The song of the day for Wednesday, April 2, 2014 is “Blues in the Night.”
About This Song
“Blues in the Night” was written in 1941 for the film of the same name by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer. Arlen wrote the music first and wrote a true blues song. Johnny Mercer, who later wrote the lyrics, drew on his southern heritage to write the exceptional blues lyrics. It’s said that while Mercer was working on the lyric, he had scribbled “my momma done tol’ me” in the margin of his notes. Arlen saw that and thus a great lyric was born.
About This Version
Today’s version of “Blues in the Night” isn’t the original version Bennett recorded in 1957 for The Beat of My Heart, but the 2001 version from Playin’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings The Blues. This version features the Ralph Sharon Quartet, with Paul Langosch on bass, Clayton Cameron on drums and Gray Sargent on guitar. It’s a terrific arrangement; nice and tight with great work from all four musicians.
http://open.spotify.com/track/60oEw14Ucnko8skELizX71
“Blues in the Night,” as well as the album Playin’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings The Blues, is available from iTunes.
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