Its going to rain some today - after a week of alternating pretty dry and les deluges. The other morning after that last good storm, we went down to the center of the Village right about daybreak. The streets were wet and slick clean; puddles and fog and stillness.
We talked about New York City years back, walking the streets at 3am or some hour that is only known to kids in college out for pizza. We thought of Gershwin and his lullaby...
This piece is so New York in the 20s but not much later. It feels of the city and isn't intended to put anyone to sleep but be an ode of sorts to last call at Clancy's Bar or a cab ride after a rain - with streets glistening, puddles mirroring and night people cleaning for the dawn. We can see it in the music. Plain as day.
Get up early in the morning and see. Here are two versions - the original piano and the version for string quartet. Play it often.