The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Night and Day

The song of the day for Tuesday, August 8, 2023, is “Night and Day.”

About This Song

Cole Porter wrote “Night and Day” for the 1932 musical Gay Divorce, which was introduced by Fred Astaire. The song became and still is quite popular and certainly a standard in the American songbook. Significant recordings include those by Art Tatum, Bill Evans, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald, and Django Reinhardt.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Night and Day” in June 1992 for his album of songs associated with Frank Sinatra: Perfectly Frank. It was arranged by Ralph Sharon.

“Night and Day,” as well as Perfectly Frank is available on Apple Music.

Here’s Sinatra’s recording of “Night and Day”

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Song of the Day: So In Love

The song of the day for Friday, June 9, 2023, is “So In Love.”

About Today

Today we are celebrating the birth of one of America’s greatest songwriters, Cole Porter. Porter was born to a wealthy family on June 9, 1891, in Peru, Indiana. The family wanted Porter to study law and Porter enrolled at Yale University. However, Porter had other ideas and majored in English, with a minor in Music. He sang with the Whiffenpoofs and was the president of the Yale Glee Club, all while writing over 300 songs. He did enroll in Law School at Harvard, but soon left to to study music. In 1915, a song of his was included in a Broadway revue.

His career was legendary — he wrote music and lyrics for many Broadway musicals and also for Hollywood. His stage triumphs include Kiss Me Kate, Anything Goes, Can Can, and Silk Stockings. His film scores include The Pirate, Les Girls, and High Society.

About This Song

“So In Love” was written by Cole Porter in 1948 for Kiss Me Kate, where it was introduced by Patricia Morrison. The song has been widely recorded by singers including Julie Andrews, Ella Fitzgerald, k.d. lang, Patti Page, Dinah Washington and many more.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “So In Love” for his second album with Lady Gaga, Love For Sale, released in 2021.

Love For Sale won the 2022 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.

“So In Love,” as well as Love For Sale is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: I Concentrate On You

The song of the day for Friday, May 26, 2023, is “I Concentrate On You.”

About This Song

Cole Porter wrote “I Concentrate On You” for the film Broadway Melody of 1940. It’s one of Porter’s best songs, with recordings by Fred Astaire, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Dinah Washington, and Judy Garland among others.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “I Concentrate On You” in July 1993 for his album Steppin’ Out, which contained songs associated with Fred Astaire. Bennett and Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement.

“I Concentrate On You,” as well as Steppin’ Out is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Dream Dancing

The song of the day for Tuesday, March 28, 2023, is “Dream Dancing.”

About Today

The Year of Tony Bennett is proud to honor Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, known professionally as Lady Gaga, on her birthday! Happy birthday! We love you madly.

About This Song

Cole Porter wrote “Dream Dancing” for the 1941 movie You’ll Never Get Rich, though it was introduced only in its instrumental form. The first recording of the song, with lyrics, was made by Fred Astaire in the same year, with The Delta Rhythm Boys. Other recordings include those by Ella Fitzgerald, Zoot Zims with Jimmy Rowles, and Mel Tormé.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga recorded “Dream Dancing” for their 2021 album Love For Sale. The orchestral arrangement is by Jorge Calandrelli.

“Dream Dancing,” as well as Love For Sale is available on Apple Music.

Here’s the official video for the recording:

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Song of the Day: From This Moment On

The song of the day for Monday, September 12, 2022, is “From This Moment On.”

About This Song

“From This Moment On” was written by Cole Porter in 1950. Porter originally wrote this song for his musical Out Of This World, but it was dropped from that show in previews. It was included in the wonderful 1953 film Kiss Me KateKiss Me Kate. Doris Day recorded this song as a single in 1950; the Frank Sinatra 1957 recording for his A Swingin’ Affair! was instrumental in the popularity of this song. It has also been recorded by Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne, and Susannah McCorkle.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “From This Moment On” on April 8, 1964, at Bennett’s performance for the opening of The Sahara Hotel. The recording was made available in 2011 as Tony Bennett Live at the Sahara: From This Moment On in the Complete Collection box set.

“From This Moment On,” as well as Live at The Sahara – Las Vegas, 1964 is available on Apple Music.

Here’s this song and dance from the 1953 film Kiss Me Kate. I think it’s one of the best film dances ever created. It’s wonderful to see the young Bob Fosse and Tommy Rall’s entrance (1:34) is breaktaking.