The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Lost In The Stars

The song of the day for Tuesday, July 23, 2024, is “Lost In The Stars.”

About This Song

“Lost In The Stars” was written by Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson for the 1949 musical of the same name, based on the 1948 novel by Alan Paton, Cry, the Beloved Country. Set in South Africa in an era when apartheid seemed as if it would never end, the plot concerns a black priest whose son kills, in a robbery attempt, a white man who is a friend of his father. The priest sings this song at the end of the first act, in a complete crisis of faith.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this version of “Lost In The Stars” on December 22, 1958, for his album with Count Basie and His Band, In Person! Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement.

“Lost In The Stars,” as well as In Person!, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Taking a Chance on Love

The song of the day for Monday, May 20, 2024, is “Taking a Chance on Love.”

About This Song

“Taking a Chance on Love” was written by Vernon Duke, John LaTouche, and Ted Fetter for the 1940 musical Cabin in the Sky, where it was introduced by the great Ethel Waters and Dooley Wilson. The song works well for both jazz singers and instrumentalists, with significant recordings by Dave Brubeck, Tony Bennett, Judy Garland, and Dizzy Gillespie.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Taking a Chance on Love” on December 30, 1958, for his second album with Count Basie and His Band, In Person!, released in 1959. The songs for the album were taped at nightclub and it was set to be a live album, but Columbia decided to rerecord the album in the studio. Why they didn’t change the name of the album is anyone’s guess.

“Taking a Chance on Love,” as well as In Person! is available on Apple Music.

We’ve got a special video treat today: Ethel Waters and Eddie Anderson singing “Taking a Chance on Love” from the 1943 film version of Cabin in the Sky. Bill Bailey is featured as the dancer in the number.

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Song of the Day: Taking a Chance on Love

The song of the day for Sunday, October 29, 2023, is “Taking a Chance on Love.”

About This Song

“Taking a Chance on Love” was written by Vernon Duke (music) and John LaTouche and Ted Fetter (lyrics) for the 1940 musical Cabin in the Sky, where it was introduced by the great Ethel Waters and Dooley Wilson. The song works well for jazz singers and instrumentalists, with significant recordings by Dave Brubeck, Tony Bennett, Judy Garland, and Dizzy Gillespie.

About This Version

Tony Bennett, with Count Basie and His Band, recorded “Taking a Chance on Love” on December 30, 1958, for his second album with Count Basie, In Person!, released in 1959. Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement.

“Taking a Chance on Love,” as well as In Person!, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Taking a Chance on Love

The song of the day for Wednesday, May 10, 2023, is “Taking a Chance on Love.”

About This Song

“Taking a Chance on Love” was written by Vernon Duke, with lyrics by John LaTouche and Ted Fetter, for the 1940 musical Cabin in the Sky, where it was introduced by the great Ethel Waters and Dooley Wilson. The song works well for both jazz singers and instrumentalists, with significant recordings by Dave Brubeck, Tony Bennett, Judy Garland, and Dizzy Gillespie.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Taking a Chance on Love” on December 30, 1958, for his album with Count Basie and His Band: In Person!, which was released in 1959. Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement.

Originally, the album was meant to use recordings of Tony Bennett and Count Basie and His Band at club dates they did after their first album. Unfortunately, there were some issues with the recordings, so they rerecorded the songs in the studio.

“Taking a Chance on Love,” as well as In Person! is available on Apple Music.

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