The song of the day for Tuesday, February 23 is “Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me.”

About This Song

As with most Ellington songs, the tune was written first and the lyrics by Bob Russell were added later. Also, as with most Ellington songs, it became a favorite song of both instrumental and vocal musicians. Ellington wrote the song in 1940 and recorded it in 1944 and it was a hit on both the R&B and Popular charts. Other recordings include those by Tony Bennett, Louis Armstrong, Sammy Davis, Jr., Anita O’Day and Nina Simone.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me” in 1999 for his album Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool.

I’ve had this song running in my mind all day … but an Ellington song sung by Tony Bennett is always just right.

“Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me,” as well as Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool, is available from iTunes.

The song of the day for Tuesday, August 25, 2016 is “Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me.”

About This Song

“Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me” was written in 1940 by Duke Ellington, with lyrics by Bob Russell. As with many Ellington songs, the tune was written first and the lyrics added later. Also, as with most Ellington songs, it became a favorite song of both instrumental and vocal musicians. Ellington recorded the song in 1944 and it was a hit on both the R&B and Popular charts. Other recordings include those by Tony Bennett, Louis Armstrong, Sammy Davis, Jr., Anita O’Day and Nina Simone.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this song for his tribute album to Duke Ellington: Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool. The album was released in 1999, in the centennial year of Ellington’s birth. Today’s song was arranged by Jorge Calandrelli; the album was produced by Tony Bennett and Danny Bennett.

About Today

This afternoon at the office, I was listening to an Ellington playlist on the new Apple Music service (which I am enjoying quite a bit). In the introduction to their playlist, he was introduced as:

Quite possibly the coolest, most elegant man that ever lived, Edward Kennedy Ellington ranks with Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis, as one of the most influential artists in the history of jazz.

I can’t disagree with that. And after listening to Ellington most of the afternoon, choosing one of his songs as the song of the day came easy.

Today, I would like to honor my late father, Thomas Chiles, who would have been 89 years old today. Dad, I think of you often and miss you every day.

“Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me,” as well as Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool, is available from iTunes.