This recording of George Gershwin's "How Long Has This Been Going On" comes from Alexis Cole's 2021 album Sky Blossom: Songs From My Tour of Duty. The track features a half-chorus trumpet solo by Jeff Jarvis over the 32-bar AABA form in B-flat, performed at a ballad tempo of approximately 59 beats per minute. Gershwin wrote the song in 1927 for the musical Funny Face, though it was cut before the Broadway opening and later appeared in the 1928 show Rosalie. The composition has since become one of the most enduring ballads in the Great American Songbook, recorded by countless jazz and pop artists. Jarvis's trumpet solo is a model of ballad playing, his warm tone and measured phrasing creating a lyrical counterpoint to Cole's vocal interpretation. The half-chorus format keeps the solo focused and emotionally direct, serving the song's narrative arc rather than departing from it. Cole's album was inspired by her tours performing for military personnel under the Armed Forces Entertainment program, and the intimate setting of this ballad performance reflects the kind of personal, emotionally resonant music that connected with audiences in those contexts. The spare arrangement allows the beauty of Gershwin's harmonic language to shine, with Jarvis's trumpet adding a layer of jazz sophistication to the timeless standard.
