The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: The Way You Look Tonight

The song of the day for Thursday, December 28, 2023, is “The Way You Look Tonight.”

About This Song

“The Way You Look Tonight” was written by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields in 1936 for the movie Swing Time, where it was introduced by Fred Astaire. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song that year. Dorothy Fields remarked “The first time Jerry played that melody for me I went out and started to cry. The release absolutely killed me. I couldn’t stop, it was so beautiful.” Fields was the first woman to win an Oscar for songwriting. It’s a magnificent love song that has found a strong position as a jazz standard, with recordings by Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday, Mel Tormé, and Frank Sinatra.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “The Way You Look Tonight” in 2015 with Bill Charlap for The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern. Charlap wrote the arrangement.

“The Way You Look Tonight,” as well as The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: I’ve Got a Crush on You

The song of the day for Thursday, November 16, 2023 is “I’ve Got a Crush on You.”

About Today

The Year of Tony Bennett wishes Diana Krall a very happy birthday today. Miss Krall was born on November 16, 1964, in Nanaimo, Canada. She first sang with Tony Bennett in his MTV Unplugged album in 1994 and has sung duets with Tony on Playin’ With My Friends, Duets: An American Classic, Duets II, and their 2018 album Love Is Here To Stay. You can learn more about Diana Krall at dianakrall.com.

About This Song

“I’ve Got a Crush on You” was written by George and Ira Gershwin for the 1928 musical Treasure Girl, where it was introduced by Clifton Webb and May Hay and was used again in 1930 for Strike Up The Band, where it was sung by Doris Caron and Gordon Smith. It’s been widely sung by jazz vocalists, including Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, and Ella Fitzgerald.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Diana Krall recorded “I’ve Got a Crush on You” for their 2018 album Love Is Here To Stay, released in 2018. It was arranged by Diana Krall and Bill Charlap.

“I’ve Got a Crush on You,” as well as Love Is Here To Stay, is available on Apple Music.

Diana Krall also sang this solo on Love Is Here To Stay:

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Song of the Day: My One and Only

The song of the day for Thursday, November 9, 2023, is “My One and Only.”

About This Song

“My One and Only” was written by George and Ira Gershwin for the 1927 musical Funny Face, where it was introduced by Fred Astaire, Betty Compton, and Gertrude McDonald. The original title was “(What Am I Gonna Do) If You Turn Me Down.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Diana Krall recorded “My One and Only” for their 2018 album Love Is Here To Stay. Bill Charlap wrote the arrangement and co-produced the album with Dae Bennett, Tony’s son. The Bill Charlap Trio accompanied the album with Charlap on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums.

“My One and Only,” as well as Love Is Here To Stay, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: The Way You Look Tonight

The song of the day for Friday, November 3, 2023, is “The Way You Look Tonight.”

About This Song

“The Way You Look Tonight” was written in 1936 by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields. The song was introduced by Fred Astaire in the film Swing Time; it won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for the year. Dorothy Fields remarked

The first time Jerry played that melody for me I went out and started to cry. The release absolutely killed me. I couldn’t stop, it was so beautiful.

Dorothy Fields was the first woman to win an Oscar for songwriting. It’s a magnificent love song that has found a strong position as a jazz standard, with recordings by Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday, Mel Tormé, and Frank Sinatra.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “The Way You Look Tonight” for his 2015 album The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern. It was arranged by Bill Charlap, who played solo piano for the recording.

The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern won the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.

“The Way You Look Tonight,” as well as The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: The Song Is You

The song of the day for Sunday, October 1, 2023, is “The Song Is You.”

About This Song

“The Song Is You” was written by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein for the 1932 musical Music In The Air. It has been widely recorded and is associated with Frank Sinatra, who recorded it with Tommy Dorsey.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “The Song Is You” for his 2015 album The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern. Accompanying Tony Bennett are Renee Rosnes and Bill Charlap.

“The Song Is You,” as well as The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern, is available on Apple Music.

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