Gershwin, the composer of this piece, had been asked by bandleader Paul Whiteman, to prepare the music for an upcoming concert with the name "Experiment in Modern Music". According to the rumours, Gershwin had completely forgotten this work which he remembered almost 3 weeks before the performance when he read an article that "George Gershwin is at work on a jazz concerto...". What Gershwin finally prepared in only a period of 3 weeks and in a quite hastily manner, was not a jazz concerto but a rhapsody for a piano and a jazz band, integrating classical symphonic music with American jazz. Gershwin would be playing the piano on its premiere, on February 13, 1924. Despite the fact that the piano part was unfinished at the day of its performance, Gershwin 's improvisation skills not only saved the performance but also contributed to its enormous success.
The music remains even today a landmark in the American music. It has also become an inspiration for future composers, such as Brecht, to draw on jazz elements for their compositions.