The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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I Remember You

The Song of the Day for August 13, 2012 is I Remember You. Let’s see: Favorite album by favorite artist, singing a song by a favorite songwriter.

About I Remember You

I Remember You was written in 1941 by Victor L. Schertzinger (music) and Johnny Mercer (lyrics). It was introduced by Dorothy Lamour in The Fleet’s In, released in 1942, directed by Mr. Schertzinger.  It’s a jazz standard and has been recorded by many artists, including Chet Baker, Julie Christy, Jeri Southern, and Ella Fitzgerald.

About This Version

This version was recorded for The Art of Romance (which may be my favorite Tony Bennett studio album),  released in 2004. Accompanying Tony on this album was the quartet of Lee Musiker, Paul Langosch, Gray Sargent, and Clayton Cameron.  Johnny Mandel arranged the song and conducted the orchestra.

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Firefly

It’s a beautiful summer day and today is about joyful and happy songs. Thus, the Song of the Day for August 12, 2012 is Firefly.

About Firefly

Firefly was written by Cy Coleman (music) and Carolyn Leigh (lyrics) in 1958. Originally, it was written as an  audition piece for the planned musical Gypsy and was intended to be sung by Baby June in Act One.  Gypsy was given to Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim and was, and remains, one of the greatest American musicals ever written. Thankfully, the song Firefly survived and was recorded by Tony in 1959 for In Person! With Count Basie and His Orchestra. He also has a sweet and funny duet of this song with Kermit the Frog on The Playground, his children’s album from 1998. Kermit swings pretty good for a frog.

About This Version

Today’s version of Firefly is from Tony’s extraordinary 1962 Carnegie Hall concert.  You can hear the audience enjoying it as much I do.

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Penthouse Serenade

As Mr. Bennett returns home after his two month tour of Europe, our Song of the Day is Penthouse Serenade.

About Penthouse Serenade

The song was written in 1931 by Will Jason and Val Burton. The song quickly became a jazz standard and has been recorded many times — 216 different recordings according to AllMusic.com. In addition to Mr. Bennett’s recording, it has been recorded by Ruth Etting (1932), Bob Hope (1937), Nat King Cole (1952), Errol Garner (1949), and Marianne Faithful (1990), among many others.

About This Version

Tony first recorded this song for Hometown, My Town, his second major jazz album (after Cloud 7), released in 1959. With arrangements by Ralph Burns, I believe it stands as one of Tony Bennett’s finest albums (and it is a personal favorite of The Year of Tony Bennett).  This album, featuring extended orchestrations of just six songs, summons of the essence of New York. Welcome home, Mr. Bennett.

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Rags To Riches

I keep seeing Martin Scorsese doing his Siri – iPhone commercial on TV, which made me think of Goodfellas, which leads to me the Song of the Day for August 10, 2012: Rags to Riches. The song was written in 1953 by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross and was recorded by Tony Bennett in that same year.

Tony wrote about the song in the liner notes for Forty Years: The Artistry of Tony Bennett:
“This was one record on which I was way off, because I was way against doing it. Mitch Miller and Percy Faith practically had to tie me down to do it. I was wrong: in two weeks, it sold a half-million records in Pittsburgh alone, and it stayed 25 weeks on the charts, including eight as #1. As Confucius once said, ‘You must learn not only to give advice, but also to take it.'”

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In A Sentimental Mood

I’ve been in a Duke Ellington mood all day and so the Song of the Day for August 9, 2012 is In A Sentimental Mood, written by Edward Kennedy Ellington in 1935. Lyrics were written later Irving Mills and Manny Kurtz. It may be one his most-recorded songs; it certainly is one his most-loved songs. In fact, I can’t remember not ever knowing and loving this song.

This is from Tony’s 1999 album Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot and Cold. The personnel on this album is staggering. The Ralph Sharon Quartet (Ralph Sharon, Gray Sargent, Paul Langosch, and Clayton Cameron) are featured, as well as an orchestral charts arranged and conducted Jorge Calandrelli, the Argentinian composer, conductor, and arranger and big band charts arranged and conducted by Ralph Burns (though the big band wasn’t used on this particular song). The album is definitely worth careful listening.