The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: I’m Just a Lucky So and So

The song of the day for Thursday, January 9, 2014 is “I’m Just a Lucky So and So.”

About This Song

Today’s song, “I’m Just a Lucky So and So,” was written in 1945 by Duke Ellington, with lyrics by Mack David. A favorite song of Tony Bennett, “I’m Just a Lucky So-and-So” has also been recorded by Billy Eckstine, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan.

About The Versions

Tony Bennett first recorded “I’m Just a Lucky So and So” for his 1957 album Tony and again in 1999 for his Ellington album Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool. The 1957 version was arranged and conducted by Ray Conniff; the 1999 version was arranged by the Ralph Burns, with some great guitar work from Gray Sargent.

http://open.spotify.com/track/57JyE854v6NJ4oR4yUslCb
“I’m Just a Lucky So and So,” as well as the album Tony, is available from iTunes.

http://open.spotify.com/track/1wn8QJ1lMmoR29w5w7qtZb
“I’m Just a Lucky So and So,” as well as the album Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool, is available from iTunes.

And, we might as well complete this cycle by including his performance from the 1962 Carnegie Hall Concert, arranged and conducted by Ralph Sharon:

http://open.spotify.com/track/2FyC6XufAfvbSsTZm9h2by
“I’m Just a Lucky So and So,” as well as Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Chelsea Bridge with Take The A Train

The song of the day for Friday, November 29, 2013 is “Chelsea Bridge.”

About This Song

“Chelsea Bridge” was written in 1941 by Billy Strayhorn. Lyrics for the song were added in 1958 by Bill Comstock. This song has been recorded by Duke Ellington, Ben Webster, Ella Fitzgerald and many more.

We choose this song today to honor the birth of Billy Strayhorn, who was born on November 29, 1915 in Dayton, Ohio. Trained as a classical musician, Strayhorn found it too difficult as a black man to be taken seriously as a classical composer. In 1938, he met Duke Ellington when Ellington was performing in Pittsburgh. Ellington was impressed with the young man and asked that Strayhorn visit him at his home in Harlem so that they could discuss his future. Ellington left directions, which started out with “take the A train.” Strayhorn appeared for his visit, having composed the song “Take The A Train” to present to Ellington upon that first visit. “Take the A Train” became one of Ellington’s most beloved and recorded songs.

Ellington and Strayhorn worked together from that time forward. Strayhorn was an arranger, composer, pianist and collaborator with Ellington until his death from cancer in 1967. Ellington is quoted as saying that “Billy Strayhorn was my right arm, my left arm, all the eyes in the back of my head, my brain waves in his head, and his in mine.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett, who produced this album with his son Danny Bennett, included this instrumental version “Chelsea Bridge” in his 1999 album dedicated to the music of Duke Ellington — Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool. It’s a very fine album; this song in particular features some excellent work from the band, including the muted trombone in the introduction and some exceptional trumpet work by Wynton Marsalis.

http://open.spotify.com/track/0vSrl1MhXAlxcbA1m1ZMuY
“Chelsea Bridge,” as well as the album Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool, is available from iTunes and Amazon.

What, no Tony Bennett singing? Well, as we are celebrating the anniversary of the birth of Billy Strayhorn, here’s Bennett singing Strayhorn’s “Take The A Train.” This recording was not included in full on the album, but the outtake was made available upon the release of the Complete Collection on the Rarities, Outtakes and Other Delights, Volume 2:

Take The "A" Train

Tony Bennett · Rarities, Outtakes & Other Delights, Vol. 2 · Song · 2012

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Song of the Day: In A Mellow Tone

The song of the day for Tuesday, August 6, 2013 is “In A Mellow Tone.”

About This Song

“In A Mellow Tone” (sometimes known by “In A Mellotone”) was written in 1939 by Duke Ellington with lyrics by Milt Gabler. Ellington used a chord progression from the 1917 “Rose Room” by Art Hickman and Harry Williams as a starting point for his composition, a not uncommon practice for jazz compositions. It wasn’t until the mid-1950s that this song began to be played by other jazz groups and it has remained popular ever since. The original Ellington recording was made in 1940 and featured Cootie Williams’ trumpet.

About This Version

Today’s song is from Tony Bennett’s 1999 album Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool. While most of the album features some great big band sounds, this particular song is just the Ralph Sharon Quartet: with Sharon on piano, Paul Langosch on bass, Clayton Cameron on drums and Gray Sargent on guitar. Sargent’s guitar and Langosch’s bass are especially effective on this recording.

Cool as it can be, this song never fails to deliver on the promise of a hip and mellow tone in a superb performance.

http://open.spotify.com/track/1botCtcxlSrvVwT6zsZU1h
“In A Mellow Tone,” as well as the Bennett Sings Ellington Hot & Cool album, is available from iTunes.

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Happy International Jazz Day!

Today, April 30, is International Jazz Day. You can read all about the jazz activities all over the world today, especially in this year’s host city, Istanbul (where Tony Bennett had a very successful concert last sumer), at the Official International Jazz Day website.

Here at the Year of Tony Bennett, our celebration is a bit smaller, but no less heartfelt. And, as we are honoring Duke Ellington this week, we’ve chosen three great recordings of Ellington’s It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Aint’ Got That Swing) for our readers and listeners. Why? Because it’s one of my favorite songs and I absolutely love all three of these recordings. And, they do exhibit not only a purity of the song, but also of the mores of their time in jazz. For this author, these three recordings are a mini-history of jazz.

Ellington wrote this song in 1931 during intermissions at club dates in Chicago. The song was first recorded in 1932, with vocals by Ivie Anderson and instrumental solos by Joe Nanton (trombone) and Johnny Hodges (alto sax). Here’s Ivie Anderson singing this song:

It Don"t Mean A Thing (If I Ain"t Got That Swing)

Listen to It Don"t Mean A Thing (If I Ain"t Got That Swing) on Spotify. Song · Ivie Anderson · 2001

Tony Bennett has performed and recorded this song throughout his career; I am partial to this version from his 1999 album, Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool. Clayton Cameron on drums …

It Don"t Mean A Thing (If It Ain"t Got That Swing)

Listen to It Don"t Mean A Thing (If It Ain"t Got That Swing) on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1999

And, to finish off this trio, Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong from 1961 The Great Summit.

It Don"t Mean a Thing (If It Ain"t Got That Swing) - 1990 Remaster

Listen to It Don"t Mean a Thing (If It Ain"t Got That Swing) - 1990 Remaster on Spotify. Song · Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington · 2000

Just remember: it really don’t mean a thing if ain’t got that swing.

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Song of the Day: Mood Indigo

The song of the day for Tuesday, April 30, 2013 is Mood Indigo, as we continue Duke Ellington Week here at the Year of Tony Bennett.

About This Song

Ellington wrote Mood Indigo in 1930, though the composition credits of the song is shared with Barney Bigard, who learned the tune from his clarinet teacher from New Orleans. The lyrics, attributed to Irving Mills, were likely written by Mitchell Parish.

In spite of this, there is no mistaking this as a classic Ellington song with unmistakable Ellington orchestrations. Mood Indigo was a big hit for Ellington, as well as a critical success. Compared at the time to Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, the song was named by NPR as one the top 100 American musical works of the 20th century and was also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame (Al Gioia, Jazz Standards, page 272).

About This Version

Today’s version comes from Tony Bennett’s 1999 album, Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool. The big band arrangement is by Ralph Burns and in addition to the fine work by the Ralph Sharon Quartet (with Paul Langosch [bass], Clayton Cameron [drums] and Gray Sargent [guitar]), this cut also features Wynton Marsalis on trumpet and Al Grey on trombone. This album is one of Bennett’s purest jazz recordings and this particular cut is certainly a great example of the nuanced jazz that Ellington was known for.

http://open.spotify.com/track/2oju59yiJ8sGsjxL1p29VS
Mood Indigo, as well as the full Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool album, is available from iTunes.