The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: On the Sunny Side of the Street

The song of the day for Sunday, April 30, 2023, is “On the Sunny Side of the Street.”

About Today

We are happy to celebrate the 90th birthday of Willie Nelson! Happy birthday!

About This Song

“On The Sunny Side of the Street” was written by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields and was introduced in 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 recorded “On the Sunny Side of the Street” with Willie Nelson in 2011 for Duets II. It was arranged by Marion Evans.

“On the Sunny Side of the Street,” as well as Duets II is available on Apple Music.

Here’s the video they made for Duets II.

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Song of the Day: The Way You Look Tonight

The song of the day for Monday, March 6, 2023, is “The Way You Look Tonight.”

About This Song

“The Way You Look Tonight” was written in 1936 by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields for the 1936 movie Swing Time. The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Fields was the first woman to win an Oscar for songwriting. It’s a magnificent love song that found a position as a jazz standard, with recordings by Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday, Mel Tormé, and Frank Sinatra.

About This Version

Tony Bennett, with Bill Charlap on piano, recorded “The Way You Look Tonight” for the 2015 album The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern.

“The Way You Look Tonight,” as well as The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern is available on Apple Music.

Here’s Fred Astaire singing “The Way You Look Tonight” from Swing Time:

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Song of the Day: Pick Yourself Up

The song of the day for Sunday, March 5, 2023, is “Pick Yourself Up.”

About This Song

“Pick Yourself Up” was written by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields for the 1936 movie Swing Time, where it was introduced by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. It was used in the early part of the film when Astaire pretends to be unable 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” for his album The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern, released in 2015. He was backed by The Bill Charlap, with Charlap on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums.

The album won the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Album.

“Pick Yourself Up,” as well as The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern is available on Apple Music.

Here are Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing to “Pick Yourself Up” from Swing Time:

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Song of the Day: I Won’t Dance

The song of the day for Thursday, March 2, 2023, is “I Won’t Dance.”

About This Song

“I Won’t Dance” was written in 1934 by Jerome Kern, with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein and Otto Harbach, for a London musical called Three Sisters, though the show was a flop and was quickly forgotten. The following year, a film of Roberta was made, and the song was re-purposed, this time with the new Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields lyrics, which are now ubiquitous.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga recorded “I Won’t Dance” in 2014 for their album Cheek To Cheek. Marion Evans wrote the very fine arrangement.

“I Won’t Dance,” as well as Cheek To Cheek is available on Apple Music.

Speaking of dancing, here are Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers performing “I Won’t Dance” from the 1935 movie Roberta:

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Song of the Day: On the Sunny Side of the Street

The song of the day for Tuesday, February 21, 2023, is “On the Sunny Side of the Street.”

About This Song

“On the Sunny Side of the Street” was written in 1930 by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields and was introduced in 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.

“On the Sunny Side of the Street,” as well as Duets II is available on Apple Music.

Here’s the Tony and Willie Nelson video for the recording of today’s song:

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