The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Who Cares

The song of the day for Sunday, July 18, 2021, is “Who Cares.”

About This Song

George and Ira Gershwin wrote “Who Cares” in 1931 for the Broadway musical Of Thee I Sing. It’s one of their very popular songs with many fine recordings, including those by Fred Astaire, Ella Fitzgerald, and Judy Garland.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Who Cares” 54 years ago today, July 18, 1967, at one of the recording sessions for the album For Once In My Life. The recording didn’t make to the original release of the album but was added for the CD in 2011 Complete Collection box set release. Bennett’s pianist, John Bunch, wrote the arrangement.

Who Cares (So Long As You Care for Me)

Listen to Who Cares (So Long As You Care for Me) on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1967.

“Who Cares,” as well as For Once In My Life is available on Apple Music.

By 2 Comments

Song of the Day: One For My Baby/It Had To Be You

The song of the day for Thursday, February 20, 2020, is “One For My Baby/It Had To Be You.”

About These Songs

“One For My Baby” was written in 1943 by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer. “It Had To Be You” was written in 1924 by Isham Jones, with lyrics by Gus Kahn.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and his pianist John Bunch, recorded this medley in 1970. Exquisite is not a word I throw around lightly, but this recording is exquisite. If you close your eyes, you might think Tony is in the room, singing just to you. The recording was released on Rarities, Outtakes & Other Delights, Vol. 1.

“One For My Baby/It Had To Be You,” as well as Rarities, Outtakes & Other Delights, Vol. 1, is available from iTunes.

By Leave a Comment

Playlist of the Week: Tony Loves a Piano

The playlist of the week of May 12, 2019, is Tony Loves a Piano. Some of Bennett’s finest recordings have been made with just Tony and a pianist. This week we honor some of the best of those recordings.

Tony Loves a Piano

Some of Tony Bennett's finest recordings have been with only Tony and a pianist. This week we honor some of the best of those recordings.

My Foolish Heart (Victor Young and Ned Washington) with Bill Evans
Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered (Richard Rodgers and Larry Hart) with Ralph Sharon
Cold, Cold Heart (Hank Williams) with John Bunch
Some Other Time (Leonard Bernstein, Adolph Green and Betty Comden) with Bill Evans
The Man That Got Away (Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin) with Ralph Sharon
A Sleepin’ Bee (Harold Arlen and Truman Capote) with Ralph Sharon
Dream Dancing (Cole Porter) with Bill Evans
One For My Baby (by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer)/It Had To Be You (Isham Jones, Gus Kahn) with John Bunch
We’ll Be Together Again (Carl T. Fischer and Frankie Laine) with Bill Evans

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Cold, Cold Heart

The song of the day for Saturday, July 28, 2018 is “Cold, Cold Heart.”

About This Song

“Cold, Cold Heart” was written in 1951 by the great Hank Williams. It’s said, though probably apocryphally, that Williams had a bitter argument with his wife and later told the family’s governess that his wife had a cold, cold heart. The song was written soon after. If the story isn’t true, then it should be.

About This Version

Tony Bennett’s 1951 recording of “Cold, Cold Heart” was a blockbuster and is quite well-known. Today, I’m featuring a lesser-known recording from 1970: just Tony Bennett with pianist John Bunch. It’s an exquisite recording that was released with the Tony Bennett Complete Collection box set on Rarities, Outtakes & Other Delights, Vol. 1.

Cold, Cold Heart

Listen to Cold, Cold Heart on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 2012.


“Cold, Cold Heart,” as well as other previously unreleased recordings on Rarities, Outtakes & Other Delights, Vol. 1, is available from iTunes.

About Today

I have a couple of videos of today’s song.

First up, this Google Doodle from Valentine’s Day a few years ago, features Bennett’s original 1951 recording.

Next up is a video with singer Tim McGraw, from the 2006 album Duets: An American Classic. As always, Gray Sargent’s guitar is just perfect.

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Wave

The song of the day for Tuesday, January 23, 2018 is “Wave.”

About This Song

“Wave” (also known as “Vou Te Contar” in Portuguese) is a bossa nova song written by Antônio Carlos Jobim. Recorded as an instrumental on his 1967 album of the same name, its English lyrics were written by Jobim himself later that year.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Wave” in 1970 for the album Tony Bennett’s “Something”. It features John Bunch on piano.

Wave

Listen to Wave on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1970.


“Wave,” as well as Tony Bennett’s “Something”, is available from iTunes.

Subscribe to The Year of Tony Bennett

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Current Reader Favorites