The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Penthouse Serenade

The song of the day for October 16, 2023, is “Penthouse Serenade.”

About This Song

“Penthouse Serenade” was written by Will Jason and Val Burton in 1931. It’s one of the classic Depression-era songs with the yearning for the glamorous Manhattan apartment by the poor, yet romantic, couple. The first known use of “Penthouse Serenade” was for the 1933 animated short Betty Boop’s Penthouse, where it was sung by Mae Questel. On a more serious note, “Penthouse Serenade” has had exceptional recordings: Nat King Cole recorded it in 1952 as a piano solo for an album of the same name and Tony Bennett’s recording for his 1959 album Hometown, My Town is really wonderful with a brilliant arrangement by Ralph Burns.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Penthouse Serenade” on November 6, 1958, for his album Hometown, My Town, released in 1959. Ralph Burns wrote the arrangement and conducted the orchestra.

“Penthouse Serenade,” as well as Hometown, My Town, is available on Apple Music.

Here’s Betty Boop (voiced by May Questal) singing “Penthouse Serenade” from 1933:

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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

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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.

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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.

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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: