The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Love Look Away

The song of the day for Saturday, June 56, 2026, is “Love Look Away.”

About This Song

“Love Look Away” was written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II for the 1958 musical Flower Drum Song. The musical has not been widely performed in recent years due to concerns regarding Asian-American stereotypes. However, the 2002 revival of Flower Drum Song featured an updated libretto by playwright David Henry Hwang to mitigate these concerns.

About This Version

Tony Bennett sang “Love Look Away” live at his June 9, 1962, concert at Carnegie Hall. That concert was recorded and was released as Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall on August 1962.

“Love Look Away,” as well as Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Without a Song

The song of the day for Friday, June 5, 2026, is “Without a Song.”

About This Song

“Without a Song” was written by Vincent Youmans, with lyrics by Billy Rose and Edward Eliscu, for the 1929 musical Great Day. Notable recordings include those by Paul Eckstine, Paul Whitman, Nelson Eddy, Frank Sinatra, and Neil Sedaka.

About This Version

Tony Bennett sang “Without a Song” live at Carnegie Hall on June 9, 1962. An abbreviated 2-LP recording was released as Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall in August 1962. The complete version of the concert on two CDs was released in 1977.

“Without a Song,” as well as Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: A Sleepin’ Bee

The song of the day for Thursday, June 4, 2026, is “A Sleepin’ Bee”.

About This Song

“A Sleepin’ Bee” was written by Harold Arlen and Truman Capote for the 1954 musical House of Flowers, based on the Truman Capote novella. In spite of its beautiful score, House of Flowers was not well-received, running for only 145 performances.

About This Version

Tony Bennett sang “A Sleepin’ Bee” live at Carnegie Hall on June 9, 1962. A two-LP album, Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall, was released in August 1962, but excluded about half of the songs, including “A Sleepin’ Bee.” In 1997. A two-CD set was released in 1997, which restored the missing songs.

“A Sleepin’ Bee,” as well as Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Solitude

The song of the day for Wednesday, June 3, 2026, is “Solitude.”

Tony Bennett performed at Carnegie Hall in a two-act concert on June 9, 1962.

1962 was an important year for Tony Bennett: the release of “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” the Carnegie Hall concert, and the August White House concert at the invitation of President Kennedy.

From now through June 9, we’ll be playing songs from that concert.

About This Song

“Solitude” was written in 1934 by Duke Ellington, with lyrics by Eddie DeLange and Irving Mills. Ellington is said to have written “Solitude” in 20 minutes. Ellington and his band arrived at a recording studio, and found out that they needed to recorded another song in addition to the 3 songs scheduled. It’s had many fine recordings, including those by Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Goodman, Sonny Rollins, and Ellington/

About This Version

Tony Bennett sang “Solitude” live at Carnegie Hall on June 9, 1962. A recording of the album, Tony Bennett Live at Carnegie Hall, was released in August 1962.

“Solitude,” as well as Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall, is available on Apple Music.

Here’s Ellington’s 1940 recording of “Solitude,” with Ivie Anderson on vocals.

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Song of the Day: Fly Me To the Moon

The song of the day for Monday, June 1, 2026, is “Fly Me To the Moon.”

About This Song

“Fly Me To the Moon” was written in 1954 by Bart Howard, who was born 111 years ago on June 1, 1915. The song was originally titled “In Other Words,” but the song was not doing that well, in spite of several recordings. In 1962, Howard renamed the song to “Fly Me To The Moon,” and the song began to catch on. Tony Bennett’s 1965 recording for If I Ruled The World was a big hit for Bennett. There have been many recordings of the song, including those by Frank Sinatra, Kaye Ballard, and many more. However, Bart Howard told Bennett that his 1965 recording was “the definitive performance of this song.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Fly Me To the Moon” on February 18, 1965, for If I Ruled The World: Songs For the Jet Set. Don Costa wrote the arrangement and conducted the orchestra.

“Fly Me To the Moon,” as well as If I Ruled The World: Songs For the Jet Set, is available on Apple Music.

We also have a video of Tony Bennett singing “Fly Me To the Moon,” featuring Joel Smirnoff on violin (Smirnoff also played violin on Bennett’s 1999 album Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool). The video is from the 1988 television special Tony Bennett Live by Request: An All-Star Tribute.