The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: I Won’t Dance

The song of the day for Tuesday, January 28, 2020, is “I Won’t Dance.”

About Today

We’re honoring the great composer Jerome Kern, who was born 135 years ago this week.

About This Song

“I Won’t Dance” was originally written in 1934 for a London musical called Three Sisters, though the show was a flop and was quickly forgotten. The following year, a film of Roberta was made, and the song was re-purposed, this time with the new Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields lyrics.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga recorded “I Won’t Dance” in 2014 for their album Cheek to Cheek. The great Marion Evans wrote the arrangement.

“I Won’t Dance,” as well as Cheek to Cheek, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: But Beautiful

The song of the day for Monday, September 16, 2019, is “But Beautiful.”

About This Song

“But Beautiful” was written in 1947 by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke for Bing Crosby to sing in the 1947 movie The Road to Rio. The song has been widely recorded, including recordings by Bill Evans, Johnny Hartman, Billie Holiday, Gregory Porter, Frank Sinatra, and Nat King Cole.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga recorded “But Beautiful” in 2014 for their album Cheek To Cheek, featuring an arrangement by Jorge Calandrelli. It’s a pleasure to present this recording. I feature this song often on this site, but always the recording that Tony made with Bill Evans for The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album. Both of these recordings are stunning.

“But Beautiful,” as well as Cheek To Cheek, is available from iTunes.

I’d also like to include this video from the recording of “But Beautiful for Cheek To Cheek. Thre are many videos of Tony Bennett recording with duet partners, but this one is my absolute favorite. First, it’s a great illustration of how Tony likes to record, which is not as common these days. The video shows Tony and Lady Gaga in the recording studio, as well as Bennett’s quartet. These are all great musicians and it’s wonderful to see them. Note the exquisite guitar by Gray Sargent. Second, it’s meaningful to see these Tony and Lady Gaga work this song. “But Beautiful” is not your garden-variety love song, with lyrics like

Love is tearful, or it’s gay
it’s a problem or it’s play
It’s a heartache either way
but beautiful…

Even reading these lines tugs at my heart. Watching Tony and Lady Gaga sing this song is like watching the arc of a love affair.

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Playlist of the Week: Tony Bennett Singing and Dancing

The playlist for the week of September 15, 2019, is Tony Bennett Singing and Dancing. Some of my favorite songs that Tony sings have to do with dancing. I hope you enjoy this selection.

Shine On Your Shoes from Steppin’ Out

Steppin’ Out with My Baby from Steppin’ Out

I Won’t Dance from Cheek To Cheek, with Lady Gaga

Shall We Dance from Steppin’ Out

It Only Happens When I Dance With You from Steppin’ Out

Let’s Face the Music and Dance from Cheek To Cheek, with Lady Gaga

Dancing in the Dark from My Heart Sings

Dream Dancing from Together Again, with Bill Evans

You’re Easy to Dance With/Change Partners/Cheek to Cheek from Steppin’ Out

Top Hat, White Tie and Tails from Steppin’ Out

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Song of the Day: Don’t Wait Too Long

The song of the day for Thursday, September 12, 2019, is “Don’t Wait Too Long.”

About This Song

“Don’t Wait Too Long” was written by Sunny Skylar. This song concerns a relationship between a younger and older person (“you are the summer and I am the autumn”) and the realization that the time together may not be as long as they’d wish. Other recordings of this song are by Frank Sinatra (1965, September of My Years) and Blossom Dearie (1964, May I Come In).

About This Version

Tony Bennett first recorded “Don’t Wait Too Long” in 1963 for his album The Many Moods of Tony. Today’s version, however, is from his 2014 album Cheek To Cheek, his duet album with Lady Gaga. Each singer had a solo recording for the album; this song is Bennett’s solo. Lady Gaga’s solo was “Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye.”

“Don’t Wait Too Long,” as well as Cheek to Cheek, is available from iTunes.

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Playlist of the Week: Marion Evans does great jazz arrangements for Tony

The playlist of the week of July 28, 2019, is Marion Evans does great jazz arrangements for Tony.

I have a real soft spot in my heart for Marion Evans. Like me, he’s also from Alabama, and we have musical friends — or acquaintances in my case — with fine Alabama musicians, such as Hugh Martin, who wrote the songs for Judy Garland’s Meet Me in St. Louis, including the best Christmas song ever (IMHO): “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”

A few years after I started this blog, he left a comment thanking me for acknowledging the importance of arrangers to the greatness of recordings. Tony Bennett has worked with many great arrangers and I’ll be featuring some of them in coming weeks.

But this week is Marion Evans. We start with their first album: the 1967 Tony Makes It Happen!, followed bu Duets II and Cheek to Cheek.

Marion Evans does great jazz arrangements for Tony

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It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing), with Lady Gaga, by Duke Ellington and Irving Mills
The Lady’s in Love With You by Burton Lane and Frank Loesser
Don’t Get Around Much Anymore by Duke Ellington and Bob Russell
On the Sunny Side of the Street by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields
The Lady is a Tramp, with Lady Gaga by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart
Old Devil Moon by Burton Lane and Yip Harburg
They All Laughed, with Lady Gaga, by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin
I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart by Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Henry Nemo, and John Redmond
Can’t Get Out This Mood by Jimmy McHugh and Frank Loesser
Anything Goes, with Lady Gaga by Cole Porter

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