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The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

June 19, 2023 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: That Old Black Magic

The song of the day for Tuesday, June 20, 2023, is “That Old Black Magic.”

About This Song

“That Old Black Magic” was written in 1942 by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer. It was used in the 1942 movie Star Spangled Rhythm and was recorded by Glenn Miller in 1942 as well. “That Old Black Magic” has been recorded many times and used in several films, including the 1956 film Bus Stop, where it was sung by Marilyn Monroe.

About This Version

In 1962, Tony Bennett, with The Ralph Sharon Trio, and the Dave Brubeck Quartet were invited by President John F. Kennedy to perform at a concert honoring that year’s group of White House interns. The concert was originally planned to be held on the White House grounds, but there was so much interest that the concert was held on The Mall near the Washington Monument. On August 28, 1962, the concert opened with the Dave Brubeck Quartet playing a set of four songs, including “Take Five.” After that, Bennett and The Ralph Sharon Trio did their set of favorites, including “Just In Time” and “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.”

After that, Bennett and Dave Brubeck, with Joe Morello (drums) and Eugene Wright (bass), returned to the stage for a completely unrehearsed improv session. Our song today was part of that improv set.

The concert was taped, but over time the tapes were lost in the Columbia vaults and thought to be gone forever. From an article in Jazz Times:

One of the great lost treasures of American musical history, the Tony Bennett-Dave Brubeck White House Seminar performance came about when the artists–each already on the bill with his own ensemble–agreed to seize the moment with an impromptu set. While the Bennett-Brubeck recording of ‘That Old Black Magic’ had surfaced on the occasional compilation (Brubeck’s 1971’s out-of-print LP, Summit Sessions, and 2001’s Vocal Encounters), the rest of the Bennett and Brubeck performances-an hour’s worth of music-were a mythical lost object in the Sony Music Entertainment vaults until finally surfacing through a fortuitous discovery last December, just weeks after Brubeck’s passing on December 5, 2012 (one day shy of his 92nd birthday).

Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962 was released to great acclaim in 2013.

That Old Black Magic”,” as well as Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions Live 1962 is available on Apple Music.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Bennett/Brubeck The White House Sessions Live 1962, Dave Brubeck, Eugene Wright, Harold Arlen, Joe Morello, Johnny Mercer, Tony Bennett

August 21, 2022 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: That Old Black Magic

The song of the day for Monday, August 22, 2022, is “That Old Black Magic.”

About This Song

“That Old Black Magic” was written by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg for the 1942 movie Star Spangled Rhythm. It’s been recorded many times and used in several films, including the 1956 film Bus Stop, where it was sung by Marilyn Monroe.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and The Dave Brubeck Trio (Brubeck on piano, Eugene Wright on bass, and Joe Morello on drums) recorded “That Old Black Magic” on August 28, 1962, at the invitation of President John F. Kennedy for a celebration of that year’s interns. The concert was held near the Washington Monument. The recording of that concert, which featured Bennett and his trio as well as the Dave Brubeck Quartet, was thought lost. Thankfully, it was found in the vaults, misplaced in the classical section. In 2013, the full concert was released as Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962.

“That Old Black Magic,” as well as Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962 is available on Apple Music.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Bennett/Brubeck The White House Sessions Live 1962, Dave Brubeck, Eugene Wright, Harold Arlen, Joe Morello, Tony Bennett, Yip Harburg

November 17, 2021 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: That Old Black Magic

The song of the day for Thursday, November 18, 2021, is “That Old Black Magic.”

About Today

Today we are remembering the great Johnny Mercer, who wrote the lyrics to today’s song, who was born in Savannah, Georgia on November 18, 1909. You can read more about Mercer and his accomplishments at the website for The Johnny Mercer Foundation which supports songwriting and songwriters as well as several educational initiatives.

About This Song

One of the great songs by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer, “That Old Black Magic” was written in 1942 for the movie Star Spangled Rhythm and first recorded by Glenn Miller. It’s been recorded many times and used in several films, including the 1956 film Bus Stop, where it was sung by Marilyn Monroe.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and The Dave Brubeck Trio recorded “That Old Black Magic” in an improv session after each artist had completed their performances at this concert. In addition to Brubeck on piano, the trio featured Eugene Wright on bass and Joe Morello on drums. The concert was taped and released as Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962 in 2013.

“That Old Black Magic,” as well as Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962 is available on Apple Music.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Bennett/Brubeck The White House Sessions Live 1962, Dave Brubeck, Eugene Wright, Harold Arlen, Joe Morello, Johnny Mercer

September 4, 2021 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: That Old Black Magic

The song of the day for Sunday, September 5, 2021, is “That Old Black Magic.”

About This Song

One of the great songs by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer, “That Old Black Magic” was written in 1942 and first recorded by Glenn Miller. It was also used in the 1942 movie Star Spangled Rhythm. It’s been recorded many times and used in several films, including the 1956 film Bus Stop, where it was sung by Marilyn Monroe.

About This Version

The penultimate song in the Bennett/Brubeck improv set was “That Old Black Magic” and is, for me anyway, the highlight of the concert. It’s as good a Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer song as there is; Bennett sounds fantastic; and Dave Brubeck is just superb. Fortunately for us, we can listen to it as often as we wish on Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962.

Fans of Tony Bennett know well of his anti-racists beliefs. He marched with Martin Luther King Jr. in the third Selma March in 1965. Dave Brubeck was a pioneer in the Civil Rights movement in 1960, when he added the African-American bassist, Eugene Wright, to his quartet. On a 1960 tour, 22 colleges in the American South refused to allow Brubeck to perform with an African-American on the stage. Brubeck was encouraged to replace Wright with a white bassist, but he refused, forgoing considerable income from the tour (approximately $400,000 in today’s money). You can read more about Brubeck’s actions here. We should all be grateful for the jazz musicians who stood up to racism and integrated their bands.

That Old Black Magic (with The Dave Brubeck Trio) - Live at the Washington Monument, Washington, D.C. - August 1962

Listen to That Old Black Magic (with The Dave Brubeck Trio) - Live at the Washington Monument, Washington, D.C. - August 1962 on Spotify. Tony Bennett, Dave Brubeck Trio · Song · 2013.

“That Old Black Magic,” as well as Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962 is available on Apple Music.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Dave Brubeck, Eugene Wright, Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer, The Dave Brubeck Trio, Tony Bennett

September 2, 2021 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Lullaby of Broadway

The song of the day for Friday, September 3, 2021, is “Lullaby of Broadway.”

About This Song

“Lullaby of Broadway,” written by Harry Warren and Al Dubin, was introduced in the 1935 movie Gold Diggers of 1935 and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. It is one of the great show biz anthems. The 1980 musical 42nd Street featured Jerry Orbach singing the song (which your blogger had the fortune to see him in).

About This Version

At the very end of Bennett’s set, in “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” he welcomes Dave Brubeck back on the stage and then says:

We haven’t rehearsed this, so lots of luck, folks.

Joining Tony Bennett on stage were Dave Brubeck, Eugene Wright on bass, and Joe Morello on drums. Tony Bennett suggests “Lullaby of Broadway” and off they go. Lucky for us, it’s all captured on Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962.

Lullaby Of Broadway (with The Dave Brubeck Trio) - Live at the Washington Monument, Washington, D.C. - August 1962

Listen to Lullaby Of Broadway (with The Dave Brubeck Trio) - Live at the Washington Monument, Washington, D.C. - August 1962 on Spotify. Tony Bennett, Dave Brubeck Trio · Song · 2013.

“Lullaby of Broadway,” as well as Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962 is available on Apple Music.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: 42nd Street, Al Dubin, Dave Brubeck, Eugene Wright, Gold Diggers of 1935, Harry Warren, Joe Morello, Tony Bennett

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