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The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

January 28, 2023 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Blue and Sentimental

The song of the day for Sunday, January 29, 2023, is “Blue and Sentimental.”

About This Song

“Blue and Sentimental” was written in 1938, with music by Count Basie and lyrics by Jerry Livingston and Mack David. It was initially recorded by The Count Basie Orchestra in 1938. It has since been recorded by Ella Fitzgerald, Nat Cole, and Mel Tormé.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Kay Starr recorded “Blue and Sentimental” in May 2001 for Playin’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings The Blues.

“Blue and Sentimental,” as well as Playin’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings The Blues is available on Apple Music.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Count Basie, Jerry Livingston, Kay Starr, Mack David, Playin' With My Friends: Bennett Sings The Blues, Tony Bennett

July 20, 2022 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Blue and Sentimental

The song of the day for Thursday, July 21, 2022, is “Blue and Sentimental.”

About Today

Today we are celebrating the life of the late Kay Starr, who was born on July 21, 1922, in Oklahoma. At the age of 7, she placed third in a talent contest and was given a 15-minute radio show. By the age of 10, she was making $3 a night, which was good money in the Great Depression. She started out singing mostly Western Swing and Country and Western music. She soon branched out to include pop and jazz songs. Starr died on November 3, 2016, at the age of 94 from complications of Alzheimer’s disease.

About This Song

“Blue and Sentimental” was written in 1938 by Count Basie, Jerry Livingston, and Mack David. This song was initially recorded by the Count Basie Orchestra in 1938. It has since been recorded by Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, and Mel Tormé.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Kay Starr recorded “Blue and Sentimental” in May 2001 and released that same year on Playin’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings The Blues. The vocals were arranged by Rob Mathes.

“Blue and Sentimental,” as well as Playin’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings The Blues is available on Apple Music.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Count Basie, Happy Birthday to Kay Starr, Jerry Livingtson, Kay Starr, Mack David, Playin' With My Friends: Bennett Sings The Blues, TonyBennett

March 15, 2022 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Poor Little Rich Girl

The song of the day for Wednesday, March 16, 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 recorded “Poor Little Rich Girl” with The Count Basie Orchestra in 1959 for his first album with Count Basie: Basie/Bennett. Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement

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

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Basie/Bennett, Count Basie, Noel Coward, Ralph Sharon, The Count Basie Orchestra, 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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