• Home
  • About
    • About This Blog
    • About the Authors
  • Song of the Day
  • Tony Live!
  • Music and Art
    • Music
      • Viva Duets
      • Songs
      • Albums
    • Art
  • And More
    • Collaborator of the Month
    • Songwriter of the Month – 2016
    • News
      • Cheek To Cheek
      • Bennett & Brubeck -The White House Sessions Live 1962
      • Life is a Gift
      • Viva Duets
      • Zen of Bennett
      • Other News
    • About His Collaborators
    • Musings
    • Extras
      • Books
      • Interviews
      • Media
  • The Interactive Tony Bennett Discography

The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

January 1, 2021 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: That Old Black Magic

The song of the day for Saturday, January 2, 2020, is “That Old Black Magic.”

The Year of Tony Bennett is honoring bassist Eugene Wright, who died on December 30, 2020 at the age of 97. He was the last surving member of the Dave Brubeck Quartet. When Brubeck asked Wright to join the quartet in 1958, he was warned that his quartet would not be allowed to play in certain venues, especially in the south, as Wright was black. At a Southern college performance, Brubeck was told they could play, but Gene Wright would not be allowed on the stage. Brubeck replied that if Wright couldn’t play, Brubeck wouldn’t play either. Brubeck played that night, with Wright on bass. The Dave Brubeck Quartet was one of the early pioneers in the fight against segregation in the late 1950s and 1960s.

About This Song

One of the great songs by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer, “That Old Black Magic” was written in 1942 and first recorded by Glenn Miller. It was also used in the 1942 movie Star Spangled Rhythm. It’s been recorded many times and used in several films, including the 1956 film Bus Stop, where it was sung by Marilyn Monroe.

About This Version

On August 28, 1962, Tony Bennett, with his trio, and the Dave Brubeck Quartet were invited by President Kennedy to perform at a thank-you concert for that year’s White House college interns. Originally, the concert was to be held in the Rose Garden, but there was so much buzz about the event it was moved to the Sylvan Theatre on Mall, in the shadow of the Washington Monument.

The concert opened with the Dave Brubeck Quartet, featuring Brubeck on piano, Paul Desmond on saxophone, Eugene Wright on bass, and Joe Morello on drums. Then, Tony Bennett sang, with Ralph Sharon on piano, Hal Gaylord on bass, and Billy Exiner on drums.

The musicians then decided to do an impromptu improv session, with Tony Bennett, Dave Brubeck, Eugene Wright, and Joe Morello. Our song of the day, “That Old Black Magic,” comes from that session.

The concert was recorded by Frank Laico, but the tapes soon disappeared and were thought lost. Soon after Brubeck’s death in 2012, however, the tapes were found in the Classical archives at Sony/Columbia Records. The resulting album, Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions Live 1962, was released in May 2013.

That Old Black Magic (with The Dave Brubeck Trio) – Live

Listen to That Old Black Magic (with The Dave Brubeck Trio) – Live on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 2013.

“That Old Black Magic,” as well as Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions Live 1962, is available from Apple Music.

Here are Dave Brubeck, Joe Morello, and Eugene Wright in a clip in which Wright has a terrific solo.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Bennett/Brubeck The White House Sessions Live 1962, Dave Brubeck, Eugene Wright, Joe Morello, Paul Desmond, Tony Bennett

March 14, 2020 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Tony Live! There Will Never Be Another You

The song of the day for Sunday, March 15, 2020, is “There Will Never Be Another You.”

About This Song

“There Will Never Be Another You” was written in 1942 by Harry Warren and Mack Gordon for a Sonja Henie vehicle called Iceland, starring Miss Henie and John Payne as a U.S. Marine stationed in Iceland during World War II. The song was introduced in the movie by Joan Merrill. Amazingly, this beautiful song was not nominated for an Academy Award. No matter. The song has become a serious jazz standard and has had many fine recordings, including Bennett’s 1959 recording with Count Basie and his 1962 improvisation with Dave Brubeck at the White House Sessions. Other significant recordings include those by Lionel Hampton, Chet Baker, Nat King Cole, and Sonny Rollins.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and The Dave Brubeck Trio recorded “There Will Never Be Another You” in an unplanned jam session after both artists had finished their sets. The fantastic result was taped and released on Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962.

I hope you’ve enjoyed our examination of Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962. Check in next week as we look at his Vegas show: Live at the Sahara: From This Moment On.

“There Will Never Be Another You,” as well as Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962, is available from iTunes.

Filed Under: Tony Live! Tagged With: Bennett/Brubeck The White House Sessions Live 1962, Harry Warren, Mack Gordon, The Dave Brubeck Trio, Tony Bennett, Tony Live!

March 6, 2020 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Tony Live! Lullaby of Broadway

The song of the day for Saturday, March 7, 2020, is “Lullaby of Broadway.”

About This Song

“Lullaby of Broadway,” written by Harry Warren and Al Dubin, was introduced in the 1935 movie Gold Diggers of 1935; it won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. It is one of the great show biz anthems. The 1980 Broadway musical 42nd Street featured Jerry Orbach singing the song (a performance of which your author was able to see and from a very good seat).

About This Version

Welcome back to our trip to Tony’s live performances in August 1962 at the White House Sessions, at the invitation of President Kennedy.

After Tony Bennett and the Ralph Sharon Trio finished their set, Dave Brubeck was invited back on stage for a jam session. Participating in this session were Tony Bennett, Dave Brubeck, Eugene Wright, and Joe Morello.

The first song in this set was “Lullaby of Broadway,” included on Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962.

“Lullaby of Broadway,” as well as Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962, is available from iTunes.

Filed Under: Tony Live! Tagged With: Al Dubin, Bennett/Brubeck The White House Sessions Live 1962, Dave Brubeck, Eugene Wright, Harry Warren, Joe Morello, Tony Bennett, Tony Live!

February 28, 2020 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Tony Live! One For My Baby (And One More For the Road)

The song of the day for Saturday, February 29, 2020, is “One For My Baby (And One More For the Road).”

About This Song

“One For The Road” was written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer for the 1943 film The Sky’s The Limit, where it was introduced by Fred Astaire. Harold Arlen called this song one of his “tapeworms” as at 48 bars, it was longer than the standard 32 bar popular song. Alec Wilder, in American Popular Song, says that “the honors must go the lyric. Just imagine having the acuity and courage to start a song, as Mercer does, with “It’s a quarter to three”!

About This Version

Tony Bennett performed “One For My Baby (And One More For the Road)” at the White House Concert, 1962, at the invitation of President John Kennedy. The album Bennett/Brubeck: The White Sessions, Live 1962 captured the sets by Dave Brubeck and Tony Bennett, as well as improv session.

“One For My Baby (And One More For the Road),” as well as Bennett/Brubeck: The White Sessions, Live 1962, is available from iTunes.

Filed Under: Tony Live! Tagged With: Bennett/Brubeck The White House Sessions Live 1962, Dave Brubeck, Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer, Tony Bennett, Tony Live!

October 16, 2019 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: That Old Black Magic

The song of the day for Thursday, October 17, 2019, is “That Old Black Magic.”

About Today

I really do try hard to not repeat songs too often as the song of the day. In fact, I strive for balance of recordings that we Tony Bennett fans know and love with lesser-known but equally terrific recordings. Today is one of those exceptions–I found myself singing “That Old Black Magic” in the shower this morning and knew I had to showcase it today. It’s just one of those songs!

About This Song

One of the great songs by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer, “That Old Black Magic” was written in 1942 and first recorded by Glenn Miller and was also used in the 1942 movie Star Spangled Rhythm. It’s been recorded many times and used in several films, including the 1956 film Bus Stop, where it was sung by Marilyn Monroe.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and the Dave Brubeck Trio (Brubeck on piano, Eugene Wright on bass, and Joe Morello on drums) recorded this improvisation of “That Old Black Magic” on August 28, 1962, at a concert celebrating that year’s White House interns.

The tapes from that concert were long thought lost. They were recently discovered in the Sony/Columbia vaults, filed accidentally in the classical section, and released in 2013 on Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962.

“That Old Black Magic,” as well as Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962, is available from iTunes.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Bennett/Brubeck The White House Sessions Live 1962, Dave Brubeck, Eugene Wright, Harold Arlen, Joe Morello, Johnny Mercer, The Dave Brubeck Trio, Tony Bennett

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 5
  • Next Page »

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

  • Duke Ellington and the Harlem Renaissance
  • Song of the Day: The Right To Love
  • Tony Live! Wave
  • Song of the Day: Dream a Little Dream of Me
  • Song of the Day: It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Aint' Got That Swing)
  • The Quartet
  • Home
  • About
  • Song of the Day
  • Tony Live!
  • Music and Art
  • And More
  • The Interactive Tony Bennett Discography

Copyright © 2021 The Year of Tony Bennett · Genesis Framework by StudioPress · WordPress