The song of the day for Wednesday, June 26, 2024, is “Solitude.”
About This Song
“Solitude” was written by Duke Ellington in 1934, with lyrics by Eddie DeLange and Irving Mills. One of his masterpieces, Ellington is said to have written “Solitude” in twenty minutes at the recording session, as they were one number short. It’s a very strong song for both vocalists and instrumentalists. Ellington made over a hundred recordings of this song. Other great recordings include those by Paul Robeson, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Billy Eckstine.
About This Version
Tony Bennett recorded “Solitude” on December 30, 1958, with Count Basie and His Orchestra for the 1959 album In Person!
“Solitude,” as well as In Person!, is available on Apple Music.
I found this video of Tony Bennett and Duke Ellington and His Orchestra appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show on April 6, 1969. Their set starts with “Love Scene” followed by “Solitude” (starting at 2:17):
Please feel free to leave a comment