. If anyone has that and could upload it I'd die happy. I'd never heard on Tony Bennett before that and was blown away by his performance.

[musicfanBRA]

Wonderful, wonderful. This melts my soul.

[malarbusto]

@djhailon I also saw the original broadcast, which has lived with me ever since and which is why I am here now. A true gift to revisit. I wonder if you have a clip of an earlier part in the interview where Perlaman is explaining the dramatic beauty of Beethoven's Violin Concerto, illustrating the part where the orchestra almost seamlessly rejoins after the violin solo? Also retained in memory 30 years on. A million thanks for this jewel anyway.

[TheDawn19run]

Its the first time ive seen this in 30years,it moved me to tears then and did the same again today,simply breathtakingly beautiful.

[TheLizzymary]

sends shivers down my spine

[Karvindon]

I was at Larry Adler’s last televised performance at the Pop Factory in Porth in the Rhondda Valley in Wales UK.

I think to sum up Larry Adler “Arrogant but genius”.

If you would like to hear me play try:-

Ashokan Farewell Derek Plays Harmonica Or:-

"Hello" Derek Plays Harmonica with the John Martin Duo in Cardiff Wales 7th July 2010.wmv

Or visit my web site at harmonicashow.co.uk

Derek

[allthefunnystuff]

breathless. again.

[flstf2k]

Beautiful piece from Larry Adler & Itzhak Perlman.

[Paul02111960]

I too can recall seeing this, first time around on 'Parky'. At the time I was a kid into crap music and pop songs, and even I was impressed at this wonderful interaction between these two brilliant musicians. I keep coming back to watch it and it always makes me smile at the end. Unforgettable.....

[iBeep2009]

He plays violin fine, but his twitter feed is all about gardening

[shannondore]

For the last 2:14 of my life i thought that i had truly died and gone to heaven. Pure genius. Thanks for the upload.

[32SERPENT1]

No one has mentioned something utterly amazing about this particular performance, which took place as part of a "Mike Parkinson Show" when both men were interviewed.

Quoting the words of Michael Parkinson, when he presented a show of the best moments of his long running TV programme, "Here are Itzhak Perlman & Larry Adler playing"Summertime" by George Gershwin........... COMPLETELY UNREHEARSED!!!!!!!

This is musical genius personified.

[5050zulu1]

Never fails to make me smile.

[kimpewh]

OMG i am soooo glad i found this FAB

[StephaneGrappelli]

these jews were always great

i loved the wahwah at the end

[magselloff]

Watch for Itzhak's facial reaction to Larry's finish at 2:06, he is clearly impressed. I remember seeing this the night it was first broadcast and keep coming back to see it again and again.

[hopebgood]

tear jerkingly fucking brilliant

[elsplatto]

I think that could be one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.

[2010phel]

Saw this performance on the T.V. when i was growing up in Ireland. Never forgot it. Just now rediscovered it all these years later on youtube. It absolutely arrested me in 1980 and did so again just now.

[ppshew]

great music, pure magic

[nickcowboy1]

I watched this friday on BBC. It blew me away. I was out of the room and my dad shouted me in as he watched it live in 1980. 2 musicians at the very top of their game. Fantastic

[Julesrules05]

Is there anything perlman can't do?

[BenMcCormack91]

@Julesrules05 I'm betting he can't play the harmonica like Larry Adler!

[Julesrules05]

@BenMcCormack91 true. Larry aldre's pretty frikin beast

[wizardalvin]

Lord Larry fills my world with magnificent music

[StuartLou]

Larry Adler- WOW!!

[TheMarko4321]

sheer brilliance a moment to remember

[leeenglandjr]

Perlman my favorite of them all... but this dude on the harmonica is a BEAST...my God..

[Aswol25]

Pure class.

[BudaOne]

hey , thanks for uploading this . its a great clip

[mickeypuss1313]

Larry was simply the best, sheer genius....what else is there to say

[privatetartanarmy]

Utterly sublime. Puts the harmonica up there with any other instrument as a means of expression.

[SvendBosanvovski]

It makes me both sad and exuberantly happy to view this. Happy, because the playing is exquisitely beautiful - two of the most gifted virtuosi on their respective instruments; sad, because Larry is no longer with us in this life. I have a 1950's LP of his my mother gave me many moons ago. She told me to treasure it always because it contained things no other human being was capable of emulating. Yes, a 1950's recording of Larry performing Rhapsody In Blue. I still mourn his passing.

[AndrehFelipe]

damn it. may be blessed those who can really play with their souls.

everything else's pure crap.

this, sir, is pure gold.

í wish you very good whiskey, fellas. thats all i can do.

keep on jazzin' , keep on bluesin'

[djhailon]

Nice comment bro.... Peace

[travisrules14]

@AndrehFelipe so true man! keep bluesin and jazzin yourself

[TheDinnerJazz]

if  you like this then try harmonicapete or brendan powers!

[hopebgood]

Blow dat harp boy!

[1es1eyfraise]

I have been looking for this for a long time. Thank you, Thank you, THANK YOU! The most wonderful piece of music I have ever heard. Sheer masterpiece.

[hopebgood]

Innit just?

[rdwarr]

This was one of the greatest things ever on TV. Wonderful to see it again!

[hopebgood]

10/10 BRILLIANT!

[krakenwave]

About 20 years ago, Channel 4 asked for votes for the Top 100 TV Moments - contributors were asked to nominate up to 5 occasions. Based upon memories of that one original viewing (I was 14), this got my vote. It didn't appear in the Top 100, after all. Assorted maudlin sitcom and soap opera 'moments' seemed to move people more. FFS.

[chickenruler]

@krakenwave

What has the world come to.....

And I really mean that.

[tattoo8257]

just the best  (ever)

craig ricardo

[hopebgood]

Wonderful!

[southernshrike]

wonderfuk but wasn't it recorded after 1980?

[shilohtent]

This music takes you into the spiritual realm where there is only sublime beauty...it is the realm of life so often ignored in our madcap rush for the physical.

[ScottyEire]

Thanks upper! This used to be available before but disappeared. It's an awesome piece of music played by two legends.

I don't know if you know the story of the Pied Piper but I imagine his music must have sounded something like this?

[natygdm]

GODS

[azaraxsch]

Such a fever,

Thank you.