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.”