The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Ain’t Misbehavin’

The song of the day for Tuesday, December 29, 2015 is “Ain’t Misbehavin’.”

About This Song

Today’s song, “Ain’t Misbehavin'” was written in 1929, with music by Fats Waller and Harry Brooks and lyrics by Andy Razaf. The song was introduced in the 1929 musical revue Hot Chocolates, staged at Connie’s Inn in Harlem. Andy Razaf, the lyricist, says that Waller wrote the entire song in just 45 minutes. It has become one of Waller’s most well-known songs, perhaps due to the wildly successful Broadway musical revue Ain’t Misbehaving, which opened in 1978.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this version of “Ain’t Misbehavin'” in 1964 for his album When Lights Are Low. I love the tempo of this song. Not too slow, not too fast, just right!

Ain"t Misbehavin"

Listen to Ain"t Misbehavin" on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1964.


“Ain’t Misbehavin'” as well as When Lights Are Low, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Ain’t Misbehaving

The song of the day for Tuesday, July 22, 2014 is “Ain’t Misbehaving.”

About This Song

“Ain’t Misbehaving” was written in 1929 by Thomas “Fats” Waller and Harry Brooks, with lyrics by Andy Razaf. Waller recorded the original version, released by the Victor label on August 2, 1929. This recording received the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1984; the song was named as one of the 365 Songs of the (20th) Century, as selected by the Recording Industry Association of America.

There were six other versions recorded in 1929, including those by Ruth Etting, Louis Armstrong and Leo Reisman and His Orchestra. The song has remained vastly popular over the years, with recordings by the greats of jazz: Anita O’Day, Billie Holiday, Eartha Kitt, Ella Fitzgerald, Kay Starr, Sidney Bechet and many, many more. The song found new popularity in 1978 with the musical revue of the same name with a book by Murray Horwitz and Richard Maltby, Jr. Your author had the great fortune to see the production with the original cast and it was one of the most exciting and happiest evenings I have ever spent in a theatre.

About This Version

Today’s version is from Bennett’s live appearance at the Sahara in Las Vegas in 1964, recently released on the album Live At The Sahara: From This Moment On, recorded in April, 1964. In that same time frame, he recorded the song with the Ralph Sharon Trio for the album When Lights Are Low.

Both versions feature a slower tempo than one usually hears today. I like this tempo a lot and has a much different feel than the song does when sung at the much faster tempo, such as from the 1978 Ain’t Misbehaving. It’s a great song at about any tempo and today’s version is a joy.

http://open.spotify.com/track/4e7Xq3O7WJC9TcJOdOcPEb
“Ain’t Misbehaving,” as well as the album Live At The Sahara: From This Moment On, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Ain’t Misbehavin’

The song of the day for Saturday, June 8, 2013 is “Ain’t Misbehaving.” (And I ain’t either.)

About This Song

“Ain’t Misbehavin'” was written in 1929 by Fats Waller and Harry Brooks, with lyrics by Andy Razaf. Louis Armstrong recorded it the year it was written, as did Waller. The highly successful 1978 musical Ain’t Misbehavin’ helped to reintroduce Waller’s music to the American public.

In the documentary film The Zen of Bennett, Tony Bennett relates the story that Waller was paid two bottles of gin for writing this song. Unfortunately, this kind of thing happened to many jazz musicians and composers in the early part of the 20th century. Today, composers rights are represented by The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), who work to ensure they are treated fairly for their creative works.

About This Version

Today’s version of “Ain’t Misbehavin'” is from Tony Bennett’s 1964 album with the Ralph Sharon Trio, When Lights Are Low.

http://open.spotify.com/track/39twrUHk5VAIIaaHFYnSP4
“Ain’t Misbehavin’,” as well as the remastered When Light Are Low album, is available from iTunes.

As today is Saturday and with hopes that you may have a little extra time to listen to some music, we present Fats Waller and “Ain’t Misbehavin’.”

Ain"t Misbehavin"

Listen to Ain"t Misbehavin" on Spotify. Zutty Singleton · Song · 2002.

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