The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Prelude To A Kiss

The song of the day for Thursday, January 26, 2023, 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. Ted Gioia in The Jazz Standards notes 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. Featured on this recording are Gray Sargent on guitar and Joel Smirnoff on violin.

“Prelude To A Kiss,” as well as Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool is available on Apple Music.

Here’s Ellington’s first recording of “Prelude To A Kiss,” an instrumental, featuring the impeccable Johnny Hodges:

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Song of the Day: In A Sentimental Mood

The song of the day for Wednesday, January 25, 2023, is “In A Sentimental Mood.”

About This Song

“In A Sentimental Mood” was written by Duke Ellington in 1935, with lyrics by Manny Kurtz and Irving Mills. 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.

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

Here’s the 1962 recording of today’s song from Duke Ellington & John Coltrane:

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Song of the Day: It Don’t Mean A Thing

The song of the day for Tuesday, January 24, 2023, 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 1930 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 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. Ralph Burns did the arrangement. Clayton Cameron was exceptional on the drums for this recording.

“It Don’t Mean A Thing,” as well as Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool is available on Apple Music.

We’ve got two additional recordings of “It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” that you might enjoy.

Ivie Anderson on vocals on Ellington’s 1932 recording:

Next is Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington’s recording from The Great Reunion, recorded in 1963. Armstrong sings the verse, which is wonderful and almost never heard:

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Song of the Day: I Let a Song Go Out My Heart

The song of the day for Sunday, October 2, 2022, is “I Let a Song Go Out My Heart.”

About This Song

“I Let a Song Go Out My Heart” was written by Duke Ellington in 1938, with lyrics by Irving Mills, Henry Nemo, and John Redmond. It was a major hit for Duke Ellington, reaching #1 on the charts. In addition to his own recording, other recordings by Benny Goodman and Mildred Bailey were also made that year and were extremely popular as well. In 1952 Ellington named this song one of his eleven favorites of the songs he wrote.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “I Let a Song Go Out My Heart” on January 27, 1967, for the album Tony Makes It Happen. Marion Evans wrote the arrangement.

“I Let a Song Go Out My Heart,” as well as Tony Makes It Happen! is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Solitude

The song of the day for Saturday, August 6, 2022, is “Solitude.”

About This Song

“Solitude” was written in 1934 by Duke Ellington, with lyrics by Eddie DeLange and Irving Mills. One of his masterpieces, Ellington is said to have written “Solitude” in twenty minutes at a recording session, as they were one number short (Ted Gioia in Jazz Standards). It’s a very strong song for both vocalists and instrumentalists. Ellington made over a hundred recordings of this song. Other great recordings include those by Paul Robeson, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Billy Eckstine.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Solitude” with Count Basie and His Orchestra on December 30, 1958, with an arrangement by Ralph Sharon. It was released in 1959 on the album In Person!

“Solitude,” as well as In Person! is available on Apple Music.

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