The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face

The song of the day for Saturday, May 18, 2013 is I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face.

About This Song

This song is, of course, from the very successful 1956 musical My Fair Lady. The music is by Frederick Lowe and the lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. My Fair Lady was nominated for nine Tony Awards, and won six, including Best Musical, Best Actor in a Musical for Rex Harrison, and Best Direction of a Musical for Moss Hart. The 1956 original cast album became the best-selling album in the US that year. My parents had that album and I know we all listened to it frequently.

I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face is sung by Henry Higgins at the end of show, when the Professor finally recognizes how much Eliza Doolittle (played by Julie Andrews) means to him and how much he will miss her. (Spoiler: she comes back.)

The song has been steadily recorded since 1956, with recordings by Chet Baker, Ruby Braff, Nat King Cole, and many more.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face with Count Basie in January, 1958, for the Basie/Bennett album released in 1959.

http://open.spotify.com/track/5wNGLVq6BUm9SXPzosUh55
I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face, as well as the digitally remastered Bennett & Basie Strike Up The Band, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: When I Fall In Love

The song of the day for Thursday, March 21, 2013 is When I Fall In Love.

About This Song

Composed by Victor Young with lyrics by Edward Heyman, When I Fall In Love was written 1952 for the romantic war movie One Minute To Zero, which starred Robert Mitchum and Ann Blythe and was produced by Howard Hughes (yes, that Howard Hughes).  The reviews were not especially kind; the New York Times said “Here is another war picture that smells of grease paint and studios.”  Ouch.

About This Version

While the movie that launched When I Fall In Love may not be on any top 100 list, it’s a charming love song and has become a jazz and popular standard. Doris Day had the first hit version of it in 1952 and Nat King Cole released it in 1957. It has also been recorded by Etta James and Johnny Mathis. It’s a very sweet and charming love song. While some may find the yearning for one true love to last a lifetime somewhat trite, this author enjoys the sweet naiveté of the song’s sentiment. Tony Bennett sings it in that spirit, with loving heart and no irony. It’s kind of refreshing.

Tony Bennett recorded this song with the Count Basie Orchestra for his 1959 In Person! album, with a nice easy arrangement by Ralph Sharon.

http://open.spotify.com/track/1gvj0dMWUQ1G1JpoZLpJH5
When I Fall In Love, as well as the full In Person! album, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Jeepers Creepers

The song of the day for Tuesday, March 19, 2013 is Jeepers Creepers.

About This Song

Jeepers Creepers was written by Harry Warren and Johnny Mercer for the 1938 movie Going Places. Starring Dick Powell, the movie concerns a wild racehorse named Jeepers Creepers; his trainer was played by Louis Armstrong. Only if the trainer played the song on his trumpet or sang it to the horse would the horse allow himself to be ridden. And, apparently, much hilarity ensued. The cast was pretty good, including Ronald Reagan, Eddie Anderson and Maxine Sullivan. This song was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song.

About This Version

Today’s version is from Tony Bennett’s album with Count Basie and His Orchestra: Basie/Bennett. It’s a great swinging arrangement by Ralph Sharon and Tony sounds like he’s having a lot of fun singing it.

http://open.spotify.com/track/3ZrWSg01u6dfXiNnMjT3hv
Jeepers Creepers, as well as the full Basie/Bennett album, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Lost In The Stars

This week, we’re featuring our favorites from Tony Bennett’s live recordings. For Sunday, January 20, 2013, our choice is Lost In The Stars.

About Lost In The Stars

This song was composed by Kurt Weill, with lyrics by Maxwell Anderson, for the musical of the same name. Lost in the Stars was based on the 1948 Alan Paton novel Cry, The Beloved Country, which takes place in apartheid South Africa.

About This Version

Tony Bennett first recorded Lost in the Stars in 1958 with the Count Basie Orchestra, where it appears on In Person! This live version is from Bennett’s legendary 1962 Carnegie Hall concert.

Lost In The Stars (From "Lost In The Stars") - Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY - June 1962

Listen to Lost In The Stars (From "Lost In The Stars") - Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY - June 1962 on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1962.

Lost in the Stars, as well as the full Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall album, is available from iTunes.

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Yesterday I Heard The Rain and People

Yesterday I Heard The Rain is one of my favorite Tony Bennett songs, even though it’s not one of his most popular songs. This lovely version is from a 1969 television broadcast in England with Count Basie. Also in this segment is People, from Funny Girl.

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