The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Let’s Face The Music And Dance

The song of the day for Sunday, December 3, 2023, is “Let’s Face The Music And Dance.”

About This Song

“Let’s Face The Music And Dance” was written by Irving Berlin for the 1936 film Follow the Fleet with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The Astaire–Rogers dance to this song is considered one of their best. It has also been recorded by singers including Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga recorded “Let’s Face The Music And Dance” in 2014 for their album Cheek To Cheek. It was arranged by Alex Smith.

“Let’s Face The Music And Dance,” as well as Cheek To Cheek, is available on Apple Music.

And here are Fred and Ginger from the 1936 Follow The Fleet

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Song of the Day: But Beautiful

The song of the day for Tuesday, October 17, 2023, is “But Beautiful.”

About This Song

“But Beautiful” was written in 1947 by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke for the 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” for their 2014 album Cheek To Cheek. It was arranged by Jorge Calandrelli.

“But Beautiful,” as well as Cheek To Cheek, is available on Apple Music.

Here’s the official video of Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga recording today’s song.

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Song of the Day: Cheek to Cheek

The song of the day for Wednesday, September 20, 2023, is “Cheek to Cheek.”

About This Song

Irving Berlin wrote “Cheek To Cheek” for the 1935 film Top Hat, starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, where it was introduced (beautifully) by Fred Astaire. Though the song was nominated for an Academy Award (it lost to “Lullaby Of Broadway”), it became a hit in 1935 and has remained popular to this day. Significant recordings include those by Harry James, Glenn Miller, Roy Eldridge, Bing Crosby, and many, many more. Fans of the Tom Hanks movie The Green Mile might remember this song, as Top Hat is viewed in the prison. For many, it is one of the very first songs that comes to mind when one thinks of Fred Astaire and the 1930s Hollywood musical.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga recorded “Cheek to Cheek” in 2014 for their album Cheek To Cheek. It was arranged by the great Marion Evans.

“Cheek to Cheek,” as well as the album Cheek To Cheek, is available on Apple Music.

And here’s Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers from Top Hat:

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Song of the Day: It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)

The song of the day for Saturday, March 4, 2023, is “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing).”

About This Song

“It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” was written in 1931 by Duke Ellington, with lyrics by Irving Mills. This song was one of the first songs to use the word “swing” in the title and this song certainly defined what it meant to swing. Ellington recorded the song with Ivie Anderson on vocals and it was an immediate hit. It has been widely recorded since it was written and the song is a lot of fun to play and listen to. Significant recordings include those by Louis Armstrong, Django Reinhardt, Gigi Gryce, Tony Bennett, and Thelonious Monk.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga recorded “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” in 2014 for their album Cheek To Cheek. Marion Evans wrote the excellent arrangement. It features Joe Lovano on tenor sax and George Rabbi on trumpet.

“It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” as well as Cheek To Cheek is available on Apple Music.

Here’s the original Duke Ellington recording, with vocals by Ivie Anderson:

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Song of the Day: But Beautiful

The song of the day for Friday, March 3, 2023, is “But Beautiful.”

About This Song

“But Beautiful” was written 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, Nat Cole, and Bill Evans and Tony Bennett.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga recorded “But Beautiful” in 2014 for their album Cheek To Cheek. The arrangement was written by Jorge Calandrelli. The recording features Gray Sargent on guitar.

“But Beautiful,” as well as Cheek To Cheek is available on Apple Music.

Here’s the video from the studio recording of today’s song:

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