The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Frank Laico, RIP

Frank D. Laico, one of the greatest recording engineers of the 20th century, passed away on April 19, 2013 at the age of 95.

Frank Laico

Tony Bennett noted his passing:

Tony Bennett on Twitter

I loved Frank Laico. As engineer on a majority of my recordings, he’s a big reason my career has sustained thru the years. RIP.

The Seattle Times published this obituary.

This video interview from the Audio Engineering Society (AES) with Frank is from 2003 as he reminisces about the famous CBS 30th Street Studio and his methods of recording. His results were incredible. In this interview, he speaks about one of his last projects, Tony Bennett’s Perfectly Frank album, which won the 1993 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance.

In addition to his work on dozens of albums with Tony Bennett, he also recorded Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney and the Dave Brubeck Quartet, among many others.

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Happy 100th Birthday to Frank Sinatra

Songs of the Day

The Year of Tony Bennett wishes the Sinatra family and his fans everywhere a happy 100th birthday to a musical legend: Frank Sinatra.

We’re going to depart from our usual format to share a handful of Sinatra’s recordings that I, personally, do love.

First up is a 1944 song by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn: “Saturday Night (Is The Loneliest Night of the Week)”

Saturday Night (Is The Lonliest Night Of The Week) - 78rpm Version

Listen to Saturday Night (Is The Lonliest Night Of The Week) - 78rpm Version on Spotify. Song · Frank Sinatra · 2015

From In The Wee Small Hours, released in 1955, is “Last Night When We Were Young” by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg.

Last Night When We Were Young - Remastered 1998

Listen to Last Night When We Were Young - Remastered 1998 on Spotify. Song · Frank Sinatra · 1955

The next year, 1956, saw Songs For Swingin’ Lovers, with my favorite of all of his recordings: Cole Porter’s “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” featuring a brilliant arrangement by Nelson Riddle.

I"ve Got You Under My Skin - Remastered 1998

Listen to I"ve Got You Under My Skin - Remastered 1998 on Spotify. Song · Frank Sinatra · 1956

And finally, by Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn, “Come Fly With Me,” from the album of the same name, released in 1958.

Come Fly With Me - Remastered 1998

Listen to Come Fly With Me - Remastered 1998 on Spotify. Song · Frank Sinatra · 1958

Well, these are a few of my favorites. I hope you enjoy them.

And I haven’t forgotten our video.

About Today

By the 1980s, Sinatra was still going strong, performing all over the world, donating much time and money to charity and receiving numerous honors, including a Kennedy Center honor and many more. However, he did collapse on stage in 1986 and it was some time before he returned to performing. His last public performance was in 1995 at an 80th birthday celebration, where he sang a chorus at the end of a celebratory concert.

Frank Sinatra died on May 14, 1998 from a severe heart attack.

Frank Sinatra’s legacy continues and will like continue for many years to come. Sirius XM radio has a jazz vocals station named for him, which features his daughter Nancy frequently. Tony Bennett named the high school for the arts his foundation supports for Frank Sinatra. His music has been with us for nearly 80 years and is still going strong. I can remember a couple of Presidential elections ago where the candidates were asked to name their favorite songs: they each had a Sinatra song on the list. Personally, I love the movies as well: I seldom pass up a chance to watch On The Town or From Here to Eternity. Like us all, he had his flaws and, perhaps, more than most. But the music. As Tony Bennett often sings: ‘The music never ends.’

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Song of the Day: Last Night When We Were Young

The song of the day for Saturday, April 27, 2019, is “Last Night When We Were Young.”

About This Song

“Last Night When We Were Young” was written in 1935 by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg. Arlen considered “Last Night When We Were Young” to be one of his favorite songs. In American Popular Song, Alec Wilder calls it a “most remarkable and beautiful song … (that) goes far beyond the boundaries of popular music.” Yip Harburg, pictured here with Harold Arlen, has said that he doesn’t know exactly where the title came from but that “the juxtaposition of those two phrases is almost a whole world of philosophy.”
Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg
All in all, it’s a very beautiful and introspective song that is much beloved by singers. Frank Sinatra included on his wonderful album In The Wee Small Hours. It has also been recorded by Judy Garland, Mel Tormé, Carmen McRae, and Tony Bennett.

About This Version

Tony Bennett first recorded “Last Night When We Were Young” in 1959 album To My Wonderful One, with an arrangement by Frank DeVol. Today, however, I’m featuring Bennett’s 1992 recording for the album Perfectly Frank, arranged by Ralph Sharon. In an unguarded moment, I once said that Tony Bennett sings Frank Sinatra better than Frank Sinatra and I still believe that, as far as this album of songs associated with Frank Sinatra is concerned.

Last Night When We Were Young

Last Night When We Were Young, a song by Tony Bennett on Spotify

“Last Night When We Were Young,” as well as Perfectly Frank, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Last Night When We Were Young

The song of the day for is “Last Night When We Were Young.”

About Today

Perfectly Frank was released thirty-three years ago on September 15, 1992.

About This Song

“Last Night When We Were Young” was written by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg in 1935. Arlen considered “Last Night When We Were Young” to be one of his favorite songs. In American Popular Song, Alec Wilder calls it a “most remarkable and beautiful song … (that) goes far beyond the boundaries of popular music.” Yip Harburg has said that he doesn’t know exactly where the title came from but that “the juxtaposition of those two phrases is almost a whole world of philosophy.” All in all, it’s a very beautiful and introspective song that is much beloved by singers. Frank Sinatra included on his wonderful album In The Wee Small Hours. It has also been recorded by Judy Garland, Mel Tormé, Carmen McRae, and Tony Bennett.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Last Night When We Were Young” in June 1992 for his album in tribute to Frank Sinatra: Perfectly Frank. Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement.

Perfectly Frank won the 1992 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance.

“Last Night When We Were Young,” as well as Perfectly Frank, is available on Apple Music.

Here’s Frank Sinatra’s 1955 recording of “Last Night When We Were Young” from In The Wee Small
Hours. Nelson Riddle wrote the arrangement.

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Song of the Day: Last Night When We Were Young

The song of the day for Friday, September 27, 2013 is “Last Night When We Were Young.”

About This Song

Written by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg in 1936, “Last Night When We Were Young” may be one of the most perfect love songs ever written. Both Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg considered this their favorite of all their songs. The song had been originally written for a film called Metropolitan, but was cut before the film was released. Judy Garland recorded it for In The Good Old Summertime and Frank Sinatra recorded it for Take Me Out To The Ballgame, but it was cut from both films, mostly because it was considered “too sad.” No matter: it was a hit for both artists as well as many others, including Lawrence Tibbett, Carmen McRae, Sarah Vaughan, and even Carly Simon.

Alec Wilder, author of American Popular Song, said that:

Arlen told me that he wrote “Last Night While We Were Young” for Lawrence Tibbett. I can’t frankly imagine a less likely singer for this song. But, after all, once you have heard the Sinatra version, you can’t imagine anyone else singing it.

This is the most remarkable and beautiful song. It is one which goes far beyond the boundaries of popular music. For me, it is a concert song without a trace of trying to be it. It hasn’t any artiness about it or pretense. It’s obviously deeply felt, both by the composer and the lyricist E.Y. Harburg.

It is unlike any other Arlen song that I have heard. However, it is unmistakably his.

About This Version

I’m certainly in no position to argue with the late and great Alec Wilder, but I can definitely imagine Tony Bennett singing this song, which he does quite well on his tribute album to Frank Sinatra: Perfectly Frank. It was arranged and conducted by Robert Farnon and featured the Ralph Sharon Trio, with Paul Langosch on bass and Joe LaBarbera on drums. The extraordinary engineer Frank Laico came out of retirement to engineer this album for Tony Bennett.

http://open.spotify.com/track/1qgQmCZ3fUkG2dNSYI6OvN
“Last Night When We Were Young,” as well as the album Perfectly Frank, is available from iTunes and Amazon.com.