The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Hi-Ho

The song of the day for Friday, September 25, 2020, is “Hi-Ho.”

About Today

In honor of the birth of Jacob Bruskin Gershowitz on September 26, 1898, The Year of Tony Bennett begins a week-long celebration of the music of George Gershwin.

About This Song

“Hi-Ho” was written in 1936 by George and Ira Gershwin. “Hi-Ho” has been called ‘Gershwin’s least-known great song’ by blogger Walter Rimler. It was one of the first songs the Gershwin brothers wrote when they first came to Hollywood and was slated for the movie Shall We Dance, featuring Fred Astaire dancing in the streets of Paris. The song was cut due to concerns over the costs for filming the sequence. The song faded from view and was only published in 1967. Tony Bennett’s was the first recording of this song.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Hi-Ho” in 1968 for the album Yesterday I Heard The Rain. Torrie Zito wrote the arrangement.


“Hi-Ho,” as well as Yesterday I Heard The Rain, is available from Apple Music.

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Tony Live! A Foggy Day

The song of the day for Saturday, September 19, 2020, is “A Foggy Day.”

About This Song

“A Foggy Day” was written by George and Ira Gershwin. It was introduced by Fred Astaire in the 1937 movie A Damsel in Distress. The song has been quite popular with many great recordings, including those by Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, and Billie Holiday.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “A Foggy Day” with The Ralph Sharon Trio on his live performance on MTV Unplugged. In addition to Sharon on piano, the trio consisted of Doug Richeson on bass and Clayton Cameron on drums.

“A Foggy Day,” as well as MTV Unplugged, is available from Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: The Man That Got Away

The song of the day for Thursday, September 17, 2020, is “The Man That Got Away.”

About Today

Today we are celebrating Ralph Sharon, on the anniversary of his birth on September 17, 1923. Sharon was born in London and emigrated to the United States in 1954. He served as Tony Bennett’s pianist and musical director for many years.

About This Song

“The Man That Got Away” was written by Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin for Judy Garland to sing in the 1954 film A Star Is Born. Her performance of the song is legendary in film history, with 27 takes in three days, three separate sessions, and two different directors. The filmed scene is brilliant and made the song a huge hit for Garland, who sang it in most of her concerts.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Ralph Sharon recorded “The Man That Got Away” in 1959. They booked the studio for the day. Sharon brought a briefcase of sheet music and they leafed through the music, picked songs that they liked, and recorded them in one or two takes. The result was the album Tony Sings For Two, released in 1961.

“The Man That Got Away,” as well as Tony Sings For Two, is available from Apple Music.

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Tony Live! They Can’t Take That Away From Me

The song of the day for Sunday, September 13, 2020, is “They Can’t Take That Away From Me.”

About This Song

“They Can’t Take That Away From Me” was written by George and Ira Gershwin for the 1937 Fred Astaire – Ginger Rodgers movie Shall We Dance. Unlike most songs that Astaire introduced in his films, there was no dance number associated with “They Can’t Take That Away From Me.” It is one of the Gershwin’s finest love songs. George Gershwin died just two months after this film was released.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and guest Elvis Costello sang “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” on Bennett’s live performance on MTV Unplugged.

“They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” as well as MTV Unplugged, is available from Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: They Can’t Take That Away From Me

The song of the day for Friday, September 4, 2020, is “They Can’t Take That Away From Me.”

About This Song

This song was written by George and Ira Gershwin for the 1937 Fred Astaire – Ginger Rodgers movie Shall We Dance. Unlike most songs that Astaire introduced in his films, there was no dance number associated with “They Can’t Take That Away From Me.” It is one of the Gershwin’s finest love songs. George Gershwin died just two months after this film was released.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this version of “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” in 1993 for his album Steppin’ Out. Bennett and Ralph Sharon did the arrangement.

“They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” as well as Steppin’ Out, is available from Apple Music.

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