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.