The song of the day for Saturday, April 23, 2016 is “The Way You Look Tonight.”
About This Song
“The Way You Look Tonight,” written by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields, was introduced by Fred Astaire in the 1936 film Swing Time; the song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for the year. Dorothy Fields remarked “The first time Jerry played that melody for me I went out and started to cry. The release absolutely killed me. I couldn’t stop, it was so beautiful.” Dorothy Fields was the first woman to win an Oscar for songwriting. It’s a magnificent love song that has found a strong position as a jazz standard, with recordings by Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday, Mel Tormé and Frank Sinatra.
About This Version
Today’s version of “The Way You Look Tonight” is from the soundtrack of My Best Friend’s Wedding and was recorded ~1997 with the Ralph Sharon Trio. Thankfully, this beautiful recording was included on Volume 2 of Rarities, Outtakes and Other Delights in the 2011 Complete Collection box set, which is now also available from iTunes.
I have to say that I cannot get enough of hearing Tony Bennett sing this song. I’ve heard him sing it concert several times and I am always moved to tears. Bennett “gets” this song.
“The Way You Look Tonight,” as well as Rarities, Outtakes and Other Delights, Vol. 2, is available from iTunes.
About Today
Saturday is here again and that means a video. Today we have Tony Bennett and Bill Charlap performing “The Way You Look Tonight” from an Elvis Costello special from New Year’s Eve 2008.
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