The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: My Romance

The song of the day for Saturday, October 9, 2021, is “My Romance.”

About This Song

“My Romance” was written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart for the 1935 Broadway musical Jumbo. The song was used in the 1962 film version, where it was sung by Doris Day. The song has been widely recorded by jazz and popular artists including The Andrews Sisters, Bill Evans, Rosemary Clooney, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, and Jo Stafford, among many others.

About This Version

Tony Bennett, with The George Barnes/Ruby Braff Quartet, recorded “My Romance” in 1973 for the album Tony Bennett Sings More Great Rodgers & Hart Songs, released in 1977.

My Romance

Listen to My Romance on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 2004

“My Romance,” as well as The Complete Improv Recordings is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: The Most Beautiful Girl in the World

The song of the day for Tuesday, October 12, 2021, is “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World.”

About This Song

“The Most Beautiful Girl In The World” was written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart for the 1935 musical Jumbo. It has become a jazz and popular standard. The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra had a Top 40 hit with the song in 1953. Other recordings include those by Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, and Sonny Rollins.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “The Most Beautiful Girl In The World” in 1973 with The George Barners – Ruby Braff Quartet. It was released in 1977 on Tony Bennett Sings More Great Rodgers & Hart.

The Most Beautiful Girl In The World

Listen to The Most Beautiful Girl In The World on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 2004

“The Most Beautiful Girl in the World,” as well as The Complete Improv Recordings is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: The Lady is a Tramp

The song of the day for Friday, October 15, 2021, is “The Lady is a Tramp.”

About This Song

“The Lady is a Tramp” was written in 1937 by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart for the Broadway musical Babes In Arms, where it was introduced by Mitzi Green. The song was meant as a spoof on the high society of New York, where the singer is clear about what she likes to do, no matter what everyone else is doing. “The Lady Is A Tramp” has been sung by Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Lena Horne. More recently, Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga sang a duet of this song on their 2011 album “Duets II.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “The Lady is a Tramp” with The George Barnes – Ruby Braff Quartet in 1973 for the album Tony Bennett Sings 10 Rodgers & Hart Songs.

The Lady Is A Tramp

Listen to The Lady Is A Tramp on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 2004

“The Lady is a Tramp,” as well as The Complete Improv Recordings is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Some Other Time

The song of the day for Thursday, December 30, 2021, is “Some Other Time.”

About This Song

“Some Other Time” was written by Leonard Bernstein, with lyrics by Adolph Green and Betty Comden, for the 1944 musical On The Town, the story of three sailors on leave in New York City and their romantic adventures. This song is sung at the end by two of the couples. Inexplicably, this beautiful song was cut from the 1949 film version.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Bill Evans recorded “Some Other Time” in 1975 for their first album, The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album. This song had been in Evans’s repertoire since at least 1961 and appeared on several of his albums.

I plead guilty to playing this recording often. I think it’s the most perfect recording I’ve ever heard.

“Some Other Times,” as well as The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album is available on Apple Music.

I have a couple of other versions of today’s song. First is Bill Evans from The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, from 1961. He plays with his trio, with Paul Motian on drums and Scott LaFaro on bass. Tragically, LaFaro died in an automobile accident just a few weeks after the Village Vanguard. He was only 25, but in spite of his short career, he is ranked number 16 on Bass Player’s magazine of the top 100 bassists. Evans was consumed with grief after LaFaro’s death and stopped performing for several months.

I also have a lovely version of “Some Other Time” from a 1960 studio recording of On The Town.

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Song of the Day: There’ll Be Some Changes Made

The song of the day for Friday, December 31, 2021, is “There’ll Be Some Changes Made.”

About This Song

“There’ll Be Some Changes Made” was written in 1921 (100 years ago!) by Bennett Overstreet and Billy Higgins, both African-American vaudeville performers. Ethel Waters had a hit recording of this song in late 1921; other early recordings include those by Marion Harris, Josie Miles, Fats Waller, and the Chicago Rhythm Kings. Later recordings include those by Billy Holiday, Peggy Lee, and Tony Bennett. Even western singers have been drawn to the song by artists including Chet Atkins, Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, and Pee Wee Russell’s Rhythmakers.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “There’ll Be Some Changes Made” in 1975 for the album Tony Bennett Sings Life Is Beautiful, released on Bennett’s Improv label. Torrie Zito wrote the arrangement.

On the last day of 2021, my hope for 2022 is that there’ll be some changes made and we’ll finally start seeing our way of this awful pandemic, or a young girl was quoted on Facebook — “Pandammit.”

“There’ll Be Some Changes Made,” as well as The Complete Improv Recordings is available on Apple Music.

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