The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Darn That Dream

The song of the day for Friday, April 14, 2023, is “Darn That Dream.”

About This Song

“Darn That Dream” was written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Eddie DeLange for the 1939 musical Swingin’ the Dream, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The cast had many big names: Louis Armstrong playing Bottom, Maxine Sullivan as Titania, Bill Bailey, and Dorothy Dandridge. It only ran for 13 performances and is considered to be a flop. Fortunately, “Darn That Dream” proved to be a big hit and earned some money for the investors.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Darn That Dream” on August 11, 1954, for his first album, Cloud 7, released in 1955. It was arranged by Chuck Wayne, who also played guitar on the album.

“Darn That Dream,” as well as Cloud 7 is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: But Beautiful

The song of the day for Friday, March 3, 2023, is “But Beautiful.”

About This Song

“But Beautiful” was written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke for Bing Crosby to sing in the 1947 movie The Road to Rio. The song has been widely recorded, including recordings by Bill Evans, Johnny Hartman, Billie Holiday, Gregory Porter, Frank Sinatra, Nat Cole, and Bill Evans and Tony Bennett.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga recorded “But Beautiful” in 2014 for their album Cheek To Cheek. The arrangement was written by Jorge Calandrelli. The recording features Gray Sargent on guitar.

“But Beautiful,” as well as Cheek To Cheek is available on Apple Music.

Here’s the video from the studio recording of today’s song:

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Song of the Day: But Beautiful

The song of the day for Monday, February 6, 2023, is “But Beautiful.”

About This Song

“But Beautiful” was written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke for the 1947 movie The Road to Rio, where it was sung by Bing Crosby. The song has been widely recorded, including recordings by Bill Evans, Johnny Hartman, Billie Holiday, Gregory Porter, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Bill Evans recorded “But Beautiful” in June 1975 for their album The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album.

“But Beautiful,” as well as The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Swinging on a Star

The song of the day for Wednesday, January 18, 2023, is “Swinging on a Star.”

About This Song

“Swinging on a Star” was written in 1944 by the songwriting team of Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke. It was written for the movie Going My Way, starring Bing Crosby, and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for that year. Crosby recorded a very successful version of the song in 1944. Other recordings include those by Rosemary Clooney, Burl Ives, and Ruby Braff, among many others.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Swinging on a Star” in June 1998 for his album The Playground. The Ralph Sharon Quartet accompanied Mr. Bennett on this album. In addition to Sharon on piano, the quartet featured Paul Langosch on bass; Gray Sargent on guitar; and Clayton Cameron on drums. This album marks the first time Gray Sargent recorded with Tony Bennett.

“Swinging on a Star,” as well as The Playground is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: But Beautiful

The song of the day for Monday, October 31, 2022, is “But Beautiful.”

About This Song

“But Beautiful” was written in 1947 by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke. The song was written for Bing Crosby to sing in the movie The Road to Rio. This song has been widely recorded, including recordings by Bill Evans, Johnny Hartman, Billie Holiday, Gregory Porter, Frank Sinatra, and Nat King Cole.

About This Version

Bill Evans and Tony Bennett recorded “But Beautiful” in June 1975 for The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album.

“But Beautiful,” as well as The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album is available on Apple Music.

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