The song of the day for Monday, December 9, 2024, is “Begin the Beguine.”
About Today
Today’s song is from Tony Bennett’s 2nd jazz album and third album: The Beat of My Heart. The album was released on December 9, 1957.
About This Song
“Begin the Beguine” was written by Cole Porter for the 1925 musical Jubilee. The song has an unusual structure, having a 108-measure length, as opposed to the standard 32-bar structure of most popular music. One of the earliest popular recordings was Artie Shaw’s instrumental in 1938. The Middle Eastern style of the song is well-served by Shaw’s clarinet solo. The song has an unusual structure, having a 108-measure length, as opposed to the standard 32-bar structure of most popular music. One of the earliest popular recordings was Artie Shaw’s instrumental in 1938. The Middle Eastern style of the song is well-served by Shaw’s clarinet solo.
About This Version
Tony Bennett recorded “Begin the Beguine” on October 21, 1957, for his album The Beat of My Heart. Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement. For this album, Bennett invited guest percussionists to play. Drummer Jo Jones was the guest drummer for “Begin the Beguine.”
The recording was not released on the original 1957 LP, but was added to the 1997 CD re-release.
“Begin the Beguine,” as well as The Beat of My Heart, is available on Apple Music.
And because I once played the clarinet and loved Artie Shaw, here’s his brilliant 1938 recording:
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