Editing Ferde Grofé (section)

==Arranger for Paul Whiteman==

Beginning in 1920, he played piano with the [[Paul Whiteman]] orchestra.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ferde Grofé |url=https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/mastertalent/detail/104209/Grof_Ferde?Matrix_page=100000 |access-date=2023-01-04 |website=Discography of American Historical Recordings}}</ref> He served as Whiteman's chief arranger from 1920 to 1932. He made hundreds of arrangements of popular songs, Broadway show music, and tunes of all types for Whiteman.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rayno |first=Don |author-link=Don Rayno |date=2003 |title=Paul Whiteman: Pioneer in American Music, Volume One 1890-1930}}</ref>

Grofé's most memorable arrangement is that of [[George Gershwin]]'s ''[[Rhapsody in Blue]]'', which established Grofé's reputation among musicians. Grofé took what Gershwin had written for two pianos and orchestrated it for Whiteman's orchestra. He transformed Gershwin's musical canvas with the colors and many of the creative touches for which it is so well known. He went on to create two more arrangements of the piece in later years.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Rhapsody in Blue |url= https://www.britannica.com/topic/Rhapsody-in-Blue-by-Gershwin |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |year=2020 }}</ref> Grofé's 1942 orchestration for full orchestra of ''Rhapsody in Blue'' is the one most frequently heard today. In 1928, Gershwin wrote a letter to [[ASCAP]] complaining that Grofé had listed himself as a composer of ''Rhapsody in Blue''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Holden|first=Stephen|date=February 13, 1989|title=They Got America Humming: A Celebration|work=New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/02/13/arts/they-got-america-humming-a-celebration.html|access-date=March 23, 2009}}</ref>  The dispute was settled, with Grofé receiving a portion of the music royalties for the piece. Despite this misunderstanding, Grofé served as one of the pallbearers at Gershwin's funeral in 1937.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1937/07/14/archives/bearers-are-listed-for-gershwin-rites-governor-mayor-and-musical.html George Gershwin funeral], ''New York Times'', July 14, 1937.</ref>

In 1932, ''[[The New York Times]]'' called Grofé "the Prime Minister of Jazz".<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title="The Prime Minister" of Jazz |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1932/10/16/archives/the-prime-minister-of-jazz.html |date=October 16, 1932 }}</ref> This was an oblique reference to the fact that Whiteman was widely called "King of Jazz", especially after the appearance of the 1930 ''[[King of Jazz]]'' film which featured Whiteman and his music.

During this time, Grofé also recorded numerous [[piano roll]]s for the [[American Piano Company|American Piano Company (Ampico)]] in New York.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/Name/Ferde-Grof%C3%A9/Performer/4770-2 |title=Roaring 20's - Piano Rolls Recorded By Ferde Grofe |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=ArkivMusic |publisher=Pierian |access-date=February 2, 2020 }}</ref> Some captured performances were embellished with additional notes after the initial recording took place to attempt to convey the thick lush nature of his orchestra's style. Hence those published rolls are marked "Played by Ferdie Grofé (assisted)".

Not everybody appreciated Grofé's flowery arrangements during this time. In a review of a Whiteman jazz concert in New York, one writer said the music was expected to be pleasing, and "it proved so when it was repeated last night, in spite of the excessive instrumentation of Ferde Grofé."<ref>{{cite web|last=Downes|first=Olin|date=October 8, 1928|title=MUSIC: Whiteman's Jazz|work=New York Times|url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50B11FE3958127A93CAA9178BD95F4C8285F9|access-date=March 23, 2009}}</ref> A writer of a later generation said "the Grofé and [[Morton Gould|Gould]] pieces were the essence of slick commercialism..."<ref>{{Cite news |date=1966-06-08 |title=PROMENADE TURNS TO AMERICAN MUSIC |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1966/06/08/archives/promenade-turns-to-american-music.html |access-date=2023-09-02 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>