The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: The Man That Got Away

Happy Birthday, Harold Arlen! In honor of his birthday, the song of the day for February 15, 2013 is The Man That Got Away.

Harold Arlen and Tony Bennett
Harold Arlen and Tony Bennett

About The Man That Got Away

This song, one of this author’s personal favorites, was written by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. (I have an iTunes playlist with a dozen different recordings of this song.) The Man That Got Away was written in 1953 for the 1954 A Star Is Born, which is one of this author’s favorite movies. Ever. The scene with Judy Garland singing the song in an after-hours bar is legendary and for good reason. There were over 40 takes filmed, with three different costumes and several different sets, from September 1953 to February 1954 with several different cameramen. The final result is glorious and is, for me, the greatest musical performance by a singer in a film, ever.

I agree with Alec Wilder regarding this song: “This is a true Arlen song. If you are good rememberer, try to think of anyone else who might have written it. I don’t see who it could have been but Arlen.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded the song for his 1961 album with Ralph Sharon, Tony Sings For Two. While many male singers changed the man to the girl or the gal that got away, Bennett records the lyrics as written, which we really appreciate. Other than Judy Garland, I think that Bennett’s recording is one of the finest for this song.

http://open.spotify.com/track/2rmnQNHuDsDExyiWLam3SC
The Man That Got Away, as well as the full Tony Sings for Two album, is available from iTunes.

By 1 Comment

Song of the Day: Last Night When We Were Young

In recognition of Harold Arlen Week and Valentine’s Day, Last Night When We Were Young is the song of the day for Thursday, February 14, 2013.

About Last Night When We Were Young

This wonderful song was written in 1935 by Harold Arlen with lyrics by E.Y. (Yip) Harburg. When Arlen first wrote this song, he played it for George Gershwin, who found it too complicated; Jerome Kern found it too esoteric (Edward Jablonski, Harold Arlen: Rhythm, Rainbows and Blues). Alec Wilder, on the other hand, said that “This is a most remarkable and beautiful song. It is one that goes far beyond the boundaries of popular music. For me, it’s a concert song without a trace of trying to be.” Yip Harburg has said that “the juxtaposition those two phrases is almost a whole world of philosophy.”

yip-harburg-and-harold-arlen-1-d15

It was one of Arlen’s favorite songs and with the excellent lyrics by Yip Harburg, it became a standard for major singers. It was a favorite of both Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra.

About This Version

Tony Bennett first recorded Last Night When We Were Young in 1959 for To My Wonderful One. Today’s version, however, comes from his 1992 Perfectly Frank. This album is, for this writer, as perfect as any human endeavor can be. Tony Bennett’s version is perfectly phrased and perfectly sung; it is a true masterpiece.

http://open.spotify.com/track/1qgQmCZ3fUkG2dNSYI6OvN
Last Night When We Were Young, as well as the full Perfectly Frank album, is available from iTunes.

By 1 Comment

Song of the Day: That Old Black Magic

We celebrate Harold Arlen week today, February 13, 2013 with That Old Black Magic as the song of the day.

About That Old Black Magic

Written by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Johnny Mercer, That Old Black Magic was written in 1942 and used in the 1943 film Star Spangled Rhythm, where it was introduced by Vera Zorina and Johnnie Johnston.

Star_Spangled_Rhythm_film_poster

This song has been very popular since it was first written, starting with the 1942 version by the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Other significant recordings are by Margaret Whiting, Ella Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatra. Marilyn Monroe sang the song in the 1956 Bus Stop.

About This Version

Today’s version is from 1962, with the Dave Brubeck Quartet: Dave Brubeck (piano), Paul Desmond (alto sax), Eugene Wright (bass) and Joe Morello (drums).

That Old Black Magic

Tony Bennett · Rarities, Outtakes & Other Delights, Vol. 1 · Song · 2012

That Old Black Magic, as well as Rarities, Outtakes & Other Delights, Volume 1, is available from iTunes.

By 1 Comment

Song of the Day: A Sleepin’ Bee

As part of Harold Arlen Week at The Year Of Tony Bennett, the song of the day for Tuesday, February 12, 2013 is A Sleepin’ Bee.

About A Sleepin’ Bee

In 1954, Harold Arlen collaborated with Truman Capote on the musical House of Flowers, based on the Capote novella of the same name. This production marked the Broadway debut of Diahann Carroll; the cast also included Pearl Bailey, Alvin Ailey, Geoffrey Holder, and Ray Walston.

house-of-flowers-broadway-movie-poster-1954-1020407584

Arlen wrote the music for the production; he and Capote wrote the lyrics. Out of the show came two songs that quickly became jazz and popular standards: Don’t Like Goodbyes and today’s song, A Sleepin’ Bee.

About This Version

Today’s version is from Bennett’s remarkable 1961 album Tony Sings For Two, with Tony accompanied only by pianist Ralph Sharon.

A Sleepin" Bee

Listen to A Sleepin" Bee on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1961

A Sleepin’ Bee, as well as the full album Tony Sings For Two, is available from iTunes.

By 1 Comment

Song of the Day: One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)

The song of the day for Monday, February 11, 2013 is One For My Baby (And One More For The Road).

About One For My Baby

This song was written for the 1943 Fred Astaire film, The Sky’s The Limit by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Johnny Mercer and was introduced by Astaire.

Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer
Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer

Harold Arlen considered this song one of his top two compositions (the other being Last Night When We Were Young). It’s not the standard 32-bar structure, but instead run 48 bars; Arlen sometimes called it one of his “tapeworms” because it kind of wanders along. The Mercer lyrics are some of his best. No stranger to bars, Mercer is said to have written the lyrics on a napkin while sitting at the bar  P.J. Clarke’s in New York.

About This Version

Tony Bennett has recorded this song several times in his career: as a single in 1956 and with John Mayer on Duets II in 2011. Two wonderful live performances have been recorded as well: his legendary 1962 Carnegie Hall Concert and the recently available 1964 Live At The Sahara: From This Moment On.

Today’s version is from his 1992 album, Perfectly Frank.

http://open.spotify.com/track/3dq31zC7KlxVhnFInGbQBd
One For My Baby, as well as the full Perfectly Frank album, is available from iTunes.

Subscribe to The Year of Tony Bennett

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Current Reader Favorites