The song of the day for Wednesday, February 10, 2016 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. In fact, Mercer brought in an early version of the lyrics with this note in the margin: “My mama done told me.” Arlen saw that phrase and the rest is, as they say, musical history.
About This Version
Tony Bennett has recorded this song twice. Today we are featuring the first recording, made in 1957 for Bennett’s second jazz album The Beat of My Heart. Bennett and his new pianist, Ralph Sharon, arranged the entire album.
Bennett notes in his autobiography, The Good Life, that he sang “Blues In The Night” while serving in the Army as a band singer at the close of World War II.
“Blues In The Night,” as well as The Beat Of My Heart, is available from iTunes.
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