The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Let’s Begin

The song of the day for Wednesday, July 31, 2019, is “Let’s Begin.”

About This Song

“Let’s Begin” was written by Jerome Kern and Otto Harbach for the 1933 musical Roberta, which also included many other fine Kern songs, including “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” and “The Touch of Your Hand.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Let’s Begin” in 1957 for The Beat of My Heart. For this album, Bennett invited drummers and percussionists to record songs on this album; for “Let’s Begin,” drummer Art Blakey is featured.

Let’s Begin

We and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. By using our website and our services, you agree to our use of cookies as described in our Cookie Policy.

“Let’s Begin,” as well as The Beat of My Heart, is available from iTunes.

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: I Get a Kick Out of You

The song of the day for Tuesday, May 21, 2019, is “I Get a Kick Out of You.”

About This Song

“I Get a Kick Out of You” was written by Cole Porter his 1934 musical Anything Goes, where it was introduced by Ethel Merman. It’s been popular since then and has been recorded by artists including Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Anita O’Day, Max Roach, and many more. The original lyrics reference the use of cocaine (I get no kick from cocaine), and that particular line in the lyric is often rewritten, often to champagne.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “I Get a Kick Out of You” in 1957 for his second jazz album The Beat of My Heart (after Cloud 7). The album was conceived and arranged by Tony Bennett and Ralph Sharon. For the album, they invited some of the best percussionists in the world to appear on the album. “I Get a Kick Out of You” features Art Blakey. This recording did not appear on the original 1957 LP, but was, happily, included on the 1996 CD release.

In addition to the world-class percussionists, Bennett and Sharon brought in some the best musicians for the band, including Milt Hinton (bass), Al Cohn (tenor sax), and Eddie Costa (vibes), just to name a few.

The Beat of My Heart is a truly excellent album.

I Get a Kick out of You

I Get a Kick out of You, a song by Tony Bennett on Spotify

“I Get a Kick Out of You,” as well as The Beat of My Heart, is available from iTunes.

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Just One of Those Things

The song of the day for Friday, July 20, 2018 is “Just One of Those Things.”

About This Song

Cole Porter wrote “Just One of Those Things” for the 1935 musical Jubilee. It’s one of Porter’s most popular songs and has been recorded by Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra. Alec Wilder in American Popular Song spoke of the lyric as ‘a trip to the moon on gossamer wings’ and “that it seems impossible that it wasn’t sitting on his piano, waiting for Porter even before he wrote the lyric.” It has a certain literary fame as well: Holden Caulfied, in J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye likes the song and notes that even the “stinking band” in the hotel lounge “couldn’t ruin it entirely.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Just One of Those Things” in 1957 for his album The Beat of My Heart. The arrangement was done by Ralph Sharon.

For this album, Bennett gathered world-class drummers and percussionists to participate in the album. Today’s recording featured a spectacular band, including Art Blakey (drums), Milt Hinton (bass), Al Cohn (tenor saxophone) and Nat Adderly (trumpet). It’s a great recording of a great song.

Just One Of Those Things

Just One Of Those Things, a song by Tony Bennett on Spotify


“Just One of Those Things,” as well as The Beat of My Heart, is available from iTunes.

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Just One of Those Things

The song of the day for Thursday, April 12, 2018 is “Just One of Those Things.”

About This Song

Cole Porter wrote “Just One of Those Things” for the 1935 musical Jubilee. It’s one of Porter’s most popular songs and has been recorded by Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra. Alec Wilder in American Popular Song spoke of the lyric as ‘a trip to the moon on gossamer wings’ and “that it seems impossible that it wasn’t sitting on his piano, waiting for Porter even before he wrote the lyric.” It has a certain literary fame as well: Holden Caulfield, in Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, likes the song and notes that even the “stinking band” in the hotel lounge “couldn’t ruin it entirely.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Just One of Those Things” in 1957 for Bennett’s jazz album The Beat of My Heart. Bennett featured noted drummers and percussionists as guest artists for this album. “Just One of Those Things” featured Art Blakey.

Just One Of Those Things

Just One Of Those Things, a song by Tony Bennett on Spotify


“Just One of Those Things,” as well as The Beat of My Heart, is available from iTunes.

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Just One Of Those Things

The song of the day for Friday, June 9, 2017 is “Just One Of Those Things.”

About This Song

Cole Porter wrote “Just One of Those Things” for the 1935 musical Jubilee. It’s one of Porter’s most popular songs and has been recorded by Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra. Alec Wilder in “American Popular Song” spoke of the lyric as ‘a trip to the moon on gossamer wings’ and “that it seems impossible that it wasn’t sitting on his piano, waiting for Porter even before he wrote the lyric.” It has a certain literary fame as well: Holden Caulfield, in Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, likes the song and notes that even the “stinking band” in the hotel lounge “couldn’t ruin it entirely.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Just One Of Those Things” 1957 for the album The Beat of My Heart, which used percussionists from around the world. This song featured drummer Art Blakey. The arrangement was written by Ralph Sharon.

Just One Of Those Things

Just One Of Those Things, a song by Tony Bennett on Spotify


“Just One Of Those Things,” as well as The Beat of My Heart, is available from iTunes.

About Today

Today we honor the composer Cole Porter, who was born on June 9, 1891. I don’t believe his music will ever go out of style.

Subscribe to The Year of Tony Bennett

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Current Reader Favorites