The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Chicago

The song of the day for Saturday, September 4, 2021, is “Chicago.”

About This Song

“Chicago” was written in 1922 by Fred Fisher. If there is any song associated with the great city of Chicago, it is this song. It’s been widely recorded by singers including Count Basie and Tony Bennett, Rosemary Clooney, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, and many, many more.

About This Version

The second number in the improv set with The Dave Brubeck Trio was the song “Chicago.” As with all of Bennett’s versions of this song, it’s short and it swings! And it’s captured on Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962.

Chicago (That Toddlin" Town) (with The Dave Brubeck Trio) - Live at the Washington Monument, Washington, D.C. - August 1962

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

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

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Tony Live! Chicago

The song of the day for Sunday, March 8, 2020, is “Chicago.”

About This Song

“Chicago” was written in 1932 by Fred Fisher. If there is any song associated with the great city of Chicago, it is this song. It’s been widely recorded by singers including Count Basie and Tony Bennett, Rosemary Clooney, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, and many, many more.

About This Version

We’re continuing our review of the songs that Bennett sang with the Dave Brubeck Trio. Their second song in the set was “Chicago,” captured on Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962.

“Chicago,” as well as Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Chicago

The song of the day for Thursday, November 3, 2016 Friday, November 4, 2016 is “Chicago.”

About This Song

If there is any song associated with the great city of Chicago, it is this song, written by Fred Fisher in 1922. It’s been widely recorded by singers including Count Basie and Tony Bennett, Rosemary Clooney, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland and many, many more.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this terrific version of “Chicago” in 1959 with Count Basie and His Orchestra, released on the album Basie/Bennett.

Chicago - 1990 Remix / Remaster

Listen to Chicago - 1990 Remix / Remaster on Spotify. Song · Count Basie, Tony Bennett, Tristan Powell · 1959


“Chicago,” as well as Basie/Bennett, is available from iTunes.

About Today

So, I had this topic all ready to post last night when the score was 6-2, Chicago. Then, to my abject horror, the score became tied and we were looking at extra innings. That’s OK, I love extra innings. But then they called the rain delay and, alas, I work 9 to 5 and I really needed to get to sleep, so I wrote another topic and headed to bed.

I woke up to the fantastic news that the Cubs won the World Series! Cubs and Cubs fans … this song’s for you!

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Song of the Day: Chicago

The song of the day for Thursday, May 22, 2014 is “Chicago.”

About This Song

The song “Chicago” was written in 1922 by Fred Fisher. It’s ubiquitous with the great city of Chicago and has been used for years in films about Chicago, including one my favorites, the 1942 movie Roxie Hart, which served as the basis for the Kander and Ebb musical Chicago. It’s been widely recorded by many artists of many generations, including Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Anita O’Day, Quintet of the Hot Club of France and Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra.

About This Version

Tony Bennett sings “Chicago” frequently and especially in first two decades of his recording career: Basie/Bennett, the 1962 Carnegie Hall concert, and Live at The Sahara, Las Vegas 1964. Today’s recording is from the recently release Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962. Bennett first appears in the concert with the Ralph Sharon Trio and sings several of his trademark songs, including a really lovely I Left My Heart in San Francisco, which was at that time a relatively new song for him. Bennett later joined Dave Brubeck, with Joe Morello on drums and Eugene Wright on bass, for little jam session. I have to say that each of the four songs on the recording are really exceptional. Everyone is having a great time and the improvisations have a terrific live energy. I know I am prejudiced when it comes to Tony Bennett, but this impromptu jam session is vocal jazz at its best; it’s a master class for any jazz singer. This recording is a real treasure that I’ve played constantly since it was released.

http://open.spotify.com/track/5mL8LW2ZFMquTMrkhb2z2f
“Chicago,” as well as the album Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962, is available from iTunes.