The song of the day for Monday, May 12, 2014 is “These Foolish Things.”
About This Song
“These Foolish Things: was composed by Jack Strachey, with lyrics by Eric Mashwitz (as Holt Marvell) for a revue named Spread It Abroad. Although written and first performed in 1936, “These Foolish Things” was not an immediate hit. In fact, Maschwitz’ agent refused to publish the song and so Maschwitz himself did. There were several fine recordings in the 1930s, including one by Billie Holiday with the Teddy Wilson Orchestra and Benny Goodman. In the 1950s, the song became even more popular, with recordings by Artie Shaw, Nat King Cole, Art Pepper and Johnny Hartman. ”These Foolish Things” ranks #28 on jazzstandards.org and is still widely played and recorded.
About This Version
Tony Bennett chose this song for his tribute album to Billie Holiday, Tony Bennett On Holiday, released in 1997. The strings were orchestrated by Jorge Calandrelli and features Ralph Sharon on piano. The album was produced by Tony Bennett and his son, Danny Bennett.
http://open.spotify.com/track/38J0EAfT8bR9U0XFrqp53f
“These Foolish Things,” as well as the album Tony Bennett On Holiday, is available from iTunes.