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The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

February 26, 2022 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Album of the Week: My Heart Sings

The album of the week starting on February 27, 2022, is My Heart Sings.

My Heart Sings


Tony Bennett remembers My Heart Sings in his autobiography, The Good Life:

Ralph Burns and I got together again to do some singles, including “Smile,” and for our next album we changed gears again. Instead of the lush, ballad-style arrangements we had used on Hometown, My Town, we switched to a cookin’ jazz sound. The album is called My Heart Sings, and I simply love Ralph’s writing on this one. It’s really beautiful music.

This album is a preview of 1962, which was an outstanding year for Tony Bennett, including his concert at Carnegie Hall and winning his first Grammy Award for “I Left My Heart In San Francisco.”

My Heart Sings was recorded in 3 sessions on 3 consecutive days: April 4, April 5, and April 6, 1961.


Album Facts

Release Date August 7, 1961
Label Columbia
Producer Ernie Altschuler
Vocals Tony Bennett
Arrangements, Conductor Ralph Burns
Piano Bernie Leighton
Bass Milt Hinton
Drums Herb Lovelle
Guitar Barry Galbraith, Chuck Wayne, Mundell Lowe
Saxophone Danny Bank, Al Klink, Toots Mondello, Romeo Penque, Jerry Sanfino
Trumpet Bernie Glow, Irving Markowitz, Jimmy Maxwell, Carl Sereinsen
Trombone Robert Alexander, Urbie Green, Dick Hixson, Frank Rehak
Vibes Eddie Costa

Songs on My Heart Sings

Song Composers
Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me Rube Bloom, Ted Koehler
Dancing in the Dark Arthur Schwartz, Howard Dietz
I’m Comin’ Virginia Donald Heywood, Will Marion Cook
My Heart Sings Jean Blanvillain (Jamblin), Harold Rome, Henri Laurent Herpin
It Never Was You Kurt Weill, Maxwell Anderson
You Took Advantage of Me Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart
Close Your Eyes Bernice Petkere
Stella By Starlight Victor Young, Ned Washington
More Than You Know Vincent Youmans, Billy Rose, Edward Eliscu
My Ship Kurt Weill, Ira Gershwin
Lover Man Jimmy Davis, Roger “Ram” Ramirez, James Sherman
Toot, Toot, Tootsie Gus Kahn, Ernie Erdman, Ted Fiorito, Dan Russo

Listen to My Heart Sings

You can also listen to My Heart Sings on

  • Apple Music
  • Amazon Music player
  • Qobuz
  • YouTube Music

Filed Under: Album of the Week Tagged With: Al Klink, Arthur Schwartz, Barry Gailbraith, Bernice Petkere, Bernie Glow, Bernie Leighton, Billy Rose, Carl Sereinsen, Chuck Wayne, Dan Russo, Danny Bank, Donald Heywood, Edward Eliscu, Ernie Altschuler, Ernie Erdman, Gus Kahn, Harold Rome, Henri Laurent Herpin, Herb Lovelle, Howard Dietz, Ira Gershwin, Irving Markowitz, James Sherman, Jean Blanvillain (Jamblin), Jerry Sanfino, Jimmy Davis, Jimmy Maxwell, Kurt Weill, Lorenz Hart, Maxwell Anderson, Milt Hinton, Mundell Lowe, Ned Washington, Ralph Burns, Richard Rodgers, Roger “Ram” Ramirez, Romeo Penque, Rube Bloom, Ted Fiorito, Ted Koehler, Tony Bennett, Toots Mondello, Victor Young, Vincent Youmans, Will Marion Cook

August 25, 2013 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Watch What Happens

The song of the day for Sunday, August 25, 2013 is “Watch What Happens.”

About This Song

Thanks to Turner Classic Movies and my digital video recorder, I watched The Umbrellas of Cherbourg for the first time this evening and knew within in a few minutes of the movie that “Watch What Happens” had to be the song of the day. The melody runs throughout the entire film. The film was released in 1964 with a marvelous score by Michel Legrand and lyrics in French by Jacques Demy, who also directed the movie. The entire film is sung-through, though it should not be considered an opera. There are no songs sung by a chorus; it’s that instead of spoken dialogue, the dialogues is sung. And it works beautifully as a film. The English lyrics for “Watch What Happens” are by Norman Gimbel.

About This Version

Today’s version of “Watch What Happens” is from Tony Bennett’s 1965 album If I Ruled the World: Songs For the Jet Set. It was arranged and conducted by Don Costa; the album was produced by Ernie Altschuler. This is one of Bennett’s finest albums and includes other great songs, including “If I Ruled the World” and “Fly Me To The Moon.”

http://open.spotify.com/track/6J1m1Bse56jNnCy7opDbXb
“Watch What Happens,” as well as the album If I Ruled The World: Songs For The Jet Set, is available from iTunes and Amazon.com (for vinyl fans, amazon.com has a new vinyl LP rerelease of this album for sale as well).

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Don Costa, Ernie Altschuler, If I Ruled The World: Songs For The Jet Set, Jacques Demy, Michel Legrand, Norman Gimbel, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

February 28, 2013 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: When Lights Are Low

The song of the day for Thursday, February 28, 2013 is When Lights Are Low.

About This Song

When Lights Are Low is true jazz standard. It was written in 1936 by the great trumpet player and band leader Benny Carter along with Spencer Williams. Miles Davis recorded it in 1956 and it has been recorded by noted jazz artists including Herbie Mann, Kenny Burrell, Lionel Hampton, Chet Baker, and, of course, Benny Carter.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded When Lights Are Low in 1964 for his album of the same name. I’m very fond of this album: it contains a number of very fine jazz songs, such as On Green Dolphin Street, and one of my favorite Tony Bennett songs: The Rules of the Road. Also, in an era of recording where too many good singers were, in my opinion, singing arrangements that suffered from what I call the Melanchrino Strings effect, When Lights Are Low uses just the very fine Ralph Sharon Trio, with Hal Gaylord on bass and Billy Exiner on drums. The album was produced by Ernie Altschuler, who produced albums for Bennett in the 1960s.

But I also picked this song for another reason: I love hearing Tony Bennett laugh. And this recording catches him chuckling a few times–at 0:36 and again at 3:24. I love that we get to hear him enjoying singing this song so much.

This song, as well as the entire album, is a joy.

http://open.spotify.com/track/68QorBXufCVCBxzgpAd2Uc
When Lights Are Low, as well as the album When Lights Are Low, is available from iTunes.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Benny Carter, Billy Exiner, Ernie Altschuler, Hal Gaylord, Ralph Sharon, Ralph Sharon Trio, Spencer Williams

January 3, 2013 By Suzanne 2 Comments

Song of the Day: Someone To Love

The song of the day for Thursday, January 3, 2012 is Someone To Love.

tony-bennett-4

About Someone To Love

Someone To Love was written by song writer and arranger Bobby Warren in 1943.

About This Version

This version is from Tony Bennett’s 1963 album I Wanna Be Around. The album is best known for the first recordings of two of Mr. Bennett’s most popular songs: The Good Life and I Wanna Be Around. There are many other fine songs on the album, though, including this one. Someone To Love was arranged and conducted by Marty Manning and produced by Ernie Altschuler.

Someone To Love

Listen to Someone To Love on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1963.

Someone To Love, as well as the full I Wanna Be Around album, is available from iTunes.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Bobby Warren, Ernie Altschuler, Marty Manning

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