August 2015
Song of the Day: Pick Yourself Up
The song of the day for Wednesday, October 16, 2024, is ” Pick Yourself Up.”
About Today
The Year of Tony Bennett is very happy to wish Bill Charlap a fond Happy Birthday. He was born on October 15, 1966, in New York. He is one of the great jazz pianists of this generation. His father, Moose Charlap, was a Broadway composer who wrote Peter Pan, among other musicals. His mother is Sandy Stewart, a noted cabaret artist; she and Bill did several albums together: Love Is Here To Stay (2004) and Something To Remember (2011). His wife, Renee Rosnes, is a world-class jazz pianist and is a founding member of ARTEMIS, an all-women jazz ensemble.
Bill Charlap worked with Tony Bennett for many years, starting with his 2006 studio recording of “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” the second studio recording of that song and was released on Duets: An American Classic. He was the musical director, pianist, and arranger for the 2011The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern. Renee Rosnes also played dual piano wth Bill in this album. He served in the same role for the 2015 Love Is Here to Stay, the duet album with Bennett and Diana Krall.
Happy Birthday to the Bill Charlap!
About This Song
“Pick Yourself Up” was written by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields for the 1936 film Swing Time, where it was introduced by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers (see videos later in this post). It was used in the early part of the film when Astaire pretends to not be able to dance and asks for Ginger Rogers as his dance instructor just so he can dance with her. This song has been widely recorded, including those by Nat King Cole, Anita O’Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Diana Krall.
About This Version
Tony Bennett recorded “Pick Yourself Up” in 2015 for his album The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern, with an arrangement by Bill Charlap. The Bill Charlap Trio (Charlap on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums accompanies Bennett on this recording.
” Pick Yourself Up,” as well as The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern, is available on Apple Music.
We’ve got some great videos for you today. First up is the dance numbers from Swing Time:
Swing Time, part 1
Swing Time, part 2
“Pick Yourself Up” – All-Star Jazz Collab for the Actors Fund
This video was released on June 25, 2020, to help raise donations for The Actors Fund, helping actors and musicians who could not work due to the Covid-19 shutdowns. I love this video and I love the cause.
Song of the Day: Remind Me
The song of the day for Tuesday, October 1, 2024, is “Remind Me”
About This Song
“Remind Mw” was written by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields for the 1940 movie musical One Night In the Tropics, though the song wasn’t used well and was not immediately successful. Mabel Mercer recorded it towards the end of the 1940s and it is now considered one of the popular standards. It has also been recorded by Jeri Southern and Nina Simone.
About This Version
Tony Bennett recorded “Remind Me” on October 1, 1971, and was released the following year on the album With Love. Robert Farnon wrote the arrangemet.
“Remind Me” as well as With Love, is available on Apple Music.
Song of the Day: On The Sunny Side of the Street
The song of the day for Saturday, August 10, 2024, is “On The Sunny Side of the Street.”
About This Song
“On The Sunny Side of the Street” was written by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields for the 1930 Lew Leslie’s International Revue. The song was one of the first in a series of cheerful songs to try to cheer people up over the Great Depression. It has proven popular with singers, who love the wonderful Fields lyrics, and jazz players, who love McHugh’s swingy tune.
About This Version
Tony Bennett and Willie Nelson recorded “On The Sunny Side of the Street” in 2011 for Duets II. Marion Evans wrote the arrangement.
Duets II won the 2012 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Album.
“On The Sunny Side of the Street,” as well as Duets II, is available on Apple Music.
Here’s the official video for this recording:
Song of the Day: The Way You Look Tonight
The song of the day for Monday, July 15, 2024, is “The Way You Look Tonight.”
About Today
The Year of Tony Bennett remembers lyricist Dorothy Fields on the anniversary of her birth on July 15, 1905. She was born into a family with deep roots in show business. Her father, Lew Fields, was a vaudeville performer and later became a prominent Broadway producer. Her brother Joseph was a writer and producer and her brother Herbert was a writer who later collaborated with Dorothy. Over her career, she wrote over 400 songs for Broadway musicals and films and worked with many notable composers, including Jerome Kern, Cy Coleman, Irving Berlin, and Jimmy McHugh. She was one of the first Tin Pan Alley and Hollywood femaale songwriters.
About This Song
“The Way You Look Tonight” was written by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields for the 1936 file Swing Times, starring Fred Astaire. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song; Fields was the first woman to win an Oscar for songwriting. She remarked about this song:
The first time Jerry played that melody for me I went out and started to cry. The release absolutely killed me. I couldn’t stop, it was so beautiful.
About This Version
Tony Bennett recorded this version of “The Way You Look Tonight” in 1997 for the film My Best Friend’s Wedding.
“The Way You Look Tonight,” as well as Rarities, Outtakes & Other Delights, Vol. 2, is available on Apple Music.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- …
- 22
- Next Page »