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The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

September 20, 2015 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Tony Bennett Drawing of Jerome Kern

What a great drawing! I am so excited to get my copy of The Silver Lining on Friday.

Here's a sketch I did of the great American composer Jerome Kern. My new album's a collection of the songs he created pic.twitter.com/LXjeHPqAf5

— Tony Bennett (@itstonybennett) September 18, 2015

Filed Under: Albums, News Tagged With: Jerome Kern, The Silver Lining

September 12, 2015 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

R.I.P. Monica Lewis

Who is Monica Lewis and why am I writing about her on a blog about Tony Bennett?

I picked up an issue of The New Yorker (Sept. 7, 2015) and read a completely delightful short article about her by Tad Friend in the Talk of the Town section. I mean, any article that starts off with

You are seeing me at my absolute fucking worst,” Monica Lewis said cheerfully. The ninety-three-year-old entertainer had taken a fall a few days earlier in her apartment at the Motion Picture & Television Fund Retirement Home, near Los Angeles. It fractured her right hip and badly bruised her face. “I’m so surefooted–I’m a dancer, I’ve done pratfalls, all kinds of stunts–and I trip over my own rug.

Monica Lewis
Monica Lewis

The article goes on to summarize her life and what a life she had. A singer and an actress, she is probably best known as the voice of the Chiquita Banana jingle. As you can see, she was a beautiful woman and I suspect that even in her nineties, she was still quite the looker.

But what grabbed me and why I wanted to write about her today was the last paragraph in the article.

Her mood turned wistful. “The only one from my era who’s still around still a friend is Tony Bennett.” She sang a snatch from “Cheek to Cheek,” which Bennett and Lady Gaga had performed at the Grammy Awards, her voice bright and full of mischief. “Sinatra, who’d be a hundred this year. he’s gone. Peggy Lee is gone. Eddie Gormé is gone, Ava Gardner, one of my best friends, and Betty Bacall–we were in ‘Johnny 2×4’ together, and she had the measles–they’re gone” Lewis folded her hands in her lap. Ten days later, she would die in her sleep. “The last time I saw Tony, we were crossing the street in New York, on Fifth Avenue. He held his hands up dramatically and stopped traffic, and he hugged me. Then he said, ‘Go now–you can cross.”

If you’d like to know more about Miss Lewis, please visit her website.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Monica Lewis, Tad Friend, The New Yorker

September 7, 2015 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Have You Preordered The Silver Lining?

Just reminding everyone that Tony Bennett’s new album with Bill Charlap will be released on September 25, 2015. The album can be preordered from Amazon, iTunes, and Barnes & Noble.

The album is currently ranked #1 on Amazon for Vocal Jazz.

I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to listening to Bennett and Charlap doing these wonderful Jerome Kern songs.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Bill Charlap, The Silver Lining

August 21, 2015 By Suzanne 1 Comment

Just Look For The Silver Lining

Tony Bennett announced today that The Silver Lining – The Songs of Jerome Kern will be released on September 25, 2015! The album features the pianist Bill Charlap as well as his wife, Renee Rosnes (on piano duet pieces), Peter Washington (bass) and Kenny Washington (drums).

silverlining-cover

The album includes these songs:

  • All The Things You Are
  • Pick Yourself Up
  • The Last Time I Saw Paris
  • I Won’t Dance
  • Long Ago and Far Away
  • Dearly Beloved
  • The Song Is You
  • They Didn’t Believe Me
  • I’m Old Fashioned
  • The Way You Look Tonight
  • Yesterdays
  • Make Believe
  • Nobody Else But Me
  • Look For The Silver Lining

The Silver Lining – The Songs of Jerome Kern is available for pre-order from amazon.com.

Filed Under: Albums, News Tagged With: Bill Charlap, Jerome Kern, Look For The Silver Lining - The Songs of Jerome Kern

June 9, 2015 By Suzanne 2 Comments

Get Well Soon, Tony

We are sad to have just read this on Twitter:

Sorry to not be singing in London tonight. I love my fans in the UK and appreciate all the well wishes to get over this flu quickly.

— Tony Bennett (@itstonybennett) June 9, 2015

We love you Tony–hope you feel better soon.

Filed Under: News

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