The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Day Dream

The song of the day for Sunday, November 29, 2020, is “Day Dream.”

About Today

Composer, pianist, and collaborator with Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn was born on November 15, 1915, in Dayton, Ohio. Upon meeting Elligton backstage after the concert, Ellington invited the young man to come and visit him in Harlem to discuss his future. Strayhorn, using the instructions given to him by Ellington as lyrics, wrote the song Take the A Train. Other notable songs by Strayhorn include Lush Life and Chelsea Bridge. Billy Strayhorn died in 1967 esophageal cancer. After his death, Ellington recorded album in tribute to him: And His Mother Called Him Bill. This exquisite remembrance included song composed by Strayhorn while he was in the hospital and a touching piano solo of Lush Life, played by Ellington while the band was packing up.

About This Song

“Day Dream” was written in 1941 by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, with lyrics by John LaTouche. Acknowledged to have been written solely by Strayhorn, “Day Dream” is a lovely song with a strong Strayhorn touch, enhanced by the thoughtful lyrics by John LaTouche. The first recording was in 1941 and featured Johnny Hodges on saxophone and Billy Strayhorn on piano. Other notable recordings include this one by Tony Bennett, Betty Carter, Ella Fitzgerald, and Sarah Vaughan.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Day Dream” in 1999 for his album Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool.

Day Dream

Tony Bennett · Bennett Sings Ellington / Hot And Cool · Song · 1999

“Day Dream,” as well as Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool, is available from Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Day Dream

The song of the day for Wednesday, November 29, 2017 is “Day Dream.”

About This Song

“Day Dream” was written in 1941 by Billy Strayhorn, with lyrics by John LaTouche. The first recording was in 1941 and featured Johnny Hodges on saxophone and Strayhorn on piano. Other notable recordings include this one by Tony Bennett, Betty Carter, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this version of “Day Dream” in 1999 for the album Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool.

Day Dream

Tony Bennett · Bennett Sings Ellington / Hot And Cool · Song · 1999


“Day Dream,” as well as Perfectly Frank, is available from iTunes.

About Today

The Year of Tony Bennett is happy to honor the great Billy Strayhorn, who was born on November 29, 1915 in Dayton, Ohio. He studied at the Pittsburgh Music Institute. It was during that period that he composed one of his most notable songs: “Lush Life.” In 1938, Strayhorn was introduced to Duke Ellington, who was impressed with the young man. He gave him directions to his home in Harlem and invited Strayhorn to New York. Strayhorn wrote a song to those directions–the result was “Take The A Train.” They worked together closely up to Strayhorn’s death from cancer in 1967. A few months later, Ellington recorded the studio album … And His Mother Called Him Bill, featuring songs written by his good friend. A favorite of mine from that album is Ellington’s solo of “Lotus Blossom,” which also features Harry Carney on baritone sax.

Lotus Blossom - (Remastered) [Test]

Listen to Lotus Blossom - (Remastered) [Test] on Spotify. Song · Duke Ellington · 1997

The album also includes one of Strayhorn’s last songs, “Blood Count,” which features his good friend Johnny Hodges on tenor sax. It’s an exquisite recording.

Blood Count - Remastered

Listen to Blood Count - Remastered on Spotify. Song · Duke Ellington · 1997

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Song of the Day: Waltz for Debby

The song of the day for Monday, May 1, 2017 is “Waltz for Debby.”

About This Song

Bill Evans composed this song soon after leaving the armed services, in 1959. He wrote it for his young niece, Debby, the daughter of his brother Harry. With the lyrics by Gene Lees, “Waltz For Debby” became a standard for jazz and popular singers. Evans recorded this song for his album of the same name from 1964.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Bill Evans recorded “Waltz For Debby” for their first album The Tony Bennett / Bill Evans Album, released in 1975. Bennett had previously recorded “Waltz for Debby” in 1964 for the album Who Can I Turn To.

Waltz For Debby

Tony Bennett, Bill Evans · The Tony Bennett / Bill Evans Album (Expanded Edition) · Song · 1975


“Waltz for Debby,” as well as The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album, is available from iTunes. The Year of Tony Bennett strongly recommends the Complete Tony Bennett Bill Evans Recordings, also available from iTunes, as it not only contains the released material from both albums, but also a treasure trove of alternate takes.

About Today

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Song of the Day: Lush Life

The song of the day for Sunday, November 29, 2015 is “Lush Life.”

About This Song

Billy Strayhorn wrote both music and lyrics for “Lush Life” as young man between 1936 and 1938. However, it was not performed publicly until 1948, when Strayhorn and vocalist Kay Davis performed it with the Duke Ellington Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in 1948. It’s rather amazing to realize that Strayhorn was only a teenager when he started writing this song. It has had several notable recordings, including those by Nat “King” Cole, Billy Ekstine and Johnny Hartman.

About This Version

In our remembering of Billy Strayhorn, I feel that I have to feature “Lush Life” from Cheek To Cheek. Even though this is a Lady Gaga solo, I don’t think Mr. Bennett will mind just this once. She did such a wonderful job on this song, a song more closely identified than any other.

Lush Life

Listen to Lush Life on Spotify. Song · Lady Gaga · 2014


“Lush Life,” as well as Cheek To Cheek, is available from iTunes.

About Today

With “Lush Life,” we close our weekend tribute to Billy Strayhorn. If you are a fan of both Ellington and/or Strayhorn, I’d like to point you to one of my favorite albums: And His Mother Called Him Bill. A grieving Duke Ellington headed into the studio after Strayhorn’s death from cancer in 1967 and recorded this album of Strayhorn’s compositions. I cannot listen to Ellington playing “Lotus Blossom” without crying.

I also call your attention to “Blood Count,” Strayhorn’s last composition, finished while he was in his final hospitalization before his death on May 31, 1967. I find it almost unspeakably beautiful. He was only 51 years old when he died.

And His Mother Called Him Bill

Listen to And His Mother Called Him Bill on Spotify · Album · Duke Ellington · 1997 · 19 songs