The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Strike Up The Band

The song of the day for Monday, May 31, 2021, is “Strike Up The Band.”

About This Song

“Strike Up the Band” was written by George and Ira Gershwin for the 1927 musical of the same name. Although Strike Up the Band was not a big hit on Broadway, the song became extremely popular. When Gershwin moved to Los Angeles, he was approached by UCLA to help with a fight song and so he contributed “Strike Up the Band for UCLA”, which is still played at all football and home basketball games at the university.

About This Recording

Tony Bennett recorded “Strike Up The Band” with Count Basie and His Orchestra in 1959 for his album Basie/Bennett. It was arranged by Ralph Sharon.

Strike up the Band (Strike up the Band) - 1990 Remix / Remaster

Listen to Strike up the Band (Strike up the Band) - 1990 Remix / Remaster on Spotify. Count Basie · Song · 1959.

“Strike Up The Band,” as well as Basie/Bennett, is available from Apple Music.

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Taking a Chance on Love

The song of the day for Friday, April 9, 2021, is “Taking a Chance on Love.”

About This Song

“Taking a Chance on Love” was written by Vernon Duke, John La Touche, 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 this version of “Taking a Chance on Love” in 1958 with Count Basie and His Orchestra for the album In Person!, released in 1959.

Taking A Chance On Love

Listen to Taking A Chance On Love on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1959.

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

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Jeepers Creepers

The song of the day for Thursday, February 11, 2021, is “Jeepers Creepers.”

About This Song

“Jeepers Creepers” was written by Harry Warren and Johnny Mercer for the 1938 movie Going Places, which featured Louis Armstrong as a trumpet-playing horse trainer. It has been recorded by Bing Crosby and, of course, Louis Armstrong.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Jeepers Creepers” in 1959 for his album with Count Basie and His Orchestra, Basie/Bennett. Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement.

Jeepers Creepers - 1990 Remix / Remaster

Listen to Jeepers Creepers - 1990 Remix / Remaster on Spotify. Count Basie · Song · 1959.

“Jeepers Creepers,” as well as Basie/Bennett, is available from Apple Music.

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Solitude

The song of the day for Friday, February 5, 2021, 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 the 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 this version of “Solitude” in 1959 with Count Basie and His Orchestra for the album In Person! The name of the album is kind of odd. The songs were originally recorded live, but the tape was unusuable. So they went to studio and re-recorded it all over again.

Solitude

Listen to Solitude on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1959.

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

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: There Will Never Be Another You

The song of the day for Tuesday, July 21 2020, is “There Will Never Be Another You.”

About Today

Today we are celebrating the birth of William James “Count” Basie, who was born on July 21, 1904, in Red Hook, New Jersey. We can’t imagine American jazz without Count Basie.

About This Song

“There Will Never Be Another You” was written in 1942 by Harry Warren and Max Gordon for the movie Iceland. The song has become a serious jazz standard and has had many fine recordings, including Bennett’s 1959 recording with Count Basie and his 1962 improvisation with Dave Brubeck at the White House Sessions. Other significant recordings include those by Lionel Hampton, Chet Baker, Nat King Cole, and Sonny Rollins.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “There Will Never Be Another You” in 1959 with Count Basie and His Orchestra for their second album, In Person!. Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangment.

“There Will Never Be Another You,” as well as In Person!, is available from Apple Music.

Subscribe to The Year of Tony Bennett

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Current Reader Favorites