The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Then Was Then and Now Is Now

The song of the day for Sunday, April 19, 2026, is “Then Was Then and Now Is Now.”

About Today

Sixty-one years ago on April 19, 1965, Columbia Records released one of most favorite Tony Bennett albums, If I Ruled The World: Songs For the Jet Set.

About This Song

“Then Was Then and Now Is Now” was written by Cy Coleman and Peggy Lee. Lee released it on an album of the same name in 1965.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Then Was Then and Now Is Now” on February 18, 1965, for If I Ruled The World: Songs For the Jet Set. Don Costa wrote the arrangement.

“Then Was Then and Now Is Now,” as well as If I Ruled The World: Songs For the Jet Set, is available on Apple Music.

And here is Miss Peggy Lee singing her own song on Then Was Then (and Now Is Now).

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Song of the Day: Watch What Happens

The song of the day for Monday, March 9, 2026, is “Watch What Happens.”

About the Next Two Weeks

Jazz guitarist and vocalist John Pizzarelli has just released a new album, Dear Mr. Bennett to celebrate the centennial birthday of Tony Bennett. Out of the many hundreds of songs that Tony Bennett recorded, Pizzarelli has chosen 12 songs that represent Bennett’s work in the decades from 1950 to 2021. We will be featuring each of those 12 songs with Bennett’s version and Pizzarelli’s version.

John Pizzarelli did a great interview with Alison Stewart on WNYC about the new album.

We’ve added links to some of the many wonderful reviews of Dear Mr. Bennett: Paris Move, Jazz Views, Stage and Cinema, and Broadway World.

See johnpizzarelli.com for information about his recordings, as well as his weekly radio program Radio Deluxe, with singer and actress Jessica Molaskey.

About This Song

“Watch What Happens” was composed by Michel Legrand, with French lyrics by Jacques Demy, for the 1964 film The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Norman Gimbel wrote the English lyrics. Tony Bennett’s was the first recording of the song, other than the film soundtrack, and the first in English.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Watch What Happens” on January 4, 1965, for If I Ruled the World: Songs For the Jet Set. Don Costa wrote the arrangement.

“Watch What Happens,” as well as If I Ruled the World: Songs For the Jet Set, is available on Apple Music.

Dear Mr. Bennett

Tony Bennett opened most of his concerts with “Watch What Happens,” and that song is the first song on Dear Mr. Bennett.

The John Pizzarelli Trio (Pizzarelli on guitar and vocals, Michael Karn on bass, and Isaiah J. Thompson on piano) recorded “Watch What Happens” for Dear Mr. Bennett, released in March 2026.

“Watch What Happens,” as well as Dear Mr. Bennett, is available for purchase on CD and vinyl at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Tower Records, and other record stores. It is also available on most popular streaming services.

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Song of the Day: If I Ruled the World

The song of the day for Friday, February 13, 2026, is “If I Ruled the World.”

About This Song

“If I Ruled the World” was written by Cyril Ornadel and Leslie Bricusse for the 1963 West End musical Pickwick, based on Dicken’s The Pickwick Papers. Harry Secombe, the British actor, originated the role of Pickwick and his version of this song charted at #18 in the UK. The production opened in New York in 1965 on Broadway. Tony Bennett’s was one of the earliest American recordings and the song reached #34 on the US pop singles charts.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “If I Ruled the World” on February 19, 1965, for If I Ruled the World: Songs for the Jet Set. Don Costa wrote the arrangement.

“If I Ruled the World,” as well as If I Ruled the World: Songs for the Jet Set, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Falling In Love with Love

The song of the day for Thursday, January 80, 2026, is “Falling In Love with Love.”

About This Song

“Falling In Love with Love” was written by Richard Rodgers and Larry Hart for the 1938 Broadway musical The Boys From Syracuse, pairs a beautiful Rodgers waltz melody with the adult and rather somber lyric by Hart: in other words, a perfect Rodgers and Hart song.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Falling In Love with Love” on February 19, 1965, featuring an arrangement by Don Costa. The song was released in 1997 for he CD re-release of the album If I Ruled the World: Songs for the Jet Set.

“Falling In Love with Love,” as well as If I Ruled The World: Songs For The Jet Set, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: The Right To Love

The song of the day for is “The Right To Love.”

About Today

As I was preparing to choose today’s song, I learned the Lalo Schifrin had just died on Wednesday, June 26, 2025. He was 93 years old and died from pneumonia. You can read his biography on his website schifrin.com. You can read obituaries on Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, The Chicago Tribune, and The Los Angeles Times.

About This Song

“The Right To Love” was written by Lalo Schfrin ca. 1963; the lyrics by Gene Lees were added later. According to the website filmscoremonthly, this song has an interesting history. It was first recorded, without lyrics, in 1963 on an album called Reflections by Stan Getz and Lalo Schifrin. Tony Bennett liked the song from the beginning and suggested that Gene Lees write the lyrics. The resulting song is an anthem for “forbidden” love. At that time, most people associated the song with interracial relationships; in later years, it has been sung by gay singers. In addition to Bennett’s recording, this song has been recorded by Peggy Lee, Carmen McRae, and k.d. lang.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “The Right To Love” on February 18, 1965, for If I Ruled The World: Songs For The Jet Set. Don Costa wrote the arrangement.

“The Right To Love,” as well as If I Ruled The World: Songs For The Jet Set, is available on Apple Music.