The song of the day for Saturday, August 28, 2021, is “Just In Time.”
About Today
Fifty-nine years ago tonight, August 28, 1962, Tony Bennett and the Ralph Sharon Trio and The Dave Brubeck Quartet, invited by President John Kennedy, performed at a concert to celebrate that year’s group of Presidential Scholars. Originally the concert was to be held on the White House grounds, but was so popular that it was held on the National Mall by the Washington Monument. Bennett and Brubeck each played their sets. Then Bennett, Brubeck, bass player Eugene Wright, and drummer Joe Morello returned for a short, completely improvised set.
The concert was recorded and survived long enough for one of the improv numbers to be used on other records. And the original tapes were since thought to be lost. Not long after Brubeck’s death in 2012, the tapes were found, misfiled in the classical music section of Columbia’s vaults. In 2013, Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962 as released.
In honor of this concert, The Year of Tony Bennett will feature all of Bennett’s set and the Bennett/Brubeck improv set over the next ten days. Enjoy!
About This Song
“Just In Time” was written for the 1956 Broadway musical hit, Bells Are Ringing, by Jule Styne, with lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. The song was introduced by Judy Holliday and Sidney Chaplin. Holliday and Dean Martin sang it in the 1960 film version of Bells Are Ringing.
About This Version
Tony Bennett sang “Just In Time” at the White House concert in 1962, with The Ralph Sharon Trio, featuring Sharon on piano, Hal Gaylord on bass, and Billy Exiner on drums. The performance was released on Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962.
“Just In Time,” as well as Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962 is available on Apple Music.
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