The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Life Is a Song

The song of the day for Wednesday, May 20, 2026, is “Life Is a Song.”

About This Song

“Life Is a Song” was written by Fred Ahlert and Joe Young in 1935. Early recordings include those by Rudy Vallee, Ruth Ettings, and Bob Crosby.

About This Version

Tony Bennett, with Count Basie and His Orchestra, recorded “Life Is a Song” on January 5, 1959, for Basie Swings/Bennett Sings. Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement. Count Basie played piano for this recording.

“Life Is a Song,” as well as Basie Swings/Bennett Sings, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Poor Little Rich Girl

The song of the day for Monday, April 27, 2026, 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, for their first album Basie Swings, Bennett Sings. Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement.

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

I found this recording of Noël Coward singing “Poor Little Rich Girl.”

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Song of the Day: There Will Never Be Another You

The song of the day for Saturday, April 11, 2026, is “There Will Never Be Another You.”

About This Song

“There Will Never Be Another You” was written in 1942 by Harry Warren and Mack Gordon for the Sonja Henie film Iceland, starring Miss Henie and John Payne as a U.S. Marine stationed in Iceland during World War II. The song was introduced in the movie by Joan Merrill. Amazingly, this beautiful song was not nominated for an Academy Award. No matter. 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, with Count Basie and His Orchestra, recorded “There Will Never Be Another You” on December 28, 1958, for his second album with Basie, In Person! Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement.

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

We have Bennett’s live improv with The Dave Brubeck Trio (Brubeck on piano, Eugene Wright on bass, and Joe Morello on drums) of “There Will Never Be Another You” from Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962, released in 2013.

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Song of the Day: Firefly

The song of the day for Thursday, March 12, 2026, is “Firefly.”

About This Song

“Firefly” was written by Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh. It was written as an audition piece for the musical Gypsy (which went on to be written by Jule Styne, with lyrics by a 28-year-old Stephen Sondheim).

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Firefly,” with Count Basie and His Orchestra, on December 23, 1978, for their second album, In Person! released in 1959.  Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement; I especially  liked the flute.

Originally, It was planned as a live album and was recorded in a club with the Count Basie Orchestra. However, the tape from the concert had poor quality and couldn’t be used. They re-recorded all of the songs in the studio and, oddly, released it with the original planned title, In Person!.

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

Dear Mr. Bennett

Tony Bennett recorded “Firefly” six times in his career. Four were singles; the other two were duets: one with Kermit the Frog (The Playground, 1998) and Lady Gaga (Cheek To Cheek, 2014).

The John Pizzarelli Trio (Pizzarelli on guitar and vocals, Michael Karn on bass, and Isaiah J. Thompson on piano) recorded “Firefly” for Dear Mr. Bennett, released in March 2026.

Dear Mr. Bennett is available for purchase on CD and vinyl at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Tower Records, and other record stores. It is also available on most popular streaming services.

The John Pizzarelli Trio made a video for “Firefly.”

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Song of the Day: Are You Havin’ Any Fun

The song of the day for Monday, January 5, 2026, is “Are You Havin’ Any Fun.”

About This Song

“Are You Havin’ Any Fun” was written by Jack Yellen and Sammy Fain for the 1939 George White’s Scandals. George White produced these Broadway revues from 1919 to 1939. Stars introduced in his Scandals include Bert Lahr, Ethel Merman, Ray Bolger and The Three Stooges.

About This Version

Tony Bennett, with Count Basie and His Orchestra, recorded “Are You Havin’ Any Fun” 67 years ago on January 5, 1959, for the album Basie/Bennett, which was released on the Roulette label, where Basie was contracted.

“Are You Havin’ Any Fun,” as well as Basie/Bennett, is available on Apple Music.