The song of the day for Wednesday, December 5, 2012, is You Go To My Head.

About You Go To My Head

This song was written in 1938, with music by J. Fred Coots and lyrics by Haven Gillespie. In that year, it was recorded by both Teddy Wilson and Billie Holiday. The song has been a popular and jazz standard since it was written. Judy Garland performed it at her legendary 1961 Judy at Carnegie Hall concert. Other artists who have recorded the song include Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Lena Horne, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie and Ella Fitzgerald.

About This Version

Today’s version is from Tony Bennett’s remarkable 1957 album The Beat Of My Heart. The album conceived and devised by Mr. Bennett and Ralph Sharon, who also arranged and conducted the album. Mr. Bennett was pulled together the finest drummers and percussionists from all over the world and featured them on each song on the album. You Go To My Head features Art Blakey, who was instrumental in defining the bebop style of drumming. Mr. Blakey founded the Jazz Messengers group, which he kept active for many years. He used this group to give young jazz musicians to perform and learn; graduates of The Jazz Messengers include Wynton Marsalis and Terence Blanchard.

You Got To My Head, as well as the full album The Beat Of My Heart, is available from iTunes.