The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Samba De Orfeo

The song of the day for Tuesday, May 13, 2025, is “Samba De Orfeo.”

About This Song

“Samba De Orfeo” was written by Luiz Bonfá for Black Orpheus (Orgeu Negro). The film, based on the Greek legend of Orpheus and Eurydice, is set in Rio de Janeiro during Carnaval. The film was an international project, with production companies from Brazil, France and Italy. It won the Academy Award for the Best Foreign Language Film, as well as the Palme d’Or from the Cannes Film Festival. In addition to this song from Luiz Bonfá, the film also contained several bossa nova songs from Antonio Carlos Jobim.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Samba De Orfeo” on December 28, 1965, for The Movie Song Album, released in 1966. Luiz Bonfá wrote the arrangement.

“Samba De Orfeo,” as well as The Movie Song Album, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Exactly Like You

The song of the day for Monday, May 12, 2025, is “Exactly Like You.”

About This Song

“Exactly Like You” was written by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields in 1930 for Lew Leslie’s International Revue, which also introduced “On The Sunny Side Of The Street.” While the reviewers were not kind to the production, the score was then, and remains still, quite noteworthy. Even though Fields’ lyrics for the song are very fine, the early recordings of the song were mostly instrumentals, such as that by Louis Armstrong. The song became popular again in 1936, with a fine recording by Benny Goodman that featured Lionel Hampton on the vibraphone, followed by the 1937 recording by Count Basie, which included the vocals by Jimmy Rushing. Later notable recordings include those by Carmen McRae (1954), Bing Crosby (1944), Patti Page (1949), Anita O’Day (1975), Nina Simone (1959) and Diana Krall (2006).

About This Version

Tony Bennett and k.d. lang recorded “Exactly Like You” in May 2002 for their album A Wonderful World. Vocal arrangements were by Rob Mathes. The album was orchestrated and conducted by Peter Matz, with musical direction and arrangements by Lee Musiker.

“Exactly Like You,” as well as A Wonderful World, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: The Song Is Ended (But the Melody Lingers On)

The song of the day for Sunday, May 11, 2025, is “The Song Is Ended (But the Melody Lingers On).”

About Today

The Year of Tony Bennett is celebrating Irving Berlin, who was born as Israel Isidore Beilin on May 11, 1888, in Tyumen, Siberia, where his father was an itinerant cantor. The family immigrated to the United States and arrived at Ellis Island on September 14, 1893.

About This Song

“The Song Is Ended (But the Melody Lingers On)” was written by Irving Berlin in 1927 for the musical Will o’ the Whispers.

In his book The Tin Pan Alley Song Encyclopedia, Thomas Hischak calls this song “… an Irving Berlin standard whose title has been called the theme of all popular music, a chilling number in which both the lover and the ballad that was ‘their song’ is gone; yet neither can be forgotten because they remain in one’s memory.” This song was recorded in 1927 by Ruth Etting and has remained popular over the years with recordings by Dick Haymes, Dizzy Gillespie, Jeri Southern, Dinah Washington, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat “King” Cole, and many more.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “The Song Is Ended (But the Melody Lingers On)” in May 1987 for his album Bennett/Berlin. The recording features Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet.

“The Song Is Ended (But the Melody Lingers On),” as well as Bennett/Berlin, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Nice Work If You Can Get It

The song of the day for Saturday, May 10, 2025, is “Nice Work If You Can Get It.”

About Today

We are celebrating Fred Astaire, who was born on May 10, 1899, in Omaha, Nebraska.

About This Song

“Nice Work If You Can Get It” was composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin for the 1937 film Damsels in Distress. Fred Astaire introduced the song in the film, in a dance with a drum kit. The song has been widely recorded by artists including Astaire, Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, and Billie Holiday.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Nice Work If You Can Get It” in May 1993 for his 1993 album Steppin’ Out, a tribute album to Fred Astaire. Bennett and Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement.

Steppin’ Out won

“Nice Work If You Can Get It,” as well as Steppin’ Out, is available on Apple Music.

Here’s Fred Astaire, performing “Nice Work If You Can Get It” from Damsels in Distress, released in 1937.

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Song of the Day: Let The Good Times Roll

The song of the day for Friday, May 9, 2025, is “Let The Good Times Roll.”

About This Song

“Let The Good Times Roll” was written in 1946 by Sam Theard and Fleecie Moore. This song, known as a “jump blues” song, was written by Sam Theard, a New Orleans singer and songwriter, with his wife, Fleecie Moore. Residents and visitors to New Orleans may be more familiar with the French version of the saying: Laissez le bon temps rouler. The first recording was in 1946 by Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five. The song charted well on the Billboard R&B chart. Other recordings include those by Ray Charles, George Fame and the Blue Flames, Muddy Waters and Clifton Chenier.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and B.B. King recorded “Let The Good Times Roll” in May 2001 for Playin’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings The Blues. Rob Mathes wrote the vocals arrangement.

Playin’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings The Blues won the 2003 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Album.

“Let The Good Times Roll,” as well as Playin’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings The Blues, is available on Apple Music.

We’ve got a video of B.B. King singing today’s song live, from 1983: