The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: In a Sentimental Mood

The song of the day for Tuesday, January 13, 2026, is “In a Sentimental Mood.”

About This Song

“In a Sentimental Mood” was composed in 1935 by Duke Ellington; the lyrics by Manny Kurtz and Irving Mills were added later. The original 1935 Ellington recording features Otto Hardwick on alto sax; Benny Goodman recorded it that same year. Though the song has always been popular and is widely recorded, the 1962 recording with Ellington and John Coltrane is considered to be one of the most notable instrumental recordings.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “In a Sentimental Mood” in May 1999 for Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool. Jorge Calandrelli wrote the arrangement. The album was released in 1999 to coincide with Duke Ellington’s centenary celebration.

Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool won the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance.

“In a Sentimental Mood,” as well as Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool, is available on Apple Music.

We’ve got “In a Sentimental Mood” from the 1963 album Duke Ellington & John Coltrane. It’s an extraordinary recording.

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Azure

The song of the day for is “Azure.”

About This Song

“Azure” was written in 1937 by Duke Ellington, with lyrics by Irving Mills. In his liner notes for Fifty Years: The Artistry of Tony Bennett, Bennett writes of “Azure” that “the composition of this song is the absolute pinnacle of inventiveness and originality as it relates to the art of music composition.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Azure” in May 1999 for Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool. Jorge Calandrelli wrote the arrangement and conducted the orchestra.

Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool won the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance.

“Azure,” as well as Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool, is available on Apple Music.

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Moonglow

The song of the day for Friday, December 5, 2025, is “Moonglow.”

About This Song

“Moonglow” was written in 1933 by Will Hudson, Irving Mills, and Eddie DeLange. The song has been popular since it was written. The first recordings were by Joe Venuti and His Orchestra, Ethel Waters, and The Benny Goodman Orchestra. Later recordings include those by Billie Holiday and Artie Shaw.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and k.d. lang recorded “Moonglow” live on April 12, 1994, for the television program MTV Unplugged. The resulting album, MTV Unplugged: Tony Bennett, was released on June 28, 1994. Bennett appeared with his trio: Ralph Sharon (piano), Doug Richeson (bass), and Clayton Cameron (drums).

“Moonglow,” as well as MTV Unplugged: Tony Bennett, is available on Apple Music.

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Prelude to a Kiss

The song of the day for Wednesday, December 3, 2025, is “Prelude to a Kiss.”

About This Song

“Prelude to a Kiss” was written in 1938 by Duke Ellington, with lyrics by Irving Gordon and Irving Mills.

In The Jazz Standards, Ted Gioia writes that in the late 1930s, having practically invented swing music:

At this juncture he does the exact opposite. The Duke uses his fame and great artistic freedom to become more ambitious, more experimental, less beholden to the formulas of swing music. “Prelude To A Kiss” from 1938 is a case in point.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Prelude to a Kiss” in May 1999 for Bennett Sings Ellington Hot & Cool. Jorge Calandrelli wrote the arrangement and conducted the orchestra.

“Prelude to a Kiss,” as well as Bennett Sings Ellington Hot & Cool, is available on Apple Music.

We have Ellington’s original recording of “Prelude to a Kiss” from 1938:

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)

The song of the day for Thursday, October 23, 2025, is “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing).”

About This Song

“It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” was written in 1931 by Duke Ellington with lyrics by Irving Mills. This song was one of the first songs to use the word “swing” in the title and this song certainly defined what it meant to swing. Ellington recorded the song with Ivie Anderson on vocals and it was an immediate hit. It has been widely recorded since it was written and the song is a lot of fun to play and to listen to. Significant recordings include those by Louis Armstrong, Django Reinhardt, Gigi Gryce, Tony Bennett, and Thelonious Monk.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” in May 1999 for Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool, his tribute to Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington. Ralph Burns wrote the arrangement.

“It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” as well as Bennett Sings Ellington Hot & Cool, is available on Apple Music.

We’ve also got the first recording of this song with Ivie Anderson and Duke Ellington and His Orchestra. This recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008.