The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Over The Rainbow

The song of the day for Friday, April 8, 2016 is “Over The Rainbow.”

About This Song

Today’s song, “Over The Rainbow,” was written in 1939 by Harold Arlen, with lyrics by Yip Harburg. Probably the most widely known of all Arlen’s and Harburg’s songs, “Over The Rainbow” is from the great Wizard Of Oz. Interestingly, the producers wanted to cut the song from the film, as they felt it slowed downed the movie. Thankfully, the preview audiences preferred the movie with the song. “Over The Rainbow” ranked as the #1 song of the 20th century per the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment of the Arts.The song has always been closely associated with Judy Garland. In a letter to Harold Arlen, Judy Garland wrote that the song “…has become part of my life. It’s so symbolic of everybody’s dreams and wishes that I’m sure that’s why some people get tears in their eyes when they hear it. I’ve sung it thousands of times and it’s still the song that’s closest to my heart.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett has recorded today’s song twice. Today, we feature his 1995 version from Here’s To The Ladies, where Bennett sings the songs most associated with the great female vocalists who sing from the American songbook. “Over The Rainbow” is, of course, for Jdy Garland. If you haven’t listened to this album lately, I heartily recommend it.

Somewhere over the Rainbow

Listen to Somewhere over the Rainbow on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1995.


“Over The Rainbow,” as well as Here’s To The Ladies, is available from iTunes.

About Today

The lyricist of today’s song, Yip Harburg, was born on April 8, 1896 in New York. I strongly assert that he is one of America’s greatest lyricists. Even though he was born 120 years ago, his lyrics are as fresh and meaningly now as they were early in the 20th century. He is truly one of America’s finest talents.

I know that I’ve featured this video many times, but I love it so much I give it to you again.

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Song of the Day: I’m In Love Again

The song of the day for Thursday, October 22, 2015 is “I’m In Love Again.”

About This Song

Today’s song, “I’m In Love Again,” was written by Cy Coleman, Peggy Lee and Bill Schluger in 1964. This is one of the several songs that Peggy Lee wrote with Cy Coleman. Miss Lee used as the title song for her 1964 album Miss Peggy Lee In Love Again! I have always called her Miss Peggy Lee.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “I’m In Love Again” in July 1995 for the album Here’s To The Ladies, where he sings songs associated with the great female jazz and pop singers. This song was arranged and conducted by Jorge Calandrelli.

I"m In Love Again

Listen to I"m In Love Again on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1995.


“I’m In Love Again,” as well as Here’s To The Ladies, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Daybreak

The song of the day for Wednesday, August 19, 2015 is “Daybreak.”

About This Song

The song “Daybreak” was part of a classical suite of songs by Ferde Grofé called Mississippi Suite, composed in 1925. Lyricist Harold Adamson took the theme from the final movement and wrote lyrics for it, resulting in the song “Daybreak.” Dinah Washington recorded “Daybreak” for her album I Concentrate On You, released in 1960.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Daybreak” for his 1995 album Here’s To The Ladies, where he sings songs made popular by female singers, ranging from Barbra Streisand to Billie Holiday to Margaret Whiting to Ethel Merman. “Daybreak” was chosen for Dinah Washington.

In the liner notes for the album, Bennett notes

Dinah Washington
Dinah Washington

May I please reminisce for a moment and go back to the wonderful pioneering days of Las Vegas, when all of us were “young and foolish:? We dreamed and dreamed and had jam sessions every night that lasted ’til six in the morning. Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Buddy Rich, Harry James, Sammy Davis, Jr., Peggy Lee … and at every early-morning session, Dinah would sing “Daybreak.”

“Daybreak” was arranged by Jorge Calandrelli; the album was produced by David Kahne. The Ralph Sharon Trio is featured, with Clayton Cameron on drums and Paul Langosch on bass.

If you love the great standards, check out this album. Bennett is in wonderful voice and this album is a joy.

Daybreak

Listen to Daybreak on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1995.


“Daybreak,” as well as Here’s To The Ladies, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Over The Rainbow

The song of the day for Wednesday, April 8, 2015 is “Over The Rainbow.”

About This Song

Today’s song, “Over The Rainbow” was written in 1930 by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg for The Wizard Of Oz. Interestingly, the producers wanted to cut the song from the film, as they felt it slowed downed the movie. Thankfully, the preview audiences preferred the movie with the song. “Over The Rainbow” ranked as the #1 song of the 20th century per the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment of the Arts.The song has always been closely associated with Judy Garland. In a letter to Harold Arlen, Judy Garland wrote that the song “…has become part of my life. It’s so symbolic of everybody’s dreams and wishes that I’m sure that’s why some people get tears in their eyes when they hear it. I’ve sung it thousands of times and it’s still the song that’s closest to my heart.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett has recorded this song twice: first for his 1960 album of Harold Arlen music (Tony Bennett Sings A String of Harold Arlen) and again in 1995 for Here’s To The Ladies, where we find the version we’re featuring today.

About Today

yip_harburg-3

Today we celebrate the lyricist of today’s song: Yip Harburg. He was born on April 8, 1898 in New York; his birth name was Isidore Hochberg and he came to known as Edgar Yipsel Harburg. He and Ira Gershwin were classmates in high school and became lifelong friends. Harburg graduated from City College in 1921, married with two children. He owned an electrical appliance company, all the while writing in his spare time. After his business went bankrupt in 1929, he and Ira decided it was time for Harburg to turn to lyric writing. His first major hit song came in 1932 with “Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?”

He was offered a contract with Paramount in Hollywood, and joined the songwriters exodus, where he worked with Harold Arlen, Vernon Duke, Jerome Kern and Jule Styne, among others. His collaboration with Arlen on The Wizard of Oz was a major success, resulting in an Academy Award for Best Music, Original Song for “Over The Rainbow.”

He continued his work on Broadway for productions such as Bloomer Girl (with Arlen) and Finian’s Rainbow (with Burton Lane). Though he was never a member of the Communist Party, Harburg was blacklisted in Hollywood from 1950 until 1962. He died from a heart attack in 1981.

In addition to his Oscar for “Over The Rainbow,” he also won another Oscar, also with Harold Arlen, for Cabin in the Sky and for the song “Can’t Help Singing” with Jerome Kern. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972.

I’ve shared this video before, but it is so lovely that I present it to you again. Happy Birthday, Yip.

Somewhere over the Rainbow

Listen to Somewhere over the Rainbow on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1995.


“Over The Rainbow,” as well as Here’s To The Ladies, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: God Bless The Child

The song of the day for Wednesday, January 21, 2015 is “God Bless The Child.”

About This Song

“God Bless The Child” was written in 1939 by Billie Holiday, with Arthur Herzog, Jr. The lyric came about as Billie was describing an argument with her mother, saying “God bless the child who’s got his own.” And thus was born one of Holiday’s great songs. She recorded it first in 1941 on the Okeh label; this recording features Roy Eldridge on trumpet.

About This Version

Tony Bennett has recorded this song several times. Today’s version is from one of my favorite of his later albums: Here’s To The Ladies (1995), where he sings songs associated with the great female singers, from Barbra Streisand to Billie Holiday to Margaret Whiting and more. It’s a wonderful album of standards.

About Today

We’ve been thinking a lot about Billie Holiday this week. The website Politico published an essay by Johann Hari, who has written a book on the American war on drugs and explains how that war began with a cruel and vicious plan to use Billie Holiday as the picture of what happens to people who use drugs. The essay is called The Hunting of Billie Holiday. It’s strong stuff, but well worth reading.

The first paragraph will give you an idea of the hatred and invective of a certain Harry Anslinger, who hatched this plan:

Jazz was the opposite of everything Harry Anslinger believed in. It is improvised, relaxed, free-form. It follows its own rhythm. Worst of all, it is a mongrel music made up of European, Caribbean and African echoes, all mating on American shores. To Anslinger, this was musical anarchy and evidence of a recurrence of the primitive impulses that lurk in black people, waiting to emerge. “It sounded,” his internal memos said, “like the jungles in the dead of night.” Another memo warned that “unbelievably ancient indecent rites of the East Indies are resurrected” in this black man’s music. The lives of the jazzmen, he said, “reek of filth.”

God Bless the Child

Listen to God Bless the Child on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1995.


“God Bless The Child,” as well as Here’s To The Ladies, is available from iTunes.

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