Song of the Day: Body and Soul

The song of the day for Monday, September 14, 2020, is “Body and Soul.”

About Today

We are remembering the late Amy Winehouse, who was born on September 14, 1983, and died on July 23, 2011, at the age of 27. Her duet with Tony Bennett of “Body and Soul” was her last recording.

About This Song

“Body and Soul” was written in 1930 by Johnny Green, with lyrics by Edward Heyman, Robert Sour, and Frank Eyton. Ted Gioia, in his book The Jazz Standards, says that ‘Body and Soul’ “is the granddaddy of jazz ballads, the quintessential torch song, and the ultimate measuring rod for tenor sax players of all generations. Even in the new millennium, this 1930 composition continues to serve as the cornerstone of the repertoire.” Louis Armstrong recorded the song first, followed in the 1930s by recordings from primarily white society bands, such as those led by Paul Whiteman. That said, some early recordings by jazz artists including Benny Goodman and especially Art Tatum started to cement this song as a serious jazz standard (in fact, it’s rated #1 on the jazzstandards.com website). However, the Coleman Hawkins recording from 1939 is widely acknowledged to have made the song a true jazz standard. The Hawkins recording was followed by great jazz recordings by Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Art Pepper, Dave Brubeck, and many more. Fine vocal recordings include those by Billie Holiday and Tony Bennett.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse recorded “Body and Soul” in March 2011 for the album Duets II. The album won the 2012 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Album. This recording of “Body and Soul” won the 2012 Grammy Award for best Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

“Body and Soul,” as well as Duets II, is available from Apple Music.

Here is the video made of their recording session.