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The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

March 27, 2025 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Just In Time

The song of the day for Thursday, March 27, 2025, is “Just In Time.”

About Today

In 1965, Harry Belafonte asked his friend Tony Bennett to join him and Martin Luther King on the march from Selma, Alabama, to the state capital, Montgomery, and Bennett agreed.
This march was the third march. The first march started on March 7, 1965, the day that came to be called Bloody Sunday; one of the leaders of that march was John Lewis, the late congressman from Georgia. The marchers got as far as the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where they were met by state troopers. The marchers were attacked by the troopers, who beat them with nightsticks, threw tear gas into the crowd, and even charged the crowd on horseback. John Lewis had his skull fractured, among the many injuries to the marchers. Congressman Lewis was interviewed about the march by NPR on the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday.

The second march occurred on Tuesday, March 9. The marchers proceeded to the same Edmund Pettus Bridge and began to pray. A judge had put a restraining order on King to forbid the march, and King complied. Despite that, three white ministers were attacked by the Klan and beaten. The public hospital in Selma refused to treat the ministers, one of whom, James Reeb, died two days later.

The third, and final, march occurred on March 21, after a judge ruled that the protesters had a First Amendment right to march in protest. Harry Belafonte asked notable Civil Rights supporters, including Tony Bennett, to join the march.

The march started with 8000 marchers, including Tony Bennett, Harry Belafonte, Frankie Laine, and Nina Simone. On the night before they made it to Montgomery, Bennett and the other celebrities performed in an ad hoc concert for the marchers. There was no stage; a local funeral parlor provided coffins, which were placed together to form a stage.

That night, Tony Bennett sang “Just In Time.”

When it was time to leave, Tony Bennett and Billy Eckstine were driven to the airport by a Michigan housewife named Viola Liuzzo, who believed strongly in voting rights, saying that “it was everybody’s fight” and came to Alabama to help. On her return from taking Bennett and Eckstine to the airport, she was attacked and killed by the Ku Klux Klan. NPR did a story about Mrs. Liuzzo and her family.

I am personally very grateful to Tony Bennett for his lifelong fight against racism. Thank you. In his autobiography The Good Life, Bennett speaks about his father as being “… a real humanist. Astoria had quite a diverse population, and we learned at an early age to respect people for who they are, and not to judge them by the color of their skin or the way they looked.”

I grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, when all of this was happening, and saw some of it first-hand. My late parents were active in the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s; much like Viola Luizzo, they felt it was “everybody’s fight.” I learned the same lesson from my parents that Tony Bennett learned from his father. I am proud to be their daughter.

President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law on August 6, 1965.

About This Song

“Just In Time” was written by Jule Styne, with lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, for the 1956 musical Bells Are Ringing. where it was introduced by Judy Holliday and Sydney Chaplin. Holliday and Dean Martin sang it in the 1960 film version of Bells Are Ringing.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Just In Time” on. September 19, 1956 (your author’s 6th birthday), and was released as single. Percy Faith wrote the arrangement. It was added to Bennett’s 1962 album Mr. Broadway: Tony’s Greatest Hits.

“Just In Time,” as well as Mr. Broadway: Tony’s Greatest Hits, is available on Apple Music.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Adolph Green, Bells Are Ringing, Betty Comden, Harry Belafonte, John Lewis, Jule Styne, Mr Broadway: Tony's Greatest Broadway Hits, Percy Faith, Third March from Selma to Montgomery, Tony Bennett, Viola Liuzzo

February 27, 2025 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: The Party’s Over

The song of the day for Thursday, February 27, 2025, is “The Party’s Over.”

About This Song

“The Party’s Over” was composed by Jule Styne, with lyrics by Adolph Green and Betty Comden, for the 1956 musical Bells Are Ringing. The song was introduced by Judy Holliday, who won the Tony Award for her performance. The film version Bells Are Ringing was released in 1960, starring Holliday and Dean Martin.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “The Party’s Over” on November 4, 1958, for Hometown, My Town, released in 1959. Ralph Burns wrote the arrangement and conducted the orchestra.

“The Party’s Over,” as well as Hometown, My Town, is available on Apple Music.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Adolph Green, Bells Are Ringing, Betty Comden, Hometown My Town, Jule Styne, Ralph Burns, Tony Bennett

December 12, 2024 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Time: Just In Time

The song of the day for Wednesday, December 12, 2024, is “Just In Time.”

About This Song

“Just In Time” was written by Jule Styne, Adolph Green, and Betty Comden for the 1956 Broadway musical Bells Are Ringing. The song was introduced by Judy Holliday and Sydney Chaplin; Holliday and Dean Martin it in the 1960 film version.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Just In Time” on September 19, 1956, featuring an arrangement by Percy Faith. It was released as a single in 1956 and was included on the 1962 album Mr. Broadway: Tony’s Greatest Broadway Hits.

“Just In Time,” as well as Mr. Broadway: Tony’s Greatest Broadway Hits, is available on Apple Music.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Adolph Green, Bells Are Ringing, Betty Comden, Judy Holliday, Jule Styne, Mr Broadway: Tony's Greatest Broadway Hits

November 4, 2024 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: The Party’s Over

The song of the day for Monday, November 4, 2024, is “The Party’s Over.”

About This Song

“The Party’s Over” was written by Jule Styne, with lyrics by Adolph Green and Betty Comden. It was one of the hit songs from the 1956 musical Bells Are Ringing and was introduced by Judy Holliday.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “The Party’s Over” 66 years ago today on November 4, 1958, for his 1959 album Hometown, My Town. The album was arranged and conducted by Ralph Burns; it was their first time to work together. Bennett continued to work with Burns up to Bennett’s 1999 album Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool.

“The Party’s Over,” as well as Hometown, My Town, is available on Apple Music.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Adolph Green, Bells Are Ringing, Betty Comden, Jule Styne, Ralph Burns, Tony Bennett

June 28, 2023 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: The Party’s Over

The song of the day for Thursday, June 29, 2023, is “The Party’s Over.”

About Today

We are remembering Ralph Burns, who arranged all of the songs on Hometown, My Town, on the anniversary of his birth on June 29, 1922. in Newton, Massachusetts. Burns was a gifted composer, pianist, and arranger. After attending The New England Conservatory of Music, he moved to New York and worked with several big bands, including Woody Herman’s band, as an arranger. During his early years, he worked with artists, including Stan Getz, Charlie Barnet, and Tony Bennett. In the 1960s, he began arranging for Broadway shows, such as Chicago, Funny Girl, and Sweet Charity. He worked with Bob Fosse on two of those musicals and orchestrated the scores for several Fosse films, including Cabaret, Lenny, and All That Jazz. He worked steadily until his death in 2001, including several arrangements for Tony Bennett’s 1999 album Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool. Musicianguide.com has an excellent biography and discography of Burns.

About This Song

“The Party’s Over” was written in 1956 by Jule Styne, Adolph Green, and Betty Comden, for the musical Bells Are Ringing. The song was introduced by Judy Holliday, who won the Tony Award for her performance.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “The Party’s Over” on November 4, 1958, for Hometown, My Town, released in 1959. It was arranged and conducted by Ralph Burns.

“The Party’s Over,” as well as Hometown, My Town is available on Apple Music.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Adolph Green, Bells Are Ringing, Betty Comden, Happy Birthday Ralph Burns, Hometown My Town, Jule Styne, Ralph Burns, Tony Bennett

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