The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Ain’t Misbehaving

The song of the day for Tuesday, July 22, 2014 is “Ain’t Misbehaving.”

About This Song

“Ain’t Misbehaving” was written in 1929 by Thomas “Fats” Waller and Harry Brooks, with lyrics by Andy Razaf. Waller recorded the original version, released by the Victor label on August 2, 1929. This recording received the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1984; the song was named as one of the 365 Songs of the (20th) Century, as selected by the Recording Industry Association of America.

There were six other versions recorded in 1929, including those by Ruth Etting, Louis Armstrong and Leo Reisman and His Orchestra. The song has remained vastly popular over the years, with recordings by the greats of jazz: Anita O’Day, Billie Holiday, Eartha Kitt, Ella Fitzgerald, Kay Starr, Sidney Bechet and many, many more. The song found new popularity in 1978 with the musical revue of the same name with a book by Murray Horwitz and Richard Maltby, Jr. Your author had the great fortune to see the production with the original cast and it was one of the most exciting and happiest evenings I have ever spent in a theatre.

About This Version

Today’s version is from Bennett’s live appearance at the Sahara in Las Vegas in 1964, recently released on the album Live At The Sahara: From This Moment On, recorded in April, 1964. In that same time frame, he recorded the song with the Ralph Sharon Trio for the album When Lights Are Low.

Both versions feature a slower tempo than one usually hears today. I like this tempo a lot and has a much different feel than the song does when sung at the much faster tempo, such as from the 1978 Ain’t Misbehaving. It’s a great song at about any tempo and today’s version is a joy.

http://open.spotify.com/track/4e7Xq3O7WJC9TcJOdOcPEb
“Ain’t Misbehaving,” as well as the album Live At The Sahara: From This Moment On, is available from iTunes.

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Honeysuckle Rose

The song of the day for Friday, June 28, 2013 is “Honeysuckle Rose.”

About This Song

“Honeysuckle Rose” was written in 1929 by Thomas “Fats” Waller with lyrics by Andy Razaf. It was well-accepted in jazz bands of the 1930s, with recordings by Fletcher Henderson, Red Norvo, Mildred Bailey and Count Basie. Waller’s 1934 recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Honeysuckle Rose” for his 1995 album Here’s To The Ladies, in which he honored the great female sings of the American Songbook with the songs associated with them. “Honeysuckle Rose” is for Lena Horne. Tony and Lena Horne toured together in both England and  the United States in the early 1970s.

http://open.spotify.com/track/47R9OVh2SSv5VciZh8S064
“Honeysuckle Rose,” as well as the entire Here’s To The Ladies album, is available from iTunes.

And here’s Fats Waller …
http://open.spotify.com/track/0EYRLGRgsgnKetAVziaaLT

 

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Ain’t Misbehavin’

The song of the day for Saturday, June 8, 2013 is “Ain’t Misbehaving.” (And I ain’t either.)

About This Song

“Ain’t Misbehavin'” was written in 1929 by Fats Waller and Harry Brooks, with lyrics by Andy Razaf. Louis Armstrong recorded it the year it was written, as did Waller. The highly successful 1978 musical Ain’t Misbehavin’ helped to reintroduce Waller’s music to the American public.

In the documentary film The Zen of Bennett, Tony Bennett relates the story that Waller was paid two bottles of gin for writing this song. Unfortunately, this kind of thing happened to many jazz musicians and composers in the early part of the 20th century. Today, composers rights are represented by The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), who work to ensure they are treated fairly for their creative works.

About This Version

Today’s version of “Ain’t Misbehavin'” is from Tony Bennett’s 1964 album with the Ralph Sharon Trio, When Lights Are Low.

http://open.spotify.com/track/39twrUHk5VAIIaaHFYnSP4
“Ain’t Misbehavin’,” as well as the remastered When Light Are Low album, is available from iTunes.

As today is Saturday and with hopes that you may have a little extra time to listen to some music, we present Fats Waller and “Ain’t Misbehavin’.”

Ain"t Misbehavin"

Fats Waller · Forever Fats Waller Vol. 01 · Song · 2013

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Honeysuckle Rose

The song of the day for Friday, January 4, 2013 is Honeysuckle Rose.

Waller and Razaf

About Honeysuckle Rose

This song was written in 1929 by Fats Waller (music) and Andy Razaf (lyrics). It was introduced in the 1929 revue Load of Coal. It came to be one of Waller’s and Razaf’s most beloved songs. It took the song a few years to take off, but the Fletcher Henderson recording of 1933 was a hit and the song became a standard for jazz and popular singers. Waller’s 1934 recording was inducted to the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.

About This Version

In his tribute to the great American female singers, Here’s To the Ladies (1995), Tony Bennett chose this song to pay tribute to Lena Horne, who sang this song regularly in her concerts. Honeysuckle Rose was arranged and conducted by Jorge Calandrelli. The Ralph Sharon Trio with Mr. Sharon on piano, Doug Richeson on bass and Clayton Cameron on drums was featured on the album.

Honeysuckle Rose

Listen to Honeysuckle Rose on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1995

Honeysuckle Rose, as well as the full Here’s To The Ladies album, is available from iTunes.