The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: There Will Never Be Another You

The song of the day for Thursday, May 30, 2013 is There Will Never Be Another You.

About This Song

There Will Never Be Another You was written by Harry Warren with lyrics by Mack Gordon in 1942 for the Sonje Henie movie Iceland.  This song has long outlived the so-so film and has been a well-respected song, both as a popular standard and in the jazz repertoire. Significant recordings (in addition to the one that we feature today) include those by Frank Sinatra, Art Tatum, Chet Baker, Rosemary Clooney and Nat King Cole.

About This Version

This song has been a favorite of mine for many years and so I was very happy to see on the playlist for the newly released Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962 album.  It comes at the end of the album in the section where Tony Bennett and the Dave Brubeck Trio (Brubeck, Eugene Wright and Joe Morello) improvise for a few songs, including the previously released That Old Black Magic.  This recording is a revelation. It starts off like the nice slow ballad I’ve always loved and then Tony just takes off on one of the most exciting jazz vocal performances I’ve ever heard. It’s really extraordinary how well this album captures the energy of that live performance.

There Will Never Be Another You (with The Dave Brubeck Trio) - Live at the Washington Monument, Washington, D.C. - August 1962

Listen to There Will Never Be Another You (with The Dave Brubeck Trio) - Live at the Washington Monument, Washington, D.C. - August 1962 on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett, Dave Brubeck Trio · 2013

There Will Never Be Another You, as well as the new Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962, is available from iTunes. It is also, as of this writing, the number one jazz album on Amazon.com.

For more information about the Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962 album, please visit our sister site (which is still under construction) The Interactive Tony Bennett Discography.

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Song of the Day: That Old Black Magic

The song of the day for Wednesday, May 22, 2013, is That Old Black Magic.

About This Song

Written by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Johnny Mercer, That Old Black Magic was written in 1942 and used in the 1943 film Star Spangled Rhythm, where it was introduced by Vera Zorina and Johnnie Johnston.

This song has been very popular since it was first written, starting with the 1942 version by the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Other significant recordings are by Margaret Whiting, Ella Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatra. Marilyn Monroe sang the song in the 1956 Bus Stop.

About This Version

Bennett:Brubeck

Today’s version is from upcoming release of em>Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions Live 1962, which will be available on May 28, 2013. The concert began with a set by the Dave Brubeck Quartet (Brubeck, Paul Desmond on alto sax, Joe Morello on drums and Eugene Wright on bass), followed by a set of Tony Bennett with the Ralph Sharon Trio (Sharon, Billy Exiner on drums and Hal Gaylord on bass). The last part of the concert featured the Dave Brubeck Trio (minus Desmond) and Tony Bennett in a unrehearsed set of improvisations, including this great recording of That Old Black Magic.

That Old Black Magic

Listen to That Old Black Magic on Spotify. Song · Dave Brubeck, Tony Bennett · 2003

That Old Black Magic, as well as Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions Live 1962 is available for pre-ordering from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

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Bennett/Brubeck The White House Sessions Live 1962 Preview

The New York Times has posted a free preview of the upcoming Bennett/Brubeck The White House Sessions Live 1962 CD, which will be available a week from today, May 28.

Bennett:Brubeck

I have to say that I have had very high hopes for this release and it’s even better than I imagined. The audio quality is excellent and the concert is really stunning.

So, if you can’t wait until the 28th, head on over to the New York Times for a listen.

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The White House Sessions Live 1962

After waiting for fifty years, we only have twenty more days to wait for the Tony Bennett / Dave Brubeck album The White House Sessions Live 1962.

Cecil Stoughton. White House Photographs. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston.
Cecil Stoughton. White House Photographs. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston.

Here’s a very nice video preview, narrated by Mr. Bennett, about the concert and the upcoming release with music, great still photographs from the concert and even the voice of President Kennedy.