The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: But Beautiful

The song of the day for Friday, June 8, 2018 is “But Beautiful.”

About This Song

This song was written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke for Bing Crosby to sing in the 1947 movie The Road to Rio. The song has been widely recorded, including recordings by Bill Evans, Johnny Hartman, Billie Holiday, Gregory Porter, Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole.

About This Version

I love this song and have featured it often and always feature the recording that Tony Bennett made with Bill Evans in 1975 for The Tony Bennett / Bill Evans Album. Today I’m very pleased to feature the very lovely duet of “But Beautiful” that Mr. Bennett made with Lady Gaga in 2014 for their album Cheek to Cheek.

But Beautiful

But Beautiful, a song by Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga on Spotify


“But Beautiful,” as well as Cheek to Cheek, is available from iTunes.

I know it’s not Saturday, but this video of Tony and Lady Gaga is just too beautiful to pass up.

About Today

I so happy to hear Tony Bennett sing “But Beautiful” Wednesday night at his concert in Portland, with the brilliant guitar work of Gray Sargent. I had the great honor of getting to meet and have conversations with all four members of the quartet: Ton Ranier, Gray Sargent, Marshall Wood and Harold Jones. I have so much admiration for the work of this quartet and meeting them was so special. I also got to meet the jazz singer Donna Byrne, who opened for Tony Bennett on Wednesday. She’s a hell of a singer and a warm and nice person. Do check out her website–from the Music link on the menu, you can hear her wonderful voice. I particularly like “He Was Too Good To Me.”

My sincere thanks to Gray, Harold, Tom, Marshall and Donna for their warmth and kindness towards this blogger.

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The Tony Bennett Quartet

I can’t say enough about what a fine group of musicians comprise this quartet. They are all supremely talented, both as individuals and as a close, tight-knit group.

They will be performing at a local jazz club in Methuen, Massachusetts on April 10, along with singer Donna Byrne. I wish I could be there. If you live in the greater Boston area, you might want to head to Methuen on the 10th.

Tony Bennett Quartet (sans Tony) bound for Jocko’s Jazz in Methuen

It’s a rare bird. A first. The Tony Bennett Quartet will play a show without Bennett. On April 10 in Methuen, they’ll take the cabaret stage at Jocko’s Jazz, a Tuesday night staple for more than a decade at The Sahara Club and Restaurant.

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Happy Birthday Harold Jones

The Year of Tony Bennett bloggers would like to wish drummer Harold Jones a very happy birthday!

Harold Jones was Count Basie’s favorite drummer and he’s our favorite drummer too. He has been playing for Tony Bennett since 2006. He also spends a lot of his free time doing drumming workshops and playing with his own band, The Bossmen, in California.

You can read more about Mr. Jones at drummerworld.com. We also enjoyed this interview with Harold from 2012.

Here’s a video of Harold Jones playing with Count Basie in 1968:

p.s. Hope you, Tony and rest of the quartet will be visiting us in Portland, Oregon or Seattle this year. We miss you!

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Song of the Day: Poor Little Rich Girl

The song of the day for Friday, August 21. 2015 is “Poor Little Rich Girl.”

About This Song

Noël Coward wrote “Poor Little Rich Girl” for the 1925 revue On With the Dance. It is one of his most popular songs.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Poor Little Rich Girl” with Count Basie and His Orchestra in 1959 for their first album: Basie/Bennett. The very effective arrangement is by Ralph Sharon.

About Today

Today we celebrate the birth of one of America’s great band leaders: William James Basie, who was born in Red Bank, New Jersey on August 21, 1904. He started playing piano in his youth; by the time he was a teenager, he had dropped out of school and starting his career as a jazz pianist.

He made the decision to move west to Kansas City, where he joined Bennie Moten’s band in 1929. After Moten’s death in 1936, Basie formed his own band and took it to Chicago. In that time, he worked with some of the great jazz musicians: Lester Young, Freddie Green, Buck Clayton, Jimmy Rushing and Joe Williams.

In 1937, he took his band to New York, playing in venues like the Roseland Ballroom and The Savoy. During this time, he played with Billie Holiday and other noted artists of the day.

Count Basie
Count Basie

Like most big bands after the war, Basie had to disband his large group, but continued to play in smaller combos and moved on to the new forms, like bebop, with a new group of musicians: Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis, among others. He gradually reformed his band, toured Europe and kept his band alive and vibrant all the way into the 1980s, including a wonderful appearance in Mel Brook’s film Blazing Saddles.

We note here that Tony Bennett’s drummer, Harold Jones, played with Count Basie from 1967 to 1972. Tony Bennett always introduces Jones as “Count Basie’s Favorite Drummer.” We have a little video of Harold Jones playing with Count Basie and His Orchestra that seems to prove that point:

Happy Birthday, Count Basie. Thanks for all the great music.

Poor Little Rich Girl – 1990 Remix/Remaster

Poor Little Rich Girl – 1990 Remix/Remaster, a song by Count Basie, Tony Bennett, Tristan Powell on Spotify


“Poor Little Rich Girl,” as well as Basie/Bennett, is available from iTunes.

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Our Favorite Drummer

The Year of Tony Bennett would like to wish a very happy birthday to Harold Jones, Tony Bennett’s drummer. Classically trained as a percussionist, Jones has had distinguished career. Tony Bennett introduces him at concerts as ‘Count Basie’s favorite drummer.” We recently read a delightful biography of Harold Jones called Harold Jones: The Singer’s Drummer, which is available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble, as well as other booksellers.

Harold with Basie3

He has played not only for Tony Bennett and Count Basie, but also Natalie Cole, Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughan, Bing Crosby, Sammy Davis Jr., Carmen McRae, Ray Charles, Kay Starr and many, many other great performers.

You can learn more about Harold Jones at his website haroldjonesbigband.com, which contains a full biography, discography, reviews, downloads and much more.

There is also this excellent interview with Scott Laningham, which you can read or listen to here.

And, we just wanted to mention how very handsome you look in the Cheek To Cheek DVD in your formal wear.

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