Suzanne, Author at The Year of Tony Bennett

January 28, 2013 By Suzanne 2 Comments

Song of the Day: The Skyscraper Blues

The song of the day for Monday, January 28, 2013 is The Skyscraper Blues.

About The Skyscraper Blues

This song was written by Gordon Jenkins and Tom Adair for the 1949 Broadway musical Along Fifth Avenue, which featured Nancy Walker and Jackie Gleason.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded The Skyscraper Blues for his 1959 album Hometown, My Town. I chose this song today for my co-blogger’s 11-year-old son Sam. Apparently, Hometown, My Town is being played a lot in the family car and Sam especially likes this song. He likes the sound of the brass and the energy of the song. Sam, so do I.

The Skyscraper Blues
Listen to The Skyscraper Blues on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1959

The Skyscraper Blues, as well as the full Hometown, My Town album, is available from iTunes.

January 27, 2013 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: The Way You Look Tonight

The Year of Tony Bennett pays tribute today to the great Jerome Kern, born on January 27, 1885. We honor Jerome Kern with our song of the day for Saturday, January 27, 2013: The Way You Look Tonight.

About The Way You Look Tonight

Written for the 1936 Fred Astaire film, Swing Time, The Way You Look Tonight is by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields. The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. It immediately became a standard for popular and jazz singers, including Bing Crosby and Billie Holiday. It has also become a jazz instrumental favorite, with recordings by Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson, among others.

Dorothy Fields is quoted as saying

The first time Jerry played the melody for me I went out and started to cry. The release absolutely killed me. I couldn’t stop, it was so beautiful.

About This Version

Tony Bennett first recorded The Way You Look Tonight in 1958 and was featured on the album Long Ago … And Far Away.

Today’s version is from 1997. Originally recorded for the soundtrack for My Best Friend’s Wedding, it was included on Rarities, Outtakes & Other Delights, Volume 2 from the 2011 Tony Bennett Complete Collection. Mr. Bennett sings this song at most, if not all, of his live performances. Viva Duets, released in 2012, features a duet of this song with Thalia.

The Way You Look Tonight
Listen to The Way You Look Tonight on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 2012

The Way You Look Tonight, as well as Rarities, Outtakes & Other Delights, Volume 2, is available at iTunes.

January 26, 2013 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: I Left My Heart in San Francisco

The Year of Tony Bennett closes out our live performances week with I Left My Heart in San Francisco, our song of the day for Saturday, January 26, 2013.

About I Left My Heart in San Francisco

This song was written 1954 by two somewhat homesick songwriters from San Francisco: George Cory and Douglass Cross.

Knowing that Ralph Sharon played with Tony Bennett, the songwriters gave a copy of the music to Mr. Sharon, who promptly put it in a drawer and forgot about it. Some time later, as he was packing for a tour with Mr. Bennett that would take them to San Francisco, he came across the song and put it in his suitcase, thinking that the locals in San Francisco might enjoy hearing it. After a performance at a nightclub in Hot Springs, Arkansas (a concert where underage saxophone player and future President Bill Clinton famously stood outside the club and watched the entire performance through the window), Bennett and Sharon found a piano in the bar at their hotel and started to work on the song. The first fan of the song was the bartender, who said “If you guys record that song, I’ll buy the first copy.” (Tony Bennett, The Good Life, page 164).

They sang the song at the Fairmont Hotel on opening night, at Mr. Bennett’s first appearance in San Francisco. Local representatives from Columbia Records heard the song at rehearsal and encouraged Bennett to record it.

About This Version

I absolutely love this version of what is now Tony Bennett’s most-requested song. Hearing it introduced at the Carnegie Hall concert as a new song is delightful. His first recording of the song was in January 1962 and release in February, with this concert in June of the same year. And, of course, Mr. Bennett won the Grammy for Best Male Solo Performance and the song won for Record of the Year. Pretty good for a song that was rescued from a drawer.

Readers know that I think Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall is one the best live recordings ever released. This particular version of I Left My Heart in San Francisco is sweet, light and beautifully sung. And he sings the verse; one of the reasons I love Tony Bennett as a singer is that he so often sings the verse, when many singers never do.

http://open.spotify.com/track/4pZraXJ3VTorWFtlS1S0Bs
I Left My Heart in San Francisco, as well as the full Carnegie Hall album, is available from iTunes.

January 25, 2013 By Suzanne 1 Comment

Song of the Day: Wave

The Year of Tony Bennett recognizes today, January 25, as the birth date of the great Brazilian songwriter and musician Antônio Carlos Jobim (who also went by Tom Jobim), born in 1927. Jobim essentially created the bossa nova style with songs like The Girl From Ipanema, which won the Grammy award for Record of the Year in 1965. Mr. Jobim passed away in December, 1994 at the relatively young age of 67.

In tribute to Jobim, we feature Tony Bennett singing one of Jobim’s songs, Wave, as the song of the day for Friday, January 25, 2013.

About Wave

Wave, or Vou Te Contar in the original Portuguese, was written by Jobim in 1967 and appeared on the album of the same name. It has been recorded by many fine artists, including Frank Sinatra, Buddy Rich, Sarah Vaughan, Joao Gilberto, Ella Fitzgerald and Paul Desmond.

About This Version

This recording is from Tony Bennett’s Get Happy live concert with the London Philharmonic Orchestra in 1971.

Wave - Live at the Royal Albert Hall, London, England - January 1971
Listen to Wave - Live at the Royal Albert Hall, London, England - January 1971 on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1971

Wave, as well as the full Get Happy album, is available from iTunes.

January 24, 2013 By Suzanne 1 Comment

Song of the Day: Just A Little Street Where Old Friends Meet

The live performance song of the day for Thursday, January 24, 2013, is Just A Little Street Where Old Friends Meet.

About Just A Little Street Where Old Friends Meet

This song was written in 1932 by Gus Kahn and Harry Woods. It was originally recorded by Ruth Etting; the song is associated with Nat King Cole.

About This Version

Today’s version comes from Bennett’s 1994 MTV Unplugged concert. Tony Bennett first recorded this song for his 1990 album Astoria.

(Just A) Little Street Where Old Friends Meet - Live Version
Listen to (Just A) Little Street Where Old Friends Meet - Live Version on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1994

Just A Little Street Where Old Friends Meet, as well as the full MTV Unplugged album, is available from iTunes.