This recording of "I've Got A Crush On You" comes from Stella Cole's 2023 album Stella Cole (Extended Version). Written by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin for the 1928 musical Treasure Girl, the song was originally performed as an up-tempo number before being reimagined as a tender ballad by Lee Wiley in 1939, the tempo at which it has been most commonly performed ever since. Cole presents it at a slow 67 BPM, honoring the ballad tradition while bringing her own distinctive phrasing to the Gershwins' timeless melody. The arrangement features a full-chorus piano solo by Ben Paterson over the compact 18-bar form in C. Given the tune's brevity, Paterson's full-chorus solo provides a substantial instrumental statement, allowing him to explore the harmonic richness of Gershwin's writing at length. His playing is lyrical and harmonically adventurous, with voicings that reveal the sophistication underlying the song's apparently simple charm. The intimate scale of the arrangement suits the song's confessional tone perfectly, creating the sensation of an overheard private moment. Cole's vocal performance captures the vulnerability and warmth embedded in Ira Gershwin's lyrics, and Paterson's piano provides the ideal musical environment for that expression. The track stands as a fine example of the Gershwin ballad tradition carried forward by a new generation of jazz musicians.
