The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Solitude

The song of the day for Wednesday, June 5, 2013, is “Solitude.”

About This Song

“Solitude” was written by Duke Ellington in 1934, with lyrics by Eddie DeLange and Irving Mills. One of his masterpieces, Ellington is said to have written this song in twenty minutes at the recording session, as they were on number short (Ted Gioia in Jazz Standards).   It’s a very strong song for both vocalists and instrumentalists. Ellington made over a hundred recordings of this song. Other great recordings include those by Paul Robeson, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Billy Eckstine.

About This Version

Today’s version is one my favorite numbers from his 1962 Carnegie Hall concert. It starts slow and quiet and builds steadily to the finish. Tony Bennett has said that he probably has sung this song more often than other, even “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.” It was a popular request from his early (even pre-World War II) days as a singing waiter.


Solitude, as well as the entire Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall concert album, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Moonglow

The song of the day for Sunday, May 5, 2013, is Moonglow.

About This Song

Moonglow was written in 1933 by Will Hudson and Irving Mills, with lyrics by Eddie DeLange. First recorded in 1933 by Joe Venuti and his Orchestra, Moonglow has remained popular over the years. It has been recorded by Art Tatum, Billie Holiday, Ethel Waters and Benny Goodman.

About This Version

This recording of Moonglow is the first time that Tony Bennett and k.d. lang sang together. The duet was beautiful and has led to the two performers working together on several albums, including A Wonderful World.


Moonglow, as well as the full MTV Unplugged live album, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Solitude

As we continue our celebration of the life and music of Duke Ellington this week, the song of the day for Wednesday, May 1, 2013 is Solitude.

About This Song

You might be forgiven for thinking that one of Duke Ellington’s most beautiful songs must have a few days or even weeks to write. But Duke Ellington once said, famously, that “I don’t need time; I need a deadline.” And, in fact, Solitude was written at its first recording session when Ellington found himself in need an extra number. He wrote it twenty minutes standing up against the glass enclosure at the RCA recording studio in Chicago (Al Gioia, Jazz Standards, page 378).

Written in 1934, (In My) Solitude is one of his most beloved (and most recorded) songs. Originally recorded as an instrumental in 1934, the lyrics were later added by Eddie DeLange and Irving Mills. Ellington himself recorded this song over 100 times, and it is a jazz classic recorded by performers including Paul Robeson, Billie Holiday, Nina Simone and Ella Fitzgerald, among many others.

About This Version

Tony Bennett has recorded Solitude several times, the first being with Count Basie for his 1959 album In Person! and most recently for his 1999 album Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool.

Today’s version is from his 1962 Carnegie Hall concert. In a remarkable performance of 44 songs that night, Solitude was his 34th song that night. Following a spirited version of Chicago, Solitude starts gently and quietly, with Bennett touching the opening notes lightly and building to an emotionally powerful ending. The orchestration, featuring the work of Eddie Costa on vibes at the beginning, then adding strings and finally with the full orchestra is perfect for Bennett’s arc in the song. Or, to put it simply, it’s really, really good.


Solitude, as well as the full Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall album, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Solitude

The song of the day for Monday, March 11, 2013 is Solitude.

About This Song

(In My) Solitude was written in 1934 by Duke Ellington, with lyrics by Eddie DeLange and Irving Mills. The song was, literally, written at the recording session the day it was first recorded. It is one of his most beloved songs; Ellington recorded it many more times and played it in most of his concerts.

One of Ellington’s most beloved songs, it’s been recorded by many significant artists including Paul Robeson, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and Nina Simone.

About This Version

I have been listening to a lot of Tony Bennett live recordings the past few days and this song from his 1962 Carnegie Hall concert is a favorite. It comes about half-way through the second part of the performance, though he shows no tiredness throughout this incredible 44 song concert. But it does come after a group of up-tempo songs and you can feel the audience hanging, rapt, on each word of the song. It’s really quite wonderful. The audience loved it and so do I.


Solitude, as well as the full Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall album, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Solitude

The Song of the Day for Tuesday, November 6, 2012 is Solitude.

About Solitude

Solitude was written in 1934 by Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington, with lyrics by Eddie DeLange. It’s one the Duke’s best songs and is a jazz standard. It’s been recorded by Paul Robeson, Billy Eckstine, Ella Fitzgerald, Jimmy Scott, Terrace Blanchard and many more. The song is primarily associated with Billy Holiday, who recorded it in 1941.

About This Version

This version of Solitude was recorded in 1958 with the Count Basie Orchestra and originally appeared on In Person! We link to the same recording, compiled on the recently release album, From Now On.

Tony Bennett’s Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool is an exceptional album, with a wonderful selection of Ellington songs.  Alas, it’s not available on Spotify, but The Year of Tony Bennett recommends this album highly. It is available on Amazon, both on CD and MP3s. It is also available on iTunes.

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