The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Tony Live! Watch What Happens

The song of the day for Saturday, July 3, 2020, is “Watch What Happens.”

About Today

Today, our Tony Live! series moves to Buffalo, New York in May 1977. Tony Bennett, Marian McPartland, and a lot more talented musicians did a show at the Statler Hilton’s Downtown Club in Buffalo. Accompanying Tony was Torrie Zito on piano, John Guiffrida on bass, and Joe Cocuzzo on drums.

About This Song

“Watch What Happens” was composed by Michel Legrand for the lovely 1964 French film The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. The film’s director and screenwriter, Jacques Demy, wrote the original lyrics. Norman Gimbel wrote the English lyrics. Bennett’s first recording of “Watch What Happens” was made for his 1965 album If I Ruled The World: Songs For The Jet Set. It was the first recording of the song with the Gimbel lyrics.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this version in May 1977 in Buffalo, New York; the show also featured Marian McPartland and a fine jazzband, led by cornettist Jimmy McPartland. The show was released on Bennett’s Improv label as Tony Bennett, The McPartlands and Friends Make Magnificent Music and was included as a CD in the 2011 Complete Collection. Currently, it is available on The Complete Improv Recordings.

“Watch What Happens,” as well as The Complete Improv Recordings, is available from Apple Music.

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Tony Live! Wave

The song of the day for Sunday, June 28, 2020, is “Wave.”

About This Song

“Wave” (or “Vou Te Contar” in the original Portuguese), is a classic bossa nova song by Antonio Carlos Jobim. It’s one of Jobim’s loveliest songs. He wrote it in 1967.

About This Version

Tony Bennett sang “Wave” at his 1971 concert at Royal Albert Hall in London; the concert was captured on the album Get Happy. Bennett had previously recorded “Wave” for his 1970 album Tony Bennett’s Something, with an arrangement by Peter Matz; the Matz arrangement was used for this live recording.

“Wave,” as well as Get Happy, is available from Apple Music.

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Tony Live! There Will Never Be Another You

The song of the day for Saturday, June 27, 2020, is “There Will Never Be Another You.”

About This Song

“There Will Never Be Another You” was written in 1942 by Harry Warren and Mack Gordon for the movie Iceland, starring Sonja Henie and John Payne. The song was introduced in the movie by Joan Merrill. Amazingly, this beautiful song was not nominated for an Academy Award. No matter. The song has become a serious jazz standard and has had many fine recordings, including Bennett’s 1959 recording with Count Basie and his 1962 improvisation with Dave Brubeck at the White House Sessions. Other significant recordings include those by Lionel Hampton, Chet Baker, Nat King Cole, and Sonny Rollins.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “There Will Never Be Another You” in 1971 in concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London, playing with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. The concert was released on the album Get Happy. The arrangement was by Torrie Zito; the same arrangement as the one Zito did for Tony’s 1968 album Yesterday I Heard The Rain.

“There Will Never Be Another You,” as well as Get Happy, is available from Apple Music.

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Tony Live! Country Girl

The song of the day for Sunday, June 21, 2020, is “Country Girl.”

About This Song

“Country Girl” was written in 1966 by the Canadian-born composer, conductor, arranger and trumpet player Robert Farnon. Farnon composed both light classical and popular music, as well as film and television scores. He worked with Tony Bennett on several albums, including the wonderful 1968 Snowfall.

About This Version

When Tony Bennett was preparing for his 1971 concert in London, he reached out to Robert Farnon, whom he had worked with on Snowfall, to conduct. Bennett had recorded “Country Girl” for his 1967 album Tony Makes It Happen! and was sure to include it in the concert, as captured on the album Get Happy. The Marion Evans arrangement, also used in 1967, beautifully captured the English countryside.

“Country Girl,” as well as Get Happy, is available from Apple Music.

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Tony Live! Old Devil Moon

The song of the day for Saturday, June 20, 2020, is “Old Devil Moon.”

About This Song

“Old Devil Moon” was written by Burton Lane and Yip Harburg for the 1947 musical Finian’s Rainbow, which also gave us “How Are Things in Glocca Morra?” While Alec Wilder was no fan of “How Are Things in Glocca Morra?”, in America Popular Song, he praises “Old Devil Moon” as “a well-written, wholly convincing song. It drives, and its initial intensity is sustained throughout.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this live version of “Old Devil Moon” in 1971 at The Royal Albert Hall in London, backed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. It uses the Marion Evans arrangement from 1967 for Tony Makes It Happen! The concert was released on the album Get Happy.

“Old Devil Moon,” as well as Get Happy, is available from Apple Music.