The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Then Was Then And Now Is Now

The song of the day for Tuesday, March 21, 2023, is “Then Was Then And Now Is Now.”

About This Song

“Then Was Then And Now Is Now” was written by Cy Coleman, with lyrics by Peggy Lee, in 1964. Miss Peggy Lee released it on an album with the same name in 1965.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Then Was Then And Now Is Now” on February 18, 1965, for his album If I Ruled The World: Songs For The Jet Set. Don Costa wrote the arrangement.

“Then Was Then And Now Is Now,” as well as If I Ruled The World: Songs For The Jet Set is available on Apple Music.

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Twilight World

The song of the day for Monday, March 20, 2023, is “Twilight World.”

About Today

We are remembering a great jazz pianist, Marian McPartland, who was born on March 19, 1918, in Slough, England. In addition to being a very fine jazz pianist, she was also a composer and writer. She introduced jazz to an entire generation with her weekly program on PBS, Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz, that ran from 1970 to 2010.

Happy birthday to Marian McPartland!

About This Song

“Twilight World” was written in 1957 by Marian McPartland, with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. This ballad by Marian McPartland has proven to be one of her most enduring and popular songs. The tune itself is a lovely mid-tempo ballad, often played in a bossa nova style. The lyrics by Johnny Mercer are quite good, and the combination makes for a nearly perfect jazz song. Tony Bennett said “well, that song will last forever. It’s a beautiful song.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Twilight World” on October 1, 1971, and released the following year on the album With Love. It was arranged by Robert Farnon.

“Twilight World,” as well as With Love is available on Apple Music.

Tony Bennett was a guest on Piano Jazz in 2004. We are pleased to present the full recording. It’s a lovely show.

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Song of the Day: You Must Believe in Spring

The song of the day for Sunday, March 19, 2023, is “You Must Believe in Spring.”

About This Song

“You Must Believe In Spring” was written by Michel Legrand, with English lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman, for the 1967 French film Les Demoiselles de Rochefort, which starred Catherine Deneuve. “You Must Believe In Spring” has been widely recorded by artists including Sylvia Syms, Barbra Streisand, and Bill Evans, in a posthumous release of an album with the same name, featuring sessions with Eddie Gomez and Eliot Zigmund.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Bill Evans recorded “You Must Believe In Spring” in September 1976 for their second album, Together Again, released in 1977.

“You Must Believe in Spring” as well as Together Again is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Sweet Lorraine

The song of the day for Friday, March 17, 2023, is “Sweet Lorraine.”

About Today

We are celebrating the birth of Nathaniel Adams Cole, better known as Nat “King” Cole, on March 17, 1919, in Montgomery, Alabama. Cole started his career as a pianist, and gradually started singing as well. Cole tragically died from cancer at the young age of 45 from lung cancer. His daughter, Natalie Cole, carried on the family profession and became a professional singer in her own right.

About This Song

“Sweet Lorraine” was written in 1928 by Cliff Burwell and Mitchell Parish. It was written to be used in a vaudeville show. Rudy Vallee and his Heigh-Ho Yale Collegians recorded the song in 1928; the recording made the song popular and was widely recorded by artists including Teddy Wilson, Isham Jones, and Joe Venuti in the 1930s. Nat “King” Cole recorded it in 1940.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Sweet Lorraine” on March 11, 1965, with Bobby Hacket on the ukulele and Joe Marsala on clarinet. Bennett included the recording on his 1965 album If I Ruled the World: Songs for the Jet Set.

“Sweet Lorraine,” as well as If I Ruled the World: Songs for the Jet Set is available on Apple Music.

We’ve got a video of Nat “King” Cole singing today’s song:

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Song of the Day: Manhattan

The song of the day for Thursday, March 16, 2023, is “Manhattan.”

About Today

Today we are celebrating the birth of Ruby Braff, one of the leaders of the quartet that played with Tony Bennett for his recordings of Rodgers and Hart in 1970s. You can read more about Braff, who was born on March 16, 1927, on Wikipedia.

About This Song

“Manhattan” was written by Richard Rodgers and Larry Hart in 1925 for the Garrick Gaieties. The song has remained popular up to today and is frequently recorded by jazz and popular singers. In addition to Bennett’s recording, “Manhattan” has been recorded by Blossom Dearie, Ella Fitzgerald, Mel Tormé, and Dinah Washington. It is often used in films, including Silent Movie, Mighty Aphrodite, and The English Patient.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Manhattan” with The Ruby Braff/George Barnes Quartet in July 1973. The quartet featured Braff on cornet and trumpet, Barnes and Wayne Wright on guitar, and John Guiffrida on bass. The first album of the recordings with the quartet was released in 1976 as Tony Bennett Sings 10 Rodgers & Hart Songs.

“Manhattan,” as well as Tony Bennett Sings the Rogers & Hart Songbook is available on Apple Music.

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