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The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

October 19, 2019 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Playlist of the Week: Ralph Burns Wrote Great Arrangements for Tony

The playlist for the week of October 20, 2019, is Ralph Burns Wrote Great Arrangements for Tony.

I have always loved Tony’s 1959 album Hometown, My Town. The album has an excellent selection of songs that tell a story. But the more I listened, the more I realized that it was the arrangements by Ralph Burns that set apart this album for me.

Ralph Burns was a jazz pianist, arranger, and arranger. He was also gay and much is his career in jazz was at a time where being gay was not completely acceptable. In any case, he was an exceptional musician and arranger and your author has the deepest regard for his talents, as demonstrated in this playlist devoted to him.

I Left My Heart in San Francisco 1962
Smile by Charles Chaplin, John Turner, and Geoffrey Parsons

Hometown, My Town 1959
Love Is Here To Stay by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin
I Cover The Waterfront by Johnny Green and Edward Heyman
The Party’s Over by Jule Styne, Adolph Green, and Betty Comden

My Heart Sings 1961
Lover Man by Jimmy Davis, Roger “Ram” Ramirez, and James Sherman
Stella By Starlight by Victor Young and Ned Washington
Dancing In The Dark by Arthur Schwarz and Howard Dietz
My Heart Sings by Jean Blanvillain (aka Jamblin), Harold Rome, and Henri Laurent Herpin
It Never Was You by Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson
My Ship by Kurt Weill and Ira Gershwin

This Is All I Ask 1963
Young and Foolish by Albert Hague and Arnold B. Horwitt

Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool 1999
I’m Just A Lucky So-And-So by Duke Ellington and Mack David
It Don’t Mean A Thing by Duke Ellington and Irving Mills

Filed Under: Playlist of the Week

October 12, 2019 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Playlist of the Week: Tony Loves to Sing with Elvis and Diana

The playlist for the week of October 13 is Tony Loves to Sing with Elvis and Diana.

This week’s playlist consists of duets featuring Tony and one of that marvelous couple: Elvis Costello and Diana Krall. This week’s songs are presented in chronological order.

1994 MTV Unplugged
They Can’t Take That Away From Me by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin. Elvis Costello.

2001 Playin’ With My Friends
Alright, Okay, You Win by Mamie Watts and Sid Wyche. Diana Krall.

2006 Duets: An American Classic
The Best is Yet to Come by Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh. Diana Krall.
Are You Havin’ Any Fun? by Jack Yellen and Sammy Fain. Elvis Costello.

2018 Love is Here to Stay
‘S Wonderful by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin. Diana Krall.
Love Is Here to Stay George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin. Diana Krall.
Somebody Loves Me George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin. Diana Krall.
Do It Again George Gershwin and Buddy DeSylva. Diana Krall.
They Can’t Take That Away From Me George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin. Diana Krall.

Filed Under: Playlist of the Week Tagged With: Diana Krall, Duets: An American Classic, Elvis Costello, Love is Here to Stay, MTV Unplugged, Playin' With My Friends, Tony Bennett

October 5, 2019 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Playlist of the Week: Tony Likes a Jimmy Van Heusen Song

The playlist for the week of October 6, 2019, is Tony Likes a Jimmy Van Heusen Song.

Jimmy Van Heusen was one of the great songwriters in mid-20th-century popular film music. He wrote many songs that are well-known and popular to this day. He is also the person who wrote the song that was my absolute favorite song when I was five years old: “Swinging on a Star.” I was told, as an adult, that I drove my parents crazy by constantly singing, loudly, phrases from this song. “Or would you rather be a pig?” Or a mule or a fish. Well, you get the idea.

Swinging on a Star. Lyrics by Johnny Burke. From The Playground.
Darn That Dream. Lyrics by Eddie DeLange. From Cloud 7.
The Second Time Around. Lyrics by Sammy Cahn. From The Movie Song Album.
Call Me Irresponsible. Lyrics by Sammy Cahn. From Perfectly Frank.
Here’s That Rainy Day. Lyrics by Johnny Burke. From Perfectly Frank.
Nancy. Lyrics by Phil Silvers. From Perfectly Frank.
But Beautiful. Lyrics by Johnny Burke. From The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album.
What Makes It Happen. Lyrics by Sammy Cahn. From Tony Makes It Happen!
All My Tomorrows. Lyrics by Johnny Burke. From Perfectly Frank.
I Thought About You. Lyrics by Johnny Mercer. From Perfectly Frank.
It Could Happen To You. Lyrics by Johnny Burke. From When Lights Are Low.
Oh! You Crazy Moon. Lyrics by Johnny Burke. From When Lights Are Low.

Filed Under: Playlist of the Week Tagged With: Cloud 7, Eddie DeLange, Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke, Johnny Mercer, Perfectly Frank, Sammy Cahn, The Movie Song Album, The Playground, The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album, Tony Makes It Happen!, When Lights Are Low

September 28, 2019 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Playlist of the Week: Tony Loves Judy and So Do We

The playlist for the week of September 29, 2019, is Tony Loves Judy and So Do We.

The founders of the Year of Tony Bennett saw the new film Judy last night, starring an absolutely amazing Renee Zellweger as Judy Garland. Both of us were moved to tears by Zellweger’s performance, and also from sadness over the challenges that Judy Garland, an immensely talented actress and singer, faced over her entire life, which ended much too soon.

Our playlist this week consists of a few of the songs that Judy Garland sang at her 1961 performance at Carnegie Hall and those same songs sung by Tony Bennett. There are also a couple of wonderful videos.

All of the Judy Garland recordings are from Judy Garland at Carnegie Hall.

Tony Bennett’s recordings are, in order, from Basie/Bennett, Tony Sings For Two, Together Again, and Tony Bennett Sings a String of Harold Arlen.

This clip is from Tony’s appearance on Judy Garland’s television program from 1963:

This clip is from a documentary on songwriters. It features Yip Harburg, who wrote the lyrics for “Over the Rainbow,” talking about his song:

Filed Under: Playlist of the Week Tagged With: Basie/Bennett, Judy Garland, Judy Garland at Carnegie Hall, Together Again, Tony Bennett, Tony Bennett Sings a String of Harold Arlen, Tony Sings for Two, Yip Harburg

September 21, 2019 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Playlist of the Week: Tony Loves a Gershwin Tune

The playlist for the week of September 22, 2019, is Tony Loves a Gershwin Tune. This week we are celebrating the birth of the great George Gershwin, who was born on September 26, 1989 in Brooklyn. Working most often with his brother Ira Gershwin, Gershwin wrote many of the most beloved songs from the American Songbook.

Our playlist this weekend is bookended by the song “Fascinatin’ Rhythm.” The first is a demo Bennett recorded in 1949; the second is a duet with Diana Krall from their 2018 album Love Is Here To Stay.

All lyrics written by Ira Gershwin unless otherwise noted.

Fascinatin’ Rhythm from Rarities, Outtakes & Other Delights, Vol. 1
Strike Up the Band from Basie Swings, Tony Sings
I Got Rhythm from Love is Here to Stay, with Diana Krall
The Girl I Love from Astoria: Portrait of the Artist
Shall We Dance from Steppin’ Out
Who Cares? from Steppin’ Out
They Can’t Take That Away From Me from Steppin’ Out
He Loves and She Loves from Steppin’ Out
I’ve Got a Crush On You from Love is Here to Stay, with Diana Krall
Love is Here to Stay from Love is Here to Stay, with Diana Krall
Do It Again (lyrics by Buddy DeSylva) from Love is Here to Stay, with Diana Krall
Nice Work If You Can Get It from Love is Here to Stay, with Diana Krall
Somebody Loves Me (lyrics by Buddy DeSylva and Ballard MacDonald) from Love is Here to Stay, with Diana Krall
Fascinating Rhythm from Love is Here to Stay, with Diana Krall

Filed Under: Playlist of the Week Tagged With: Astoria: Portrait of the Artist, Ballard MacDonald, Basie Swings / Bennett Sings, Buddy DeSylva, Diana Krall, George Gershwin, Happy Birthday George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, Love is Here to Stay, Steppin' Out, Tony Bennett

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