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The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

August 4, 2022 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: I Guess I’ll Have to Change My Plan

The song of the day for Friday, August 5, 2022, is “I Guess I’ll Have to Change My Plan.”

About This Song

“I Guess I’ll Have To Change My Plan” was written by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz for the 1929 revue The Little Show and was introduced by Clifton Webb. It was a featured song in the 1953 movie The Band Wagon, where it was sung by Fred Astaire and Oscar Levant. Even though the original title was “I Guess I’ll Have to Change My Plan,” it is often sung with Plans. And in spite of the sub-title on the cover of the sheet music, I have no idea what the blue pajama business is all about.

About This Version

Tony Bennett, with Count Basie and His Orchestra, recorded “I Guess I’ll Have to Change My Plan” on January 3, 1959, with an arrangement by Ralph Sharon. It was released on the 1959 album Basie Swings/Bennett Sings.

“I Guess I’ll Have to Change My Plan,” as well as Basie Swings/Bennett Sings is available on Apple Music.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Arthur Schwartz, Basie Swings / Bennett Sings, Count Basie and His Orchestra, Howard Dietz, Ralph Sharon, Tony Bennett

February 25, 2022 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Growing Pains

The song of the day for Saturday, February 26, 2022, is “Growing Pains.”

About This Song

“Growing Pains” was written by Arthur Schwartz and Dorothy Fields for the 1951 Broadway musical A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, based on the 1943 novel of the same name by Betty Smith.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Growing Pains” in 1959 with The Count Basie Orchestra for the album Basie Swings/Bennett Sings, released on the Roulette label. Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangment.

“Growing Pains,” as well as Basie Swings/Bennett Sings is available on Apple Music.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Arthur Schwartz, Basie Swings / Bennett Sings, Dorothy Fields, Ralph Sharon, The Count Basie Orchestra, Tony Bennett

January 29, 2022 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Album of the Week: Basie Swings, Bennett Sings

The album of the week starting on January 30, 2022, is Basie Swings, Bennett Sings.

Album Facts

Release Date 1959
Label Roulette
Producer Teddy Reig
Vocals Tony Bennett
Piano Count Basie, Ralph Sharon
Arrangements Ralph Sharon
Trumpet Thad Jones, Snooky Young, Wendell Culley, Joe Newman
Trombone Benny Powell, Henry Coker, Al Grey
Alto Saxophone Marshall Royal, Frank Weiss
Tenor Saxophone Frank Foster, Billy Mitchell
Baritone Saxophone Charlie Fowlkes
Guitar Freddie Green
Bass Eddie Jones
Drums Sonny Payne

After the relative success of Cloud 7 and The Beat of My Heart, Tony Bennett began to work on his dream of performing with Count Basie and Duke Ellington, whom he viewed as the greatest bandleaders of all time. He was able to work out a deal with Basie to record two albums: one live album on Columbia (details to follow ) and a studio album for Roulette, Basie’s label. This brought up a fight with Bennett’s current producer Mitch Miller, who felt Roulette would tarnish Bennett’s reputation.

Tony Bennett remembers those recordings in his autobiography, The Good Life:

Although I’d talked with him on the telephone I didn’t meet Count Basie until our rehearsals began. It was an amazing experience, the fulfillment of a dream, and I’ll never forget it. We hit it off right away, as though we always knew and understood each other. At one point Basie turned to his band, pointed at me, and said, “Anything this man wants, he gets!” I was floored.

Critic Richard S. Ginell wrote:

The Roulette half of the two Bennett/Basie sessions is a band singer’s paradise, with the Basie band caught at a robust and swinging peak and Bennett never sounding happier or looser in front of a microphone. The Count himself, alas, appears on piano only on two numbers (“Life Is a Song” and “Jeepers Creepers”), while Bennett’s perennial pianist Ralph Sharon takes over on the remaining ten tracks and does all the charts. Yet Sharon writes idiomatically for the Count’s style, whether on frantic rave-ups like “With Plenty of Money and You” and “Strike Up the Band” or relaxed swingers like “Chicago.” Though not a jazz singer per se, the flavor of jazz is everywhere in Bennett’s voice, which in those days soared like a trumpet. The 1990 CD included an atmospheric unissued Neal Hefti ballad “After Supper,” but even this bonus track does little to extend the skimpy playing time (about 31 minutes) of what is still a great, desirable snapshot from American showbiz of the late 1950s.

Listen to Basie Swings, Bennett Sings

You can also listen to Basie Swings, Bennett Sings on

  • Apple Music
  • Amazon Music player
  • Qobuz
  • YouTube Music
  • Pandora

 

Filed Under: Album of the Week Tagged With: Al Grey, Basie Swings / Bennett Sings, Benny Powell, Billy Mitchell, Charlie Fowlkes, Count Basie, Count Basie and His Orchestra, Eddie Jones, Frank Foster, Frank Weiss, Freddie Green, Henry Coker, Joe Newman, Marshall Royal, Ralph Sharon, Snooky Young, Sonny Payne, Teddy Reig, Thad Jones, Tony Bennett, Wendell Culley

September 21, 2019 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Playlist of the Week: Tony Loves a Gershwin Tune

The playlist for the week of September 22, 2019, is Tony Loves a Gershwin Tune. This week we are celebrating the birth of the great George Gershwin, who was born on September 26, 1989 in Brooklyn. Working most often with his brother Ira Gershwin, Gershwin wrote many of the most beloved songs from the American Songbook.

Our playlist this weekend is bookended by the song “Fascinatin’ Rhythm.” The first is a demo Bennett recorded in 1949; the second is a duet with Diana Krall from their 2018 album Love Is Here To Stay.

All lyrics written by Ira Gershwin unless otherwise noted.

Fascinatin’ Rhythm from Rarities, Outtakes & Other Delights, Vol. 1
Strike Up the Band from Basie Swings, Tony Sings
I Got Rhythm from Love is Here to Stay, with Diana Krall
The Girl I Love from Astoria: Portrait of the Artist
Shall We Dance from Steppin’ Out
Who Cares? from Steppin’ Out
They Can’t Take That Away From Me from Steppin’ Out
He Loves and She Loves from Steppin’ Out
I’ve Got a Crush On You from Love is Here to Stay, with Diana Krall
Love is Here to Stay from Love is Here to Stay, with Diana Krall
Do It Again (lyrics by Buddy DeSylva) from Love is Here to Stay, with Diana Krall
Nice Work If You Can Get It from Love is Here to Stay, with Diana Krall
Somebody Loves Me (lyrics by Buddy DeSylva and Ballard MacDonald) from Love is Here to Stay, with Diana Krall
Fascinating Rhythm from Love is Here to Stay, with Diana Krall

Filed Under: Playlist of the Week Tagged With: Astoria: Portrait of the Artist, Ballard MacDonald, Basie Swings / Bennett Sings, Buddy DeSylva, Diana Krall, George Gershwin, Happy Birthday George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, Love is Here to Stay, Steppin' Out, Tony Bennett

July 4, 2018 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: With Plenty of Money and You

The song of the day for Thursday, July 5, 2018 is “With Plenty of Money and You.”

About This Song

“With Plenty of Money and You” was written by Harry Warren and Al Dubin for the movie Gold Diggers of 1937, starring Dick Powell and Joan Blondell and choreographed by Busby Berkeley. Interestingly, the score for the film was to have been written by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg, but Berkeley didn’t like what they had written and brought in Warren and Dubin for this song and several other songs. Some Arlen and Harburg songs were used in the film as well.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “With Plenty of Money and You” in 1959 for his album with Count Basie and His Orchestra: Basie Swings/Bennett Sings.

With Plenty of Money and You - 1990 Remix / Remaster

Listen to With Plenty of Money and You - 1990 Remix / Remaster on Spotify. Count Basie · Song · 1959.


“With Plenty of Money and You,” as well as Basie Swings/Bennett Sings, is available from iTunes.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Al Dubin, Basie Swings / Bennett Sings, Count Basie, Count Basie and His Orchestra, Harry Warren

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