The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Old Devil Moon

The song of the day for Sunday, November 14, 2021, is “Old Devil Moon.”

About This Song

“Old Devil Moon” was written by Burton Lane and Yip Harburg for the 1947 musical Finian’s Rainbow, which also gave us “How Are Things in Glocca Morra?” While Alec Wilder was no fan of “How Are Things in Glocca Morra?”, in America Popular Song, he praises “Old Devil Moon” as “a well-written, wholly convincing song. It drives, and its initial intensity is sustained throughout.”

About This Version

“Old Devil Moon” was the first song Tony Bennett performed for his now-legendary live performance on MTV Unplugged on April 12, 1994. Singing with The Ralph Sharon Trio (Sharon on piano, Doug Richeson on bass, and Clayton Cameron on drums), Tony Bennett was ecstatically received. The resulting album, MTV Unplugged, won the 1994 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance and Album of the Year.

The performance on television and the resulting album was key to introducing Tony Bennett to a completely new audience.

“Old Devil Moon,” as well as MTV Unplugged is available on Apple Music.

We are delighted to include a video of “Old Devil Moon” from the performance.

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Song of the Day: A Shine On Your Shoes

The song of the day for Monday, November 8, 2021, is “A Shine On Your Shoes.”

About This Song

“A Shine On Your Shoes” was written by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Diets in 1932 for the Broadway musical Flying Colors. The same song was used for the 1953 movie The Band Wagon, which starred Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “A Shine On Your Shoes” in 1993 for the album Steppin’ Out, an album of songs associated with Fred Astaire. Bennett and Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangements for the album. Bennett is accompanied by The Ralph Sharon Trio, featuring Sharon on piano, Doug Richeson on bass, and Clayton Cameron on drums.

“A Shine On Your Shoes,” as well as Steppin’ Out is available on Apple Music.

I hope you have time to watch this wonderful dance number from The Band Wagon. Astaire insisted on using a real bootblack instead of an actor for the number. They discovered the 23-year old Leroy Davis. You can read more about him here. I think he gives Astaire a run for his money.!

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Song of the Day: A Shine On Your Shoes

The song of the day for Sunday, Mary 23, 2021, is “A Shine On Your Shoes.”

About This Song

“A Shine On Your Shoes” was written by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz for the 1932 Broadway musical Flying Colors. The same song was used for the 1953 movie The Band Wagon, which starred Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “A Shine On Your Shoes” in 1993 for his album of songs made famous by his good friend Fred Astaire: Steppin’ Out. Bennett and Ralph Sharon arranged the entire. Playing with Sharon on piano are Doug Richeson on bass and Clayton Cameron on drums.

Shine On Your Shoes

Listen to Shine On Your Shoes on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1993.

“A Shine On Your Shoes,” as well as Steppin’ Out, is available from Apple Music.

Here’s Astaire in his performance of today’s song from the movie The Band Wagon. Astaire insisted on using a real shoeshine man for the number, not an actor. He hit the jackpot with Leroy Daniels who at 23 was an accomplished hoofer. You can read about Mr. Daniels here.

Here are Astaire and Daniels:

Shine On Your Shoes

Fred Astaire and Leroy Daniels. "For the "Shine on My Shoes" number, Fred Astaire wanted to dance with the bootblack. They found the real thing in Leroy Daniels, a dancing shoeshine man working in downtown Los Angeles." - from tcm.com

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Tony Live! A Foggy Day

The song of the day for Saturday, September 19, 2020, is “A Foggy Day.”

About This Song

“A Foggy Day” was written by George and Ira Gershwin. It was introduced by Fred Astaire in the 1937 movie A Damsel in Distress. The song has been quite popular with many great recordings, including those by Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, and Billie Holiday.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “A Foggy Day” with The Ralph Sharon Trio on his live performance on MTV Unplugged. In addition to Sharon on piano, the trio consisted of Doug Richeson on bass and Clayton Cameron on drums.

“A Foggy Day,” as well as MTV Unplugged, is available from Apple Music.

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Tony Live! It Amazes Me

The song of the day for Saturday, July 25, 2020, is “It Amazes Me.”

About This Song

“It Amazes Me,” written in 1958, is one of the non-theatrical popular songs by Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh. Liza Minnelli recorded this song when she was only eighteen years old on her first album. It has also been recorded by Bill Evans, George Shearing, and Cleo Laine.

About This Version

Tony Bennett sang “It Amazes Me” in his 1994 live performance on MTV Unplugged. The Ralph Sharon Trio accompanied Mr. Bennett, with Sharon on piano, Doug Richeson on bass, and Clayton Cameron on drums.

“It Amazes Me,” as well as MTV Unplugged, is available from Apple Music.

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