The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: A Rainy Day

The song of the day for Friday, February 21, 2020, is “A Rainy Day.”

About This Song

“A Rainy Day” was written by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz or the 1932 Broadway musical revue Flying Colors, which starred Clifton Webb, Patsy Kelly, Imogene Coca, and Buddy and Vilma Ebsen.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “A Rainy Day” in on January 10, 1986, for his album The Art of Excellence. The recording was arranged and orchestrated by Jorge Callandrelli and features the Ralph Sharon Trio, with Sharon on piano, Paul Langosch on bass, and Joe LaBarbera on drums.

The Art of Excellence was Bennett’s first album upon his return to Columbia Records.

“A Rainy Day,” as well as The Art of Excellence, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: The Boulevard of Broken Dreams

The song of the day for Wednesday, July 17, 2019, is “The Boulevard of Broken Dreams.”

About This Song

Harry Warren and Al Dubin wrote “The Boulevard of Broken Dreams” in 1933 for the movie Moulin Rouge, where it was sung by Constance Bennett. Although numerous artists have recorded “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” (including Bing Crosby in 1944), this song is very strongly identified with Tony Bennett. In fact, his demo record of “The Boulevard of Broken Dreams” was heard by Mitch Miller and got Bennett his first recording contract with Columbia Records.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this version of “The Boulevard of Broken Dreams” for his 1990 album Astoria: Portrait of the Artist. Bennett is accompanied by The Ralph Sharon Trio, with Sharon on piano, Paul Langosch on bass, and Joe LaBarbera on drums.

The Boulevard of Broken Dreams

The Boulevard of Broken Dreams, a song by Tony Bennett on Spotify

“The Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” as well as Astoria: Portrait of the Artist, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Isn’t This a Lovely Day?

The song of the day for Friday, May 11, 2018 is “Isn’t This a Lovely Day?.”

About This Song

This delightful song by Irving Berlin was written in 1935 for the Fred Astaire / Ginger Rogers movie Top Hat. In the film, Astaire and Rogers are caught in a rainstorm while sitting in an outdoor gazebo. The song was introduced by Fred Astaire. This song has also been recorded by Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Diana Krall, Jeri Southern and Tony Bennett.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Isn’t This a Lovely Day?” in 1987 for his album of songs by Irving Berlin: Bennett/Berlin. Playing for Bennett is the Ralph Sharon Trio, with Sharon on piano, Paul Langosch on bass, and Joe LaBarbera on drums.

We chose this song today to honor Irving Berlin on the 130th anniversary of his birth on May 11, 1888 in Belarus; his family immigrated to the United States when Berlin was five years old. He wrote his first big hit, “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” in 1911 and his place as one of America’s greatest songwriters was soon assured. Composer George Gershwin called him “the greatest songwriter that has ever lived” and composer Jerome Kern concluded that “Irving Berlin has no place in American music–he is American music.”

The website irvingberlin.com has plenty of information and resources on the composer.

Isn’t This a Lovely Day

Isn’t This a Lovely Day, a song by Tony Bennett on Spotify


“Isn’t This a Lovely Day?,” as well as Bennett/Berlin, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: The Song Is Ended (But the Melody Lingers On)

The song of the day for Sunday, September 24, 2017 is “The Song Is Ended (But the Melody Lingers On).”

About This Song

“The Song Is Ended (But the Melody Lingers On)” was written in 1927 by Irving Berlin and with lyrics by Beda Loehner. In his book The Tin Pan Alley Song Encyclopedia, Thomas Hischak calls this song “an Irving Berlin standard whose title has been called the theme of all popular music, a chilling number in which both the lover and the ballad that was ‘their song’ is gone; yet neither can be forgotten because they remain in one’s memory.” This song was recorded in 1927 by Ruth Etting and has remained popular over the years with recordings by Dick Haymes, Dizzy Gillespie, Jeri Southern, Dinah Washington, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat “King” Cole and many more.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this song for his 1987 album Bennett/Berlin. The Ralph Sharon Trio (featuring Sharon on piano, Paul Langosh on bass and Joe LaBarbera on drums) and Dizzy Gillespie joined Bennett for this recording.

The Song Is Ended

The Song Is Ended, a song by Tony Bennett, Dizzy Gillespie on Spotify


“The Song Is Ended (But the Melody Lingers On),” as well as Bennett/Berlin, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: East of the Sun

The song of the day for Monday, December 12, 2016 is “East of the Sun (West of the Moon).”

About This Song

“East of the Sun (West of the Moon)” was written in 1934 by Princeton University student Bruce Bowman for a student musical, Stags At Bay, produced by the Princeton Triangle Club.

The song had great reception and was noted by Princeton alumnus F. Scott Fitzgerald. After his graduation from college in 1936, Bowman worked briefly in Hollywood for the film industry, but decided to return to the East Coast. He was about to start a contract with a New York music publisher when he was killed in an automobile accident in 1937.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “East of the Sun (West of the Moon)” in 1992 for the album Perfectly Frank. He is accompanied by the Ralph Sharon Trio, with Sharon on piano, Paul Langosch on bass, and Joe LaBarbera on drums.

East of the Sun (West of the Moon)

East of the Sun (West of the Moon), a song by Tony Bennett on Spotify


“East of the Sun (West of the Moon),” as well as Perfectly Frank, is available from iTunes.

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