The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: I Fall In Love Too Easily

The song of the day for Monday, March 14, 2022, is “I Fall In Love Too Easily.”

About This Song

“I Fall In Love Too Easily” was written by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn for the 1945 movie Anchors Away, where it was introduced by Frank Sinatra. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song, but lost to “It Might As Well Be Spring” by Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is a well-respected jazz standard, with recordings by Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Anita O’Day, and Johnny Hartman.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “I Fall In Love Too Easily” in 1954 for Bennett’s first studio LP: Cloud 7. Chuck Wayne wrote the arrangement.

“I Fall In Love Too Easily,” as well as Cloud 7 is available on Apple Music.

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Album of the Week: My Heart Sings

The album of the week starting on February 27, 2022, is My Heart Sings.

My Heart Sings

Tony Bennett remembers My Heart Sings in his autobiography, The Good Life:

Ralph Burns and I got together again to do some singles, including “Smile,” and for our next album we changed gears again. Instead of the lush, ballad-style arrangements we had used on Hometown, My Town, we switched to a cookin’ jazz sound. The album is called My Heart Sings, and I simply love Ralph’s writing on this one. It’s really beautiful music.

This album is a preview of 1962, which was an outstanding year for Tony Bennett, including his concert at Carnegie Hall and winning his first Grammy Award for “I Left My Heart In San Francisco.”

My Heart Sings was recorded in 3 sessions on 3 consecutive days: April 4, April 5, and April 6, 1961.

Album Facts

Release Date August 7, 1961
Label Columbia
Producer Ernie Altschuler
Vocals Tony Bennett
Arrangements, Conductor Ralph Burns
Piano Bernie Leighton
Bass Milt Hinton
Drums Herb Lovelle
Guitar Barry Galbraith, Chuck Wayne, Mundell Lowe
Saxophone Danny Bank, Al Klink, Toots Mondello, Romeo Penque, Jerry Sanfino
Trumpet Bernie Glow, Irving Markowitz, Jimmy Maxwell, Carl Sereinsen
Trombone Robert Alexander, Urbie Green, Dick Hixson, Frank Rehak
Vibes Eddie Costa

Songs on My Heart Sings

Song Composers
Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me Rube Bloom, Ted Koehler
Dancing in the Dark Arthur Schwartz, Howard Dietz
I’m Comin’ Virginia Donald Heywood, Will Marion Cook
My Heart Sings Jean Blanvillain (Jamblin), Harold Rome, Henri Laurent Herpin
It Never Was You Kurt Weill, Maxwell Anderson
You Took Advantage of Me Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart
Close Your Eyes Bernice Petkere
Stella By Starlight Victor Young, Ned Washington
More Than You Know Vincent Youmans, Billy Rose, Edward Eliscu
My Ship Kurt Weill, Ira Gershwin
Lover Man Jimmy Davis, Roger “Ram” Ramirez, James Sherman
Toot, Toot, Tootsie Gus Kahn, Ernie Erdman, Ted Fiorito, Dan Russo

Listen to My Heart Sings

You can also listen to My Heart Sings on

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Song of the Day: Darn That Dream

The song of the day for Tuesday, February 1, 2022, is “Darn That Dream.”

About This Song

“Darn That Dream” was written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Eddie DeLange for the 1939 musical Swingin’ the Dream, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream. The cast had many big names: Louis Armstrong as Bottom, Maxine Sullivan as Titania, Bill Bailey, and Dorothy Dandridge. It only ran for 13 performances and is considered to be a flop. Fortunately, “Darn That Dream” proved to be a big hit and earned some money for the investors.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Darn That Dream” in 1954 for his first LP album, Cloud 7, released in 1955. Chuck Wayne did the arrangement.

“Darn That Dream,” as well as Cloud 7 is available on Apple Music.

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Album of the Week: Cloud 7

The album of week starting on January 2, 2022, is Cloud 7.

Cloud 7 was Tony Bennett’s first full-length studio album and it was a jazz album. Having signed with Columbia Records in 1950, he had turned out a number of hit singles including “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” “Sing You Sinners,” “Cold, Cold Heart,” and “Because of You,” Cloud 7 was the album that he had wanted to make–a solid jazz long-playing album with a solid group of jazz musicians.

As a first album by a young singer (Bennett was not even 30 when he made Cloud 7), it’s a remarkable album that defined Bennett not only as a vastly popular singer, but a jazz artist with impeccable taste and a true vision of his own artistry.

Album Facts

Release Data February 25, 1955
Label Columbia
Producer Mitch Miller
Vocals Tony Bennett
Arrangements Chuck Wayne, Charles Panely
Tenor Sax Al Cohn, Caeser DiMauro
Alto Sax Dave Schildkraut
Trumpet Charles Panely
Guitar Chuck Wayne
Piano Gene DiNovi, Harvey Leonard
Bass Clyde Lombardi
Drums Sonny Igor, Ed Shaughnessy

Listen to Cloud 7

You can also listen to Cloud 7 on

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Song of the Day: Darn That Dream

The song of the day for Thursday, January 7, 2021, is “Darn That Dream.”

About This Song

“Darn That Dream” was written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Eddie DeLange for the 1939 musical Swingin’ the Dream, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream. The cast had many big names: Louis Armstrong playing Bottom, Maxine Sullivan as Titania, Bill Bailey, and Dorothy Dandridge. It only ran for 13 performances and is considered to be a flop. Fortunately, “Darn That Dream” proved to be a big hit and earned some money for the investors.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Darn That Dream” in 1954 for his first jazz album, Cloud 7, released in 1955. Chuck Wayne wrote the arrangement.

Darn That Dream

Listen to Darn That Dream on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1955.

“Darn That Dream,” as well as Cloud 7, is available from Apple Music.

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