The song of the day for Friday, June 20, 2014 is “Laughing at Life.”
About This Song
“Laughing At Life” was composed in 1930 by Bob Todd and Cornell Todd, with lyrics by Charles F. Kenny and Nick A. Kenny. Billie Holiday recorded it several times with different musicians including Lester Young and Count Basie. The song has also been recorded by Frankie Laine, Roy Eldridge, Carmen McRae and Milt Hinton.
About This Version
Your intrepid blogger has been in a Billie Holiday mood for several days now and so it’s no surprise that today’s song is from Tony Bennett’s tribute album to Billie Holiday, Tony Bennett On Holiday. Bennett picked a wonderful selection of songs for this album, described in his autobiography The Good Life:
People often focus on the negative aspects of Billie’s short and tragic life, on her sad songs. But I wanted to concentrate on the optimistic side of her legacy. … I wanted to put the emphasis on her upbeat songs like “All Of Me,” “Laughing At Life” and “What A Little Moonlight Can Do.” … She was truly the Goddess of Style, and she changed music forever.
It’s a charming arrangement by Jorge Calandrelli and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
http://open.spotify.com/track/2X2mtLVpajxCJog0ixGJp9
“Laughing at Life,” as well as the album Tony Bennett On Holiday, is available from iTunes.
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