An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett
The Year of Tony Bennett congratulates Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga for winning the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Album. We also congratulate Tony’s son Dae Bennett, who won the Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.
Lady Gaga sang two songs from the album in a wonderful performance. This video from Entertainment Tonight sums it up.
Love For Sale, Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga’s new album, is now available for pre-order.
Lady Gaga on Twitter: "The day we released "Cheek To Cheek" in 2014, @itstonybennett called me and asked me if I wanted to record another album with him, this time celebrating the songs of Cole Porter. I"m always honored to sing with my friend Tony, so of course I accepted the invitation. / Twitter"
The day we released "Cheek To Cheek" in 2014, @itstonybennett called me and asked me if I wanted to record another album with him, this time celebrating the songs of Cole Porter. I"m always honored to sing with my friend Tony, so of course I accepted the invitation.
Tony Bennett on Twitter: "Just announced: "Love For Sale" with @ladygaga will be released October 1.Pre-order the album and listen to our first single "I Get A Kick Out Of You" everywhere now:Pre-order: https://t.co/7Qp2K9M9BQListen: https://t.co/I0ANs8VNeg pic.twitter.com/z5NpyXGfZS / Twitter"
Just announced: "Love For Sale" with @ladygaga will be released October 1.Pre-order the album and listen to our first single "I Get A Kick Out Of You" everywhere now:Pre-order: https://t.co/7Qp2K9M9BQListen: https://t.co/I0ANs8VNeg pic.twitter.com/z5NpyXGfZS
Lady Gaga on Twitter: "Today, I am so excited to announce that our new album "Love For Sale" will be released October 1. You can pre-order the album and listen to our first single "I Get A Kick Out Of You" everywhere now!Pre-order: https://t.co/x4phqHuwlVListen: https://t.co/Mq8vZBeWVz pic.twitter.com/7O4T5BH57m / Twitter"
Today, I am so excited to announce that our new album "Love For Sale" will be released October 1. You can pre-order the album and listen to our first single "I Get A Kick Out Of You" everywhere now!Pre-order: https://t.co/x4phqHuwlVListen: https://t.co/Mq8vZBeWVz pic.twitter.com/7O4T5BH57m
The song of the day for Wednesday, August 21, 2019, is “Taking a Chance on Love.”
Today we are celebrating the life and music of William James Basie, who was born in Red Bank, New Jersey, on August 21, 1904. In addition to his fine work on the piano, Count Basie was one of best and longest-lasting big band leaders. He founded the Count Basie Orchestra in 1935 and that orchestra is still playing today. Some of America’s finest jazz musicians played with Basie, including Buck Clayton, Lester Young, Thad Jones, Jo J0nes, Buddy Rich, and Paul Gonsalves are just a few of former members of the Count Basie Orchestra. Harold Jones, called Count Basie’s favorite drummer, currently plays in Tony Bennett’s quartet.
“Taking a Chance on Love” was written by Vernon Duke, with lyrics by John LaTouche and Ted Fetter, for the 1940 BRoadway musical Cabin in the Sky, where it was introduced by the great Ethel Waters and Dooley Wilson. The song works well for both jazz singers and instrumentalists, with significant recordings by Dave Brubeck, Tony Bennett, Judy Garland, and Dizzy Gillespie.
Tony Bennett recorded “Taking a Chance on Love” in 1958 for his second album with Count Basie and His Orchestra, In Person!, released in 1959. Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement.
Taking A Chance On Love
Listen to Taking A Chance On Love on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1959.
“Taking a Chance on Love,” as well as In Person!, is available from iTunes.
The song of the day for Friday, August 16, 2019, is “We’ll Be Together Again.”
Pianist Bill Evans was born on August 16, 1929, 90 years ago. I wish he was still with us.
Today and for the next few days, we’ll be playing songs recorded by Tony Bennett and Bill Evans in 1975 for The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album and in 1976 for Together Again.
“We’ll Be Together Again” was written in 1945 by Carl T. Fischer and singer Frankie Laine. Fischer was Frankie Laine’s pianist and musical director. Fischer asked Laine to write the lyrics, which he, quite nicely. In addition to the recording by Tony Bennett and Bill Evans, this song has been recorded by Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra and, of course, Frankie Laine.
Tony Bennett and Bill Evans recorded “We’ll Be Together Again” in June 1975 in Berkeley, California at Fantasy Records, Evans’s label. It was released in 1975 on their first album The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album.
We"ll Be Together Again
Listen to We"ll Be Together Again on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1975.
“We’ll Be Together Again,” as well as The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album, is available from iTunes.
In honor of Bill’s birthday, I’d like to present his solo recording of the theme from film The Bad and the Beautiful, which was released on Together Again. During a break, Evans was working on this song and Tony loved it so much that he insisted that it be recorded and released on their second album. I’m very glad he did.
The Bad And The Beautiful
Listen to The Bad And The Beautiful on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1977.
Lena Horne passed away on May 9, 2010. She was 92 years old. I read a news article about her death today. In any case, here is my much-belated post.
In 1973, Horne and Tony Bennett starred in Tony and Lena. She and Bennett subsequently toured the US and UK. Tony wrote about working with Lena in his book Life is a Gift.
Lena was such a class act, a great lady with an incredible work ethic. We sang Harold Arlen songs that had been arranged as duets for us, and later both Cary Grant and Fred Astaire separately told me that the concert with Lena was the best show they’d ever seen in their lives.
During rehearsals, we saw our managers talking in the wings. “I know what they’re saying,” Lena said. “They’re going to tell us to walk offstage in different directions, so it won’t seem as if we’re leaving together.” And sure enough, that’s what they told us to do. We could perform together, but we couldn’t appear to be friends or to be hanging out.
Here’s their medley of Harold Arlen songs, from their appearance on the Judy Garland show.
LENA HORNE and TONY BENNETT sing a HAROLD ARLEN medley
From the 70’s.
Lena Horne, Sultry Singer and Actress, Dies at 92
But when MGM made “Show Boat” into a movie for the second time, in 1951, the role of Julie was given to a white actress, Ava Gardner, whose singing voice was dubbed. (Ms. Horne was no longer under contract to MGM at the time, and according to James Gavin’s Horne biography, “Stormy Weather,” published last year, she was never seriously considered for the part.)