george gershwin... jerome kern... the great cole porter... and interpreted by frank sinatra, ella fitzgerald, nat king cole, and then myself. (laughter) the whole world loves these songs. but times change, and there was an opening for another songbook. enter billy joel. (applause) billy's an exciting performer who can move and electrify audiences. he does it singing the songs of billy joel. great songs on subjects from love to war, from triumph and to loss. and stories about ordinary people with extraordinary emotions. and he puts them to tunes that you can't get out of your head. what a thrill it was for me to perform with billy in front of 110,000 of our fellow new yorkers at shea stadium, singing his ♪ "new york state of mind." ♪ billy joel... (applause) (chuckles) wow. billy joel is no less than a poet, a performer, a philosopher and today's american songbook. (applause) ♪ bennett: hicksville, long island. billy might have been the kid next door. joel: i knew i was not going to be a concert pianist.

christmas he wrote a song about easter but he never wrote a really cute song if you expect of george gershwin as to what is being led to a ship to do with your success he said nothing of an american composer they ask bob dylan nothing on it. so one of the reasons is that the same being a jew has nothing to do with it. it's probably the most jewish thing you can send him back. that's the typical response is i think that's part of the reason have been hesitant to point out to the enormous influence that despite stories from some quarters about the future jewish communities in the us begins my age and low birth rates continue lending unit sits and thinks the show was a flawed understanding of the nature of the jewish story in america. it's not that the to become americanized said america has become jewish him anyways so the trail and the impact of what's jewish in america. it is very rich and varied profile nor the reasons i wanted to write that book is to say look this is jewish peace the saying on the base of the statue of liberty give me your tired your poor your tempest tossed. that was writ

with the civil rights activist some of the greatest supporters was gershwin's but that pledge said totally of didn't george's ever been a and you cannot pretend that they did not. when did the zero were returned and it was okay to accuse an innocent man to advance the narrative? says one to grieve for the innocence but also to be cree said gilts of an innocent man i will trace it through 1987. two things happened and you would think that it precipitated a actually the latter may have precipitated the former. bonfire of the vanity was published in if you read that it is like the playbook for what happened to george zimmerman. in the book, that the prosecutor and the judge are weary to do try black and latino men not morally but they decided is in bad taste. what they would really like to try is the great white defendant in they find that with the character who is of master of the universe and they go after him in dick nor the evidence because it will make them feel good about themselves. they will align themselves with the all sharpton character. the kid who was killed is called henry lamb. the 17 year-old ho

gershwin. >> it is a beautiful skyline, jeff which you can only see if you're standing in brooklyn. by the way, woody allen and george in brooklyn. >> absolutely. central park is an absolutely rough draft. good thing they worked out all the kinks before they completed the more significant one, prospect park. and in brooklyn trees are so nice they write bookses in thin. >> you want to cry? check manhattan's real estate prices. i'm eat sure it helps my case but no island is more valuable. >> coney island is home to the wonder wheel. the world-famous cyclone and the warriors. jeffrey jeffrey, come out and play. >> nice. and excellent movie. but if you want a real life thrill, step into any of the yellow manhattan cabs. they might refuse. as the song says, i'll take manhattan. i'll take manhattan. it's a drink called the hutzpah. it doesn't contain egg or cream. >> come to think of it the chairman's from new jersey just like the netss. >> yes jeff, they were from jersey, but their spectacular new home is smack dab in brooklyn. just look at this place. >> bravo. >> bravo, bravo. >> bravo. >> fabulous. >> someone has to wi