The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Lucky To Be Me

The song of the day for Wednesday, September 27, 2023, is “Lucky To Be Me.”

About The Next Few Days

Tony Bennett and Bill Evans recorded their second album, Together Again, 47 years ago, from September 27-30, 1976, at the Columbia Studios in San Francisco. Their first album, The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album, was recorded in 1975 at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California.

We’ll be featuring songs from Together Again for the next few days.

About This Song

“Lucky To Be Me” was written by Leonard Bernstein, Adolph Green, and Betty Comden, for the 1944 musical On The Town, where it was introduced by John Battles. The song (as were most of the songs from the score) was cut from the 1949 film.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Bill Evans recorded “Lucky To Be Me” in September 1976 for their second album, Together Again, which was released in 1977.

“Lucky To Be Me,” as well as Together Again, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Maybe September

The song of the day for Sunday, September 3, 2023, is “Maybe September.”

About This Song

“Maybe September” was written in 1965 by Percy Faith, with lyrics by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans. “Maybe September” is from the only movie that Tony Bennett acted in, The Oscar, where he played the good guy, an agent named Hymie Kelly. While the film received mixed reviews, this song is terrific and is beautifully sung by Tony Bennett.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Bill Evans recorded “Maybe September” in September 1976 for their second album, Together Again, released in 1977.

“Maybe September,” as well as Together Again, is available on Apple Music.

I did some internet sleuthing today and found this clip of Tony Bennett, Stephen Boyd, and Jill St. John from The Oscar. Enjoy!

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Song of the Day: Some Other Time

The song of the day for Friday, August 25, 2023, is “Some Other Time.”

About Today

Today we are honoring the composer of today’s song, Leonard Bernstein, who was born on August 25, 1918, in Lawrence, Massachusetts. His musical career was legendary: conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, composer of classical music and musical theatre scores, pianist, lecturer, and author. To learn more about Bernstein and his work, visit Lenard Bernstein Office.

About This Song

“Some Other Time” was written by Leonard Bernstein, with lyrics by Adolph Green and Betty Comden, for the 1944 musical On The Town, the story of three sailors on leave in New York City and their romantic adventures. This song is sung at the end by two of the couples. Inexplicably, this beautiful song was cut from the 1949 film version.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Bill Evans recorded “Some Other Time” in June 1975 for their first album: The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album.

“Some Other Time,” as well as The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album, is available on Apple Music.

I thought you might be interested in this version of today’s song from a studio recording of the score of On The Town, which features Betty Comden, Adolph Green, and Nancy Walker:

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Song of the Day: The Two Lonely People

The song of the day for Thursday, August 17, 2023, is “The Two Lonely People.”

About Today

We are proud to remember Bill Evans on the anniversary of his birth on August 16, 1929.

About This Song

“The Two Lonely People” was written in 1971 by Bill Evans; Carol Hall wrote the lyrics. The song first appeared on Evans’ 1971 The Bill Evans Album. The song was also recorded in 1974 on the album But Beautiful, recorded live with Stan Getz at Jazz Middelheim in Antwerp, Belgium.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Bill Evans recorded “The Two Lonely People” in September 1976 for their second album, Together Again, released in 1977.

“The Two Lonely People,” as well as Together Again is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Days of Wine and Roses

The song of the day for Friday, July 28, 2023, is “Days of Wine and Roses.”

About This Song

“Days of Wine and Roses” was written by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer for the 1962 film of the same name, starring Lee Remick and Jack Lemmon. This movie is arguably the most influential film ever made about alcoholism, showing the struggles of Remick and Lemmon to stop drinking. There are scenes in this film that I know I will never forget; it is a true masterpiece. The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Bill Evans recorded “Days of Wine and Roses” in June 1975 for The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album.

“Days of Wine and Roses,” as well as The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album is available on Apple Music.

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