The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Prelude to a Kiss

The song of the day for Friday, September 5, 2014 is “Prelude to a Kiss.”

About This Song

“Prelude to a Kiss” was written by Duke Ellington in 1938 with lyrics by Irving Gordon and Irving Mills. Ted Gioia, in his book The Jazz Standards, notes that in the late 1930s, Ellington, having practically invented swing music, “… at this juncture he does the exact opposite. The Duke uses his fame and great artistic freedom to become more ambitious, more experimental, less beholden to the formulas of swing music. … ‘Prelude To A Kiss’ from 1938 is a case in point.” It’s one his loveliest ballads.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Prelude to a Kiss” for 1999 album Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool, which won the Grammy award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance. This recording features Joel Smirnoff on violin and Gray Sargent on guitar. It’s an exquisite recording of a beautiful song.

Prelude To A Kiss

Tony Bennett · Bennett Sings Ellington / Hot And Cool · Song · 1999


“Prelude to a Kiss,” as well as the album Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Sophisticated Lady

The song of the day for Saturday, July 5, 2014 is “Sophisticated Lady.”

About This Song

“Sophisticated Lady” is likely the most well-recognized of Duke Ellington songs. Ellington wrote the song in 1933 and it remains popular to this day. When Ellington first met Billy Strayhorn, he asked young Strayhorn to play something on the piano and Strayhorn chose “Sophisticated Lady.” It ranks 31st on the jazzstandards.com and has been widely recorded, including many times by Ellington. Other notable recordings include those by Art Tatum, Billy Eckstine, Charles Mingus and Billie Holiday.

About This Version

Tony Bennett first recorded “Sophisticated Lady” in 1960 for his album Alone Together. Today’s version, however, is from his 1999 Ellington album Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool, released in conjunction with the 100 year anniversary of Ellington’s birth. This version was arranged by Jorge Calandrelli and features the always-excellent guitar of Gray Sargent and Joel Smirnoff on violin.

http://open.spotify.com/track/3TFxZHXUFvwHuFrVghjj7x
“Sophisticated Lady,” as well as the album Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool, is available from iTunes.

Today’s video is Duke Ellington and His Orchestra, featuring Harry Carney on tenor sax, performing “Sophisticated Lady” in Copenhagen.

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Song of the Day: The Way You Look Tonight

The song of the day for Saturday, October 5, 2013 is “The Way You Look Tonight.”

About This Song

Today’s song is from two of America’s greatest songwriters: Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields. “The Way You Look Tonight” was written for the 1936 film Swing Time, where it was introduced by Fred Astaire. The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. The lyricist Dorothy Fields said that “the first time Jerry played that melody for me I went out and started to cry. The release absolutely killed me. I couldn’t stop, it was so beautiful.” I agree with Ms. Fields: it’s one of the most beautiful songs in the American Songbook.

“The Way You Look Tonight” has been widely recorded since its release by both jazz and popular performers. Tony Bennett first recorded this song for his 1958 album Long Ago and Far Away.

About This Version

For today’s version, we are returning to Rarities discs from the Complete Collection, this time volume 2. Bennett recorded this version with the Ralph Sharon Trio for the film My Best Friend’s Wedding, which was released in 1997. I love this arrangement and hope you do as well.

http://open.spotify.com/track/7yED4n2U8RR5LKZVmisiev
“The Way You Look Tonight,” as well as all of the songs on Rarities, Outtakes & Other Delights, Volume 2, is available from iTunes.

As today is Saturday and we hope you have a little more spare time than usual, here’s a video of Tony Bennett singing this song accompanied by his wonderful guitarist Gray Sargent:

No Title

The legendary Tony Bennett performs a unique concert for BBC One in the intimate setting of LSO St Lukes, London. Accompanied by a four piece band Bruce Barth on piano, Gray Sargent on guitar, Harold Jones on drums and Paul Langosch on double bass Bennett performs classic numbers including The Way You Look Tonight (Jerome Kern).

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Song of the Day: Blue and Sentimental

In honor of the birthday of the legendary jazz and pop singer Kay Starr, our song of the day is “Blue and Sentimental.”

About Kay Starr

Kay Starr was born in Dougherty, Oklahoma on July 21, 1922, but soon moved with the family to Dallas, Texas. Her singing talents were recognized when she was quite young; she won many radio station talent contests as a child. She was only 10 years old when she was earning $3 a night singing popular and hillbilly music.

Kay Starr
Kay Starr

After high school, she moved to Los Angeles and began working with Charlie Barnet’s band. In 1947, she was signed by Capitol Records, though found herself taking a back seat to the more established female singers. In spite of that, she steadily built a solid and long-lasting career as a singer.

Her background in pop, jazz and country-western type music was, and is, unusual, but put her in a position to sing all types of music, though her primary interest and leanings were to sing jazz and she is now considered a “saloon singer” and is known for her emotional power and connection to the songs she sings.

Billie Holiday said that she was “the only white woman who could sing the blues.”

About This Song

“Blue and Sentimental” was written in 1938 by William “Count” Basie, Jerry Livingston and Mack David.

About This Version

Today’s song is from one of Tony Bennett’s best (and maybe least-known) recent albums, Playin’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings The Blues, which was released in 2001. This album contains a mix of duets (Diana Krall, Sheryl Crow, Bonnie Raitt, and more) and great solo performances. And Tony Bennett can really sing the blues. “Don’t Cry Baby” and “Undecided Blues” are highlights, in addition to “Blue and Sentimental,” today’s song. The chemistry between Bennett and Starr is something wonderful. And Gray Sargent, as always, does some fantastic guitar work.

http://open.spotify.com/track/0he261W43mOKxVp0Tdbwam
“Blue and Sentimental,” as well as the entire Playin’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings The Blues, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: It Don’t Mean a Thing

The song of the day for Saturday, July 13, 2013 is “It Don’t Mean a Thing.”

About This Song

Written by the great Duke Ellington in 1931, this song really defines what the Swing era was all about. That said, this song predates the Swing era by several years, but it brought the musician’s term into general usage and was used to define one of the great eras of jazz music. The 1932 recording by Duke Ellington with Ivie Anderson is considered a masterpiece. This song ranks #84 on the jazzstandards.com list, and deservedly so.

About This Version

Tony Bennett swings the hell out of this song, as do his wonderful supporting musicians, especially Clayton Cameron and Gray Sargent.

http://open.spotify.com/track/29oWjqHxcY1cezZuylBYdo
“It Don’t Mean a Thing,” as well as the entire Tony Bennett Sings Ellington Hot & Cool, is available from iTunes.

And since it’s Saturday and maybe you have a little time to listen to more than one tune, I have a couple for you.

First up is Ivie Anderson, with Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges, recorded live on February 2, 1932:

It Don"t Mean a Thing "If Ain"t Got That Swing" (2 February, 1932) [Live]

Listen to It Don"t Mean a Thing "If Ain"t Got That Swing" (2 February, 1932) [Live] on Spotify. Song · Ivie Anderson, Joe Nanton, Johnny Hodges · 2013

And another of my favorites: Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong from the Great Summit recorded in 1961. It’s the only time I’ve heard the verse sung for this great song. And the clarinet!

It Don"t Mean a Thing (If It Ain"t Got That Swing)

Listen to It Don"t Mean a Thing (If It Ain"t Got That Swing) on Spotify. Song · Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington · 2013

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