The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Just One Of Those Things

The song of the day for Wednesday, November 12, 2014 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 his third album The Beat of My Heart, which featured jazz drummers and percussionists on each song. This song featured Art Blakey.

About Today

I’ve been in Cole Porter mood for the last few days and The Beat of My Heart was the one album I wanted to listen to today. So there you go.

Just One Of Those Things

Listen to Just One Of Those Things on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1957


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

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Song of the Day: You Go To My Head

The song of the day for Wednesday, December 5, 2012, is You Go To My Head.

About You Go To My Head

This song was written in 1938, with music by J. Fred Coots and lyrics by Haven Gillespie. In that year, it was recorded by both Teddy Wilson and Billie Holiday. The song has been a popular and jazz standard since it was written. Judy Garland performed it at her legendary 1961 Judy at Carnegie Hall concert. Other artists who have recorded the song include Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Lena Horne, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie and Ella Fitzgerald.

About This Version

Today’s version is from Tony Bennett’s remarkable 1957 album The Beat Of My Heart. The album conceived and devised by Mr. Bennett and Ralph Sharon, who also arranged and conducted the album. Mr. Bennett was pulled together the finest drummers and percussionists from all over the world and featured them on each song on the album. You Go To My Head features Art Blakey, who was instrumental in defining the bebop style of drumming. Mr. Blakey founded the Jazz Messengers group, which he kept active for many years. He used this group to give young jazz musicians to perform and learn; graduates of The Jazz Messengers include Wynton Marsalis and Terence Blanchard.

You Got To My Head, as well as the full album The Beat Of My Heart, is available from iTunes.