The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: There Will Never Be Another You

The song of the day for Monday, April 28, 2025, is “There Will Never Be Another You.”

About This Song

“There Will Never Be Another You” was written by Harry Warren and Mack Gordon for the 1942 Sonja Henie vehicle called Iceland, starring Miss Henie and John Payne as a U.S. Marine stationed in Iceland during World War II. The song was introduced in the movie by Joan Merrill. Amazingly, this beautiful song was not nominated for an Academy Award. No matter. The song has become a serious jazz standard and has had many fine recordings, including Bennett’s 1959 recording with Count Basie and his 1962 improvisation with Dave Brubeck at the White House Sessions. Other significant recordings include those by Lionel Hampton, Chet Baker, Nat King Cole, and Sonny Rollins.

About This Version

Tony Bennett, with the Dave Brubeck Trio, recorded “There Will Never Be Another You” live on August 28, 1962, at a concert held at the request of President John F. Kennedy to honor that year’s Presidential Scholars.

The concert had two guest performers: Dave Brubeck, with his quartet, and Tony Bennett. After both sets, Bennett and Dave Brubeck’s Trio (Brubeck: piano, Eugene Wright: bass, and Joe Morello: drums. Paul Desmond, who played in Brubeck’s set, did not join the improv set) came together for a improv set, which included today’s song.

The concert was recorded, but the tapes got lost somewhere in the Columbia vaults. The were only found in 2012, soon after Brubeck’s death) in the classical section. Bennett & Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962 was released on May 28, 2013.

“There Will Never Be Another You,” as well as Bennett & Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: That Old Black Magic

The song of the day for Monday, November 18, 2024, is “That Old Black Magic.”

About Today

We are remembering Johnny Mercer on the anniversary of his birth in Savannah, Georgia, on November 18, 1909.

About This Song

“That Old Black Magic” was written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer in 1942 for the film Star Bangled Banner. It was first recorded in 1942 by Glenn Miller. It’s been recorded many times and used in several films, including Bus Stop in 1956, where it was sung by Marilyn Monroe.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and The Dave Brubeck Trio (Brubeck on piano, Eugene Wright on bass, and Joe Morello on drums) recorded “That Old Black Magic” live on August 28, 1962, at the White House Seminar American Jazz Concert, organized by The White House and President John F. Kennedy. Tony Bennett, with his trio, and Dave Brubeck with his quartet played sets at the concert. After the last set. Bennett and Brubeck and his trio did an impromptu four-song set, including “That Old Black Magic.”

Although the concert was taped, the tape appeared to be lost somewhere in the Columbia vaults. It was discovered in the classical music section of the vaults in 2013, just a few weeks after Brubeck’s death on December 12, 2012. Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions Live 1962 was released on May 28, 2013.

FYI: The concert was originally to be held in the White House Rose Garden, but they were forced to relocate to the Sylvan Theater grounds near the Washington Monument due to the size of the audience.

“That Old Black Magic,” as well as Bennett/Brubeck The White House Sessions Live 1962, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: That Old Black Magic

The song of the day for Thursday, February 15, 2024, is “That Old Black Magic.”

About Today

Today we are remembering Harold Arlen, who was born 119 years ago on February 15, 1905. Of all the songwriters who contributed to the Great American Songbook, none is greater and has remained more current than Harold Arlen.

About This Song

“That Old Magic” was written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer for the 1942 film Star Spangled Rhythm. One of the early great recordings was made in 1942 by Glenn Miller. The song has been recorded many times and used in several films, including the 1956 film Bus Stop, where it was sung by Marilyn Monroe.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and The Dave Brubeck Trio (Brubeck on piano, Eugene Wright on bass, Joe Morello on drums) recorded “That Old Black Magic” live on August 28, 1962, at a concert on The Mall in Washington, D.C, at the invitation of President John F. Kennedy. Bennett and The Dave Brubeck Trio had both performed their sets and then did an impromptu improv session. “That Old Black Magic” was performed at that session.

For many years, the tapes of the concert were lost. However, soon after Brubeck died in 2012, the tapes were located, having been misfiled in the Classical music archives at Columbia Records. Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions Live 1962 was released the following year.

“That Old Black Magic,” as well as Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions Live 1962, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: That Old Black Magic

The song of the day for Tuesday, June 20, 2023, is “That Old Black Magic.”

About This Song

“That Old Black Magic” was written in 1942 by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer. It was used in the 1942 movie Star Spangled Rhythm and was recorded by Glenn Miller in 1942 as well. “That Old Black Magic” has been recorded many times and used in several films, including the 1956 film Bus Stop, where it was sung by Marilyn Monroe.

About This Version

In 1962, Tony Bennett, with The Ralph Sharon Trio, and the Dave Brubeck Quartet were invited by President John F. Kennedy to perform at a concert honoring that year’s group of White House interns. The concert was originally planned to be held on the White House grounds, but there was so much interest that the concert was held on The Mall near the Washington Monument. On August 28, 1962, the concert opened with the Dave Brubeck Quartet playing a set of four songs, including “Take Five.” After that, Bennett and The Ralph Sharon Trio did their set of favorites, including “Just In Time” and “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.”

After that, Bennett and Dave Brubeck, with Joe Morello (drums) and Eugene Wright (bass), returned to the stage for a completely unrehearsed improv session. Our song today was part of that improv set.

The concert was taped, but over time the tapes were lost in the Columbia vaults and thought to be gone forever. From an article in Jazz Times:

One of the great lost treasures of American musical history, the Tony Bennett-Dave Brubeck White House Seminar performance came about when the artists–each already on the bill with his own ensemble–agreed to seize the moment with an impromptu set. While the Bennett-Brubeck recording of ‘That Old Black Magic’ had surfaced on the occasional compilation (Brubeck’s 1971’s out-of-print LP, Summit Sessions, and 2001’s Vocal Encounters), the rest of the Bennett and Brubeck performances-an hour’s worth of music-were a mythical lost object in the Sony Music Entertainment vaults until finally surfacing through a fortuitous discovery last December, just weeks after Brubeck’s passing on December 5, 2012 (one day shy of his 92nd birthday).

Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962 was released to great acclaim in 2013.

That Old Black Magic”,” as well as Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions Live 1962 is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: That Old Black Magic

The song of the day for Monday, August 22, 2022, is “That Old Black Magic.”

About This Song

“That Old Black Magic” was written by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg for the 1942 movie Star Spangled Rhythm. It’s been recorded many times and used in several films, including the 1956 film Bus Stop, where it was sung by Marilyn Monroe.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and The Dave Brubeck Trio (Brubeck on piano, Eugene Wright on bass, and Joe Morello on drums) recorded “That Old Black Magic” on August 28, 1962, at the invitation of President John F. Kennedy for a celebration of that year’s interns. The concert was held near the Washington Monument. The recording of that concert, which featured Bennett and his trio as well as the Dave Brubeck Quartet, was thought lost. Thankfully, it was found in the vaults, misplaced in the classical section. In 2013, the full concert was released as Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962.

“That Old Black Magic,” as well as Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962 is available on Apple Music.