The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Caravan

The song of the day for Tuesday, April 12, 2016 is “Caravan.”

About This Song

Duke Ellington and Juan Tirol wrote “Caravan” in 1936, with lyrics by Irving Mills. Caravan is one of the most popular Duke Ellington songs and has been recorded steadily over the years. In Jazz Standards, Al Gioia attributes its popularity as a jazz song due to “the composition’s adaptability to a modernistic, modal-based approach.”

About This Version

Today’s recording is from 1962 and was almost lost forever. It’s from Tony Bennett’s album On The Glory Road, which was due to be released in 1962 but was pulled at the last moment. Thankfully, the album was released in the 2011 Complete Collection boxed set and is now also available on iTunes. “Caravan” was arranged and conducted by Ralph Sharon and features percussion by Chico Hamilton.

Caravan

Listen to Caravan on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1962.


“Caravan,” as well as On The Glory Road, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Lazy Afternoon

The song of the day for Wednesday, August 20,2014 is “Lazy Afternoon.”

About This Song

“Lazy Afternoon” was written for the 1954 musical The Golden Apple by Jerome Moss (music) and John Latouche (lyrics), which uses mythological Greek characters from Ulysses but set in the state of Washington (at Mount Olympia, of course) in the United States. This song, as well as the entire score, is quite beautiful. This song was introduced in the production, which opened Off-Broadway and then transferred to Broadway, by Kaye Ballard and Jonathan Lucas.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this song for his 2nd jazz album (and 3rd LP album), The Beat of My Heart, released in 1957. This album featured collaborations with some of the world’s greatest drummers and percussionists; this song featured Chico Hamilton on drums and John Pisano on guitar (we saw Mr. Pisano on the Diana Krall Live in Paris DVD just a few nights ago). The entire album was arranged and conceived by Tony Bennett and Ralph Sharon. It was Sharon’s first album with Bennett.

Lazy Afternoon

Listen to Lazy Afternoon on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1957.


“Lazy Afternoon,” as well as The Beat of My Heart, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Crazy Rhythm

The song of the day for Monday, July 28, 2014 is “Crazy Rhythm.”

About This Song

Today’s song was written in 1928 by Joseph Meyer and Roger Wolfe Kahn for a long-forgotten Broadway musical called Here’s Howe. It’s been a popular standard since it was written and has been heavily recorded, not just by jazz and popular artists, but other genres including hillbilly. Significant recordings include those by Chet Atkins, Les Paul, Stan Getz, Bing Crosby, Bix Beiderbecke and Whispering Jack Smith.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Crazy Rhythm” in 1957 for his third album, The Beat of My Heart. Tony Bennett had, very wisely, hired Ralph Sharon as his pianist and musical director in early 1957. Sharon encourage Bennett to continue to explore his jazz inclinations. Bennett describes their interaction in developing The Beat of My Heart in his autobiography, The Good Life:

Ralph and I wanted to make a jazz statement in a big way, and I came up with the idea of recording an album of standards that put the spotlight on different kinds of rhythm by using all the great jazz drummers I could find. We talked the concept over during our first few months on the road, and gradually it all came together. The first recording date was in June, 1957, with Chico Hamilton. … when the album came out, an army of jazz fans said, Hey this guy knows how to swing. A whole new audience accepted me–in fact, I still get my biggest reactions at jazz festivals all over the world.

Today’s song, “Crazy Rhythm,” features the great Chico Hamilton.

http://open.spotify.com/track/3Km0pzPoVkrr29letO2Z7p
“Crazy Rhythm,” as well as the album The Beat of My Heart, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: It’s So Peaceful In The Country

The song of the day for Thursday, May 15, 2014 is “It’s So Peaceful In The Country.”

About This Song

Alec Wilder wrote “It’s So Peaceful in the Country” for the singer Mildred Bailey, who recorded it in 1941. Wilder was a great friend to singers Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra. He was an admirer of jazz musicians for their ability to improvise.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “It’s So Peaceful In The Country” in 1957; it was released as a 45 RPM single in 1959 and also on the 1997 CD re-release of The Beat of My Heart. This album was Bennett’s second jazz album; for this album he brought in some of the world’s greatest percussionists to feature. This song features Chico Hamilton and was arranged by Ralph Sharon. Sharon’s piano introduction and Bennett’s entrance into the song is really delightful.

We’re having one of our first heat waves of the year in Portland right now. As the heat was coming up off of the road on the way home, I kept thinking how nice it would be to sit by a lake and dangle my feet in the water. By the time I got home, I knew what the song would be. It happens like that sometime.

http://open.spotify.com/track/5AgJDo5WDRs9F4axve1UHD
“It’s So Peaceful In The Country,” as well as the album The Beat of My Heart, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Caravan

The song of the day for Sunday, November 24, 2013 is “Caravan.”

About This Song

“Caravan” was written in 1936 by Duke Ellington and Juan Tizol, with lyrics by Irving Mills. The song is often performed as an instrumental, which was the original intent (as is with many Ellington songs). “Caravan” was a standard for the Ellington orchestras over the years. It has strong place in the jazz repertoire (ranking #17 at jazzstandards.com). In addition to many fine recordings of this song by Duke Ellington, “Caravan” was recorded by several bands in the 1930s, including Bunny Berigan and Benny Goodman.

About This Version

Today’s version of “Caravan” is from Tony Bennett’s unreleased album On the Glory Road. It was recorded in March, 1962 and was arranged and conducted by Ralph Sharon. This album featured Chico Hamilton on drums. Bennett recorded this song again in 1999 for Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool.

http://open.spotify.com/track/2sfK1ILOd5gMjk9jHqFLOx
“Caravan,” as well as the previously unreleased album On The Glory Road, is available from iTunes.

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