The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Blues in the Night

The song of the day for Thursday, January 22, 2026, is “Blues in the Night.”

About This Song

“Blues in the Night” was written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer for the 1941 film Blues in the Night. Arlen wrote the music first and wrote a true blues song. Johnny Mercer, who later wrote the lyrics, drew on his Southern heritage to write the exceptional blues lyrics.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Blues in the Night” on October 21, 1957, for his album The Beat of My Heart. For The Beat of My Heart, Bennett and Ralph Sharon invited percussionists to participate. Jo Jones was the drummer for “Blues in the Night.” Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement.

“Blues in the Night,” as well as The Beat of My Heart, is available on Apple Music.

I was delighted to find a video from this film Blues in the Night where the song is introduced. The soloist is baritone William Gillespie, who was hired to sing this song,

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Song of the Day: Lullaby of Broadway

The song of the day for Tuesday, December 9, 2025, is “Lullaby of Broadway.”

About Today

Tony Bennett’s third album, The Beat of My Heart, was released on December 9, 1957. The album was conceived by Bennett, who wanted to make a jazz albums of standards featuring percussion and voice. Bennett and Ralph Sharon planned the album while they were on the road touring.

About This Song

“Lullaby of Broadway” was written by Harry Warren and Al Dubin for the 1935 movie Gold Diggers of 1935; it won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. It is one of the great show biz anthems. The 1980 musical 42nd Street featured Jerry Orbach singing the song.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Lullaby of Broadway” on October 21, 1957, for The Beat of My Heart, featuring Jo Jones on drums. Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement.

“Lullaby of Broadway,” as well as The Beat of My Heart, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Begin the Beguine

The song of the day for Monday, December 9, 2024, is “Begin the Beguine.”

About Today

Today’s song is from Tony Bennett’s 2nd jazz album and third album: The Beat of My Heart. The album was released on December 9, 1957.

About This Song

“Begin the Beguine” was written by Cole Porter for the 1925 musical Jubilee. The song has an unusual structure, having a 108-measure length, as opposed to the standard 32-bar structure of most popular music. One of the earliest popular recordings was Artie Shaw’s instrumental in 1938. The Middle Eastern style of the song is well-served by Shaw’s clarinet solo. The song has an unusual structure, having a 108-measure length, as opposed to the standard 32-bar structure of most popular music. One of the earliest popular recordings was Artie Shaw’s instrumental in 1938. The Middle Eastern style of the song is well-served by Shaw’s clarinet solo.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Begin the Beguine” on October 21, 1957, for his album The Beat of My Heart. Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement. For this album, Bennett invited guest percussionists to play. Drummer Jo Jones was the guest drummer for “Begin the Beguine.”

The recording was not released on the original 1957 LP, but was added to the 1997 CD re-release.

“Begin the Beguine,” as well as The Beat of My Heart, is available on Apple Music.

And because I once played the clarinet and loved Artie Shaw, here’s his brilliant 1938 recording:

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Song of the Day: Blues In The Night

The song of the day for Monday, September 2. 2024, is “Blues In The Night.”

About This Song

“Blues In The Night” was written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer for the 1941 film of the name. Arlen wrote the music first and wrote a true blues song. Johnny Mercer, who later wrote the lyrics, drew on his Southern heritage to write the exceptional blues lyrics.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Blues In The Night” on October 21, 1957, for the album The Beat Of My Heart. Jo Jones played drums for this recording.

“Blues In The Night,” as well as The Beat Of My Heart, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Blues in the Night

The song of the day for Sunday, July 31, 2022, is “Blues in the Night.”

About This Song

“Blues in the Night” was written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer in 1941 for the film of the same name. Arlen wrote the music first and wrote a true blues song. Johnny Mercer, who later wrote the lyrics, drew on his southern heritage to write the exceptional blues lyrics.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Blues in the Night” on October 21, 1957, featuring an arrangement by Ralph Sharon; drummer Jo Jones was the featured percussionist. The recording was released in 1957 on the album The Beat of My Heart.

“Blues in the Night,” as well as is available on Apple Music.