The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: That Old Black Magic

The great Johnny Mercer was born on November 18, 1909, 103 years ago. For that reason, the Song of the Day for November 18, 2012 is That Old Black Magic.

About That Old Black Magic

That Old Black Magic was written by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Johnny Mercer for the 1940 Radio Hour Broadway revue. It’s been a popular and jazz standard from the beginning, with recordings by Margaret Whiting, Glenn Miller, Ella Fitzgerald and even Marilyn Monroe in the 1956 film Bus Stop.

About This Version

Tony Bennett first recorded That Old Black Magic in 1962 for the unreleased album The Glory Road (this album is included in the Tony Bennett Complete Collection released in 2011). Today’s version comes from Tony’s Carnegie Hall concert in the same year.

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Song of the Day: It Amazes Me

We continue Ralph Sharon Week with the Song of the Day for September 18, 2012:  It Amazes Me.

About It Amazes Me

It Amazes Me was written by Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh. Although this songwriting pair is well-known for their musical scores, this song was not written for a musical.

About This Version

Tony Bennett first recorded It Amazes Me in 1958 for his album Long Ago and Far Away. I’ve heard him sing it in concert several times and it never ceases to amaze me too. This live version is from the 1962 Carnegie Hall Concert. He also recorded it for the 1994 MTV Unplugged concert, again with Ralph Sharon.

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Song of the Day: I’m Just a Lucky So And So

The Song of the Day for August 29, 2012 is I’m Just A Lucky So And So.

About I’m Just A Lucky So And So

Another great song by Duke Ellington, written in 1945. It’s been recorded by many jazz and popular singers, from Ella to Diana Krall and Louis Armstrong to Chuck Berry.

About This Version

This version is, like yesterday’s Solitude, is also from the 1962 Carnegie Hall concert. Mr. Bennett’s version from Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool  (1999) is also worth a listen, as is the entire album.

Like many people, I associate this song with Tony Bennett. But I also believe strongly that we make our own luck possible by our acts and deeds and heart.

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Song of the Day: Solitude

The Song of the Day for August 28, 2012 is Solitude.

About Solitude

Solitude was written in 1934 by Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington with lyrics by Eddie DeLange and Irving Mills.  Amazingly, Duke wrote the song in twenty minutes while waiting for the recording studio to open. Written first as instrumental, the lyrics were added later.

About This Version

I can’t stop listening to Tony Bennett’s 1962 Carnegie Hall Concert and this afternoon, at a perfect moment, Solitude started and I heard something in this performance of this song (that I had listened to many, many times) that was at once soulful, joyous, passionate, yearning and, well, perfect.

And, with thanks to Spotify, here is a recording of Solitude by the Duke Ellington Orchestra from the late 1930s, recorded for a radio program and compiled on Duke Ellington at the Cotton Club. This 2-CD set is available from Amazon.com.