An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett
The song of the day for Thursday, October 20, 2022, is “Easy Come, Easy Go.”
“Easy Come, Easy Go” was written in 1937 by Johnny Green and Edward Heyman, the same great songwriting team that wrote “Body and Soul.”
Tony Bennett recorded “Easy Come, Easy Go” on October 1, 1971, for the album With Love, released in 1972. Robert Farnon wrote the arrangement and conducted.
“Easy Come, Easy Go,” as well as With Love is available on Apple Music.
The song of the day for Wednesday, September 14, 2022, is “Body and Soul.”
The Year of Tony Bennett remembers Amy Winehouse on the anniversary of her birth, September 14, 1983.
“Body and Soul” was written in 1930 by Johnny Green with lyrics by Edward Heyman, Robert Sour, and Frank Eyton.
Ted Gioia, in his book The Jazz Standards, says that Body and Soul “is the granddaddy of jazz ballads, the quintessential torch song, and the ultimate measuring rod for tenor sax players of all generations. Even in the new millennium, this 1930 composition continues to serve as the cornerstone of the repertoire.” Louis Armstrong recorded the song first, followed in the 1930s by recordings from primarily white society bands, such as those led by Paul Whiteman. That said, some early recordings by jazz artists including Benny Goodman and especially Art Tatum started to cement this song as a serious jazz standard (in fact, it’s rated #1 on the jazzstandards.com website). However, the Coleman Hawkins recording from 1939 is widely acknowledged to have made the song a true jazz standard. The Hawkins recording was followed by great jazz recordings by Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Art Pepper, Dave Brubeck, and many more. Fine vocal recordings include those by Billie Holiday and Tony Bennett.
Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse recorded “Body and Soul” in 2011 for the album Duets II. The arrangement was written by Jorge Calendrelli. It was Amy’s last recording; she died on July 23, 2011.
“Body and Soul,” as well as Duets II is available on Apple Music.
Here’s the video from the recording session.
The song of the day for Thursday, August 4, 2022, is “I Cover The Waterfront.”
“I Cover The Waterfront” was written in 1933 by Johnny Green and Edward Heyman. The song was inspired by the 1932 novel of the same name by Max Miller, which was also made into a film and re-scored just prior to release to include the Johnny Green song. It has been recorded by Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, and even John Lee Hooker.
Tony Bennett recorded “I Cover The Waterfront” on November 4, 1958; the recording was released in 1959 on the album Hometown, My Town. It was arranged by Ralph Burns.
“I Cover The Waterfront,” as well as Hometown, My Town is available on Apple Music.
The song of the day for Saturday, September 11, 2021, is “Easy Come, Easy Go.”
“Easy Come, Easy Go” was written in 1934 by Johnny Green and Edward Heyman, who also wrote “Body and Soul.” It was first recorded in 1934 by Johnny Green and His Orchestra. It’s also been recorded by Jo Stafford, Bobby Short, Helen Merrill, Anita O’Day, and Susannah McCorkle.
Tony Bennett recorded “Easy Come, Easy Go” in 1972 for his album With Love. Robert Farnon wrote the arrangement and conducted the orchestra.
Easy Come, Easy Go
Listen to Easy Come, Easy Go on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1972
“Easy Come, Easy Go,” as well as With Love is available on Apple Music.
The song of the day for Thursday, January 21, 2021, is “I Cover the Waterfront.”
“I Cover the Waterfront” was written in 1933 by Johnny Green and Edward Heyman and inspired by the 1932 novel of the same name by Max Miller, which was also made into a film and re-scored just prior to release to include the Johnny Green song. It has been recorded by Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and even John Lee Hooker.
Tony Bennett recorded “I Cover the Waterfront” in 1958 for his album Hometown, My Town, released in 1959. The entire album was arranged and conducted by Ralph Burns.
I Cover The Waterfront
Listen to I Cover The Waterfront on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1959
“I Cover the Waterfront,” as well as Hometown, My Town, is available from Apple Music.