The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Sing You Sinners

The song of the day for Friday, November 3, 2017 is “Sing You Sinners.”

About This Song

“Sing You Sinners” was written by w. Franke Harling and Sam Coslow for the 1930 film Honey, starring Lillian Roth. The song was an early hit in 1950 for Tony Bennett. He sings the song regularly in concerts today.

About This Version

Today I’m featuring Mr. Bennett’s recording of “Sing You Sinners” from the live recording of Live at the Sahara: Las Vegas, 1964. He’s backed by his trio: Ralph Sharon on piano, Hal Gaylord on bass and Billy Exiner on drums, as well as the Sahara house orchestra led by Louis Basil.

Sing You Sinners - Live at the Sahara Hotel, Las Vegas, NV - April 1964

Listen to Sing You Sinners - Live at the Sahara Hotel, Las Vegas, NV - April 1964 on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1964


“Sing You Sinners,” as well as Live at the Sahara: Las Vegas, 1964, is available from iTunes.

About Today

For the next two weeks, Mr. Bennett and his quartet (Tom Ranier, Gray Sargent, Marshall Wood and Harold Jones) are performing at the Encore in Las Vegas. I’m sure this show will be even more exciting than that in 1964.

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Song of the Day: Make Someone Happy

The song of the day for Friday, September 22, 2017 is “Make Someone Happy.”

About This Song

“Make Someone Happy” is from the 1960 musical Do Re Mi, by Jule Styne, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Do Re Mi concerns a guy, a bit of a loser and a con, who goes into the jukebox business with some gangster pals. ”Make Someone Happy” was introduced by John Reardon and Nancy Dussault.

About This Version

Tony Bennett performed “Make Someone Happy” at the invitation of President Kennedy. Besides Tony and the Ralph Sharon Trio, Dave Brubeck and his group also performed. Bennett and Brubeck, with Eugene Wright and Joe Morello from Brubeck’s band, did some wonderful improvisations. The recording of that concert was long thought to be lost, but it was found in 2013 and released as Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions Live 1962.

“Make Someone Happy” was recorded with the Ralph Sharon Trio, featuring Billy Exiner on drums and Hal Gaylord on bass.

Make Someone Happy - Live at the Washington Monument, Washington, D.C. - August 1962

Listen to Make Someone Happy - Live at the Washington Monument, Washington, D.C. - August 1962 on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 2013


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

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Song of the Day: Nobody Else But Me

The song of the day for Monday, September 19, 2017 is “Nobody Else But Me.”

About This Song

“Nobody Else But Me” was written by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein for the 1946 Broadway revival of Show Boat, replacing a reprise of “Why Do I Love You?” near the end of Act Two. It was the last song that Jerome Kern wrote; he died shortly before the 1946 production opened. This song has been used in other revivals of Show Boat as well.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Nobody Else But Me” in 1964 for the album When Lights Are Low. The album features Bennett with the Ralph Sharon Trio, with Sharon on piano, Hal Gaylord on bass and Billy Exiner on drums. Sharon wrote all the arrangements for this album.

Nobody Else But Me

Listen to Nobody Else But Me on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1964


“Nobody Else But Me,” as well as When Lights Are Low, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: It Had To Be You

The song of the day for Saturday, August 12, 2017 is “It Had To Be You.”

About This Song

Today’s song, “It Had To Be You,” was written in 1924 by Isham Jones and Gus Kahn. It is a popular standard with many fine recordings, including those by Paul Whiteman, Cliff Edwards and Frank Sinatra. It has also be used in several films, such as Casablanca and Annie Hall.

About This Version

Tony Bennett has recorded “It Had To Be You” several times. Today I’ve chosen his 1964 recording from When Lights Are Low, featuring the Ralph Sharon Trio, with Sharon on piano, Hal Gaylord on bass and Billy Exiner on drums.

It Had To Be You

Listen to It Had To Be You on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1964


“It Had To Be You,” as well as When Lights Are You, is available from iTunes.

About Today

It’s Saturday again and I have a lovely video for you. It’s Tony Bennett singing today’s song, accompanied by Ralph Sharon, on television for a Muscular Dystrophy Association fund-raising program. My guess is that this was recorded sometime in the early 1980s.

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Song of the Day: Speak Low

The song of the day for Thursday, May 18, 2017 is “Speak Low.”

About This Song

“Speak Low” was written for the 1943 musical One Touch of Venus, with music by Kurt Weill and lyrics by Ogden Nash. In addition to several very fine Tony Bennett recordings, “Speak Low” has been widely recorded by jazz and popular performers, including Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Lena Horne.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this version of “Speak Low” in 1964 for his album When Lights Are Low. The album features the Ralph Sharon Trio, with Sharon on piano, Billy Exiner on drums and Hal Gaylord on bass.

I’ve always thought of When Lights Are Low as a kind of followup to what is probably my favorite Bennett album, Tony Sings For Two. It’s a return to the jazz standards with a solid jazz trio (instead of only Sharon on piano). It’s the Tony Bennett sound I love the most: a great jazz standard, a terrific arrangement, and a strong jazz combo.

Speak Low

Listen to Speak Low on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1964


“Speak Low,” as well as When Lights Are Low, is available from iTunes.