The song of the day for Tuesday, February 16, 2021, is “That Old Black Magic.”
About This Song
One of the great songs by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer, “That Old Black Magic” was written in 1942 and first recorded by Glenn Miller. It was also used in the 1942 movie Star Spangled Rhythm. It’s been recorded many times and used in several films, including the 1956 film Bus Stop, where it was sung by Marilyn Monroe.
About This Version
In 1962, Tony Bennett and his trio and The Dave Brubeck Quartet were invited by President John Kennedy to perform in the White House Rose Garden as a thank you to that year’s Presidential Scholars. There was so much interest in the concert that it was moved to the Mall near the Washington Monument. After each artist played their respective sets, Bennett and Brubeck, along with Eugene Wright on bass and Joe Morello on drums returned for a short improv set. One of the songs in that set was “That Old Black Magic.” The concert was recorded, but the tapes had been long since lost. Soon after Brubeck’s death in December 2012, the tapes were found in the classical music archives of Sony/Columbia Records. The album Bennett & Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962 was released in April 2013.
“That Old Black Magic,” as well as Bennett & Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962, is available from Apple Music.
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