The song of the day for Friday, April 29, 2016 is “I’m Just A Lucky So And So.”
About This Song
Duke Ellington wrote “I’m Just A Lucky So And So” in 1945, with lyrics by Mack David. A favorite song of Tony Bennett, “I’m Just a Lucky So-and-So” has also been recorded by Billy Eckstine, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan.
About This Version
Tony Bennett has recorded this song several times, starting with his second album, Tony, released in 1956. Because I like the arrangement and the nice guitar work by Gray Sargent, I’ve chosen his 1999 recording for Tony Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool.
“I’m Just A Lucky So And So,” as well as Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool, is available from iTunes.
About Today
The great Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington was born 117 years ago today on April 29, 1999. There aren’t enough accolades in the world for Ellington: pianist, composer, and band leader. A band leader that kept his band together from the 1930s until his death in 1974, a remarkable achievement by any standard.
But this music. It’s as alive and vibrant as ever and still meaningful, at least to this writer. I find traces of Ellington everywhere: right now, I’m working on a screenplay about Ross Macdonald, the mystery author. It turns out that his favorite artist was Duke Ellington.
And as Duke always said: “We love you madly.”
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