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The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

August 8, 2022 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Poor Little Rich Girl

The song of the day for Tuesday, August 9, 2022, is “Poor Little Rich Girl.”

About This Song

“Poor Little Rich Girl” was written by Noël Coward for the 1925 revue On With the Dance. It is one of his most popular songs.

About This Version

Tony Bennett, with Count Basie and His Orchestra, recorded “Poor Little Rich Girl” on January 5, 1959, with an arrangement by Ralph Sharon. It was released in 1959 on Basie Swings/Bennett Sings.

“Poor Little Rich Girl,” as well as Basie Swings/Bennett Sings is available on Apple Music.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Count Basie and His Orchestra, Noel Coward, Ralph Sharon, Tony Bennett

August 5, 2022 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Solitude

The song of the day for Saturday, August 6, 2022, is “Solitude.”

About This Song

“Solitude” was written in 1934 by Duke Ellington, with lyrics by Eddie DeLange and Irving Mills. One of his masterpieces, Ellington is said to have written “Solitude” in twenty minutes at a recording session, as they were one number short (Ted Gioia in Jazz Standards). It’s a very strong song for both vocalists and instrumentalists. Ellington made over a hundred recordings of this song. Other great recordings include those by Paul Robeson, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Billy Eckstine.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Solitude” with Count Basie and His Orchestra on December 30, 1958, with an arrangement by Ralph Sharon. It was released in 1959 on the album In Person!

“Solitude,” as well as In Person! is available on Apple Music.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Count Basie and His Orchestra, Duke Ellington, Eddie DeLange, In Person!, Irving Mills, Ralph Sharon, Tony Bennett

August 4, 2022 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: I Guess I’ll Have to Change My Plan

The song of the day for Friday, August 5, 2022, is “I Guess I’ll Have to Change My Plan.”

About This Song

“I Guess I’ll Have To Change My Plan” was written by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz for the 1929 revue The Little Show and was introduced by Clifton Webb. It was a featured song in the 1953 movie The Band Wagon, where it was sung by Fred Astaire and Oscar Levant. Even though the original title was “I Guess I’ll Have to Change My Plan,” it is often sung with Plans. And in spite of the sub-title on the cover of the sheet music, I have no idea what the blue pajama business is all about.

About This Version

Tony Bennett, with Count Basie and His Orchestra, recorded “I Guess I’ll Have to Change My Plan” on January 3, 1959, with an arrangement by Ralph Sharon. It was released on the 1959 album Basie Swings/Bennett Sings.

“I Guess I’ll Have to Change My Plan,” as well as Basie Swings/Bennett Sings is available on Apple Music.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Arthur Schwartz, Basie Swings / Bennett Sings, Count Basie and His Orchestra, Howard Dietz, Ralph Sharon, Tony Bennett

January 29, 2022 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Album of the Week: Basie Swings, Bennett Sings

The album of the week starting on January 30, 2022, is Basie Swings, Bennett Sings.

Album Facts

Release Date 1959
Label Roulette
Producer Teddy Reig
Vocals Tony Bennett
Piano Count Basie, Ralph Sharon
Arrangements Ralph Sharon
Trumpet Thad Jones, Snooky Young, Wendell Culley, Joe Newman
Trombone Benny Powell, Henry Coker, Al Grey
Alto Saxophone Marshall Royal, Frank Weiss
Tenor Saxophone Frank Foster, Billy Mitchell
Baritone Saxophone Charlie Fowlkes
Guitar Freddie Green
Bass Eddie Jones
Drums Sonny Payne

After the relative success of Cloud 7 and The Beat of My Heart, Tony Bennett began to work on his dream of performing with Count Basie and Duke Ellington, whom he viewed as the greatest bandleaders of all time. He was able to work out a deal with Basie to record two albums: one live album on Columbia (details to follow ) and a studio album for Roulette, Basie’s label. This brought up a fight with Bennett’s current producer Mitch Miller, who felt Roulette would tarnish Bennett’s reputation.

Tony Bennett remembers those recordings in his autobiography, The Good Life:

Although I’d talked with him on the telephone I didn’t meet Count Basie until our rehearsals began. It was an amazing experience, the fulfillment of a dream, and I’ll never forget it. We hit it off right away, as though we always knew and understood each other. At one point Basie turned to his band, pointed at me, and said, “Anything this man wants, he gets!” I was floored.

Critic Richard S. Ginell wrote:

The Roulette half of the two Bennett/Basie sessions is a band singer’s paradise, with the Basie band caught at a robust and swinging peak and Bennett never sounding happier or looser in front of a microphone. The Count himself, alas, appears on piano only on two numbers (“Life Is a Song” and “Jeepers Creepers”), while Bennett’s perennial pianist Ralph Sharon takes over on the remaining ten tracks and does all the charts. Yet Sharon writes idiomatically for the Count’s style, whether on frantic rave-ups like “With Plenty of Money and You” and “Strike Up the Band” or relaxed swingers like “Chicago.” Though not a jazz singer per se, the flavor of jazz is everywhere in Bennett’s voice, which in those days soared like a trumpet. The 1990 CD included an atmospheric unissued Neal Hefti ballad “After Supper,” but even this bonus track does little to extend the skimpy playing time (about 31 minutes) of what is still a great, desirable snapshot from American showbiz of the late 1950s.

Listen to Basie Swings, Bennett Sings

You can also listen to Basie Swings, Bennett Sings on

  • Apple Music
  • Amazon Music player
  • Qobuz
  • YouTube Music
  • Pandora

 

Filed Under: Album of the Week Tagged With: Al Grey, Basie Swings / Bennett Sings, Benny Powell, Billy Mitchell, Charlie Fowlkes, Count Basie, Count Basie and His Orchestra, Eddie Jones, Frank Foster, Frank Weiss, Freddie Green, Henry Coker, Joe Newman, Marshall Royal, Ralph Sharon, Snooky Young, Sonny Payne, Teddy Reig, Thad Jones, Tony Bennett, Wendell Culley

December 26, 2021 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: I Guess I’ll Have To Change My Plan

The song of the day for Monday, December 27, 2021, is “I Guess I’ll Have To Change My Plan.”

About This Song

“I Guess I’ll Have To Change My Plan” was written by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz for the 1929 revue The Little Show and was introduced by Clifton Webb. It was a featured song in the 1953 movie The Band Wagon, where it was sung by Fred Astaire and Oscar Levant. Even though the original title was “I Guess I’ll Have to Change My Plan,” it is more often sung with Plans. And in spite of the sub-title on the cover of the sheet music, I have no idea what the blue pajama business is all about.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “I Guess I’ll Have To Change My Plan” in 1959 for his first album with Count Basie and His Orchestra, Basie/Bennett. Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement.

“I Guess I’ll Have To Change My Plan,” as well as Basie/Bennett is available on Apple Music.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Arthur Schwartz, Basie/Bennett, Count Basie, Count Basie and His Orchestra, Howard Dietz, Tony Bennett

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