The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Blue Moon

The song of the day for Sunday, November 1, 2020, is “Blue Moon.”

About This Song

Richard Rodgers and Larry Hart wrote “Blue Moon” in 1933. Although written in 1933, “Blue Moon” first appeared in the 1934 film Manhattan Melodrama, though with a completely different lyric.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this version of “Blue Moon” in 1973 with The Ruby Braff-George Barnes Quartet, which featured Braff on cornet, Barnes and Wayne Wright on guitar, and John Guiffrida on bass. It was released on Tony Bennett Sings 10 Rodgers & Hart Songs in 1976 on Bennett’s Improv label.

Blue Moon

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“Blue Moon,” as well as Tony Bennett Sings the Rodgers and Hart Songbook, is available from Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: I Could Write a Book

The song of the day for Friday, October 9, 2020, is “I Could Write a Book.”

About This Song

Richard Rodgers and Larry Hart wrote “I Could Write a Book” in 1940 for the Broadway musical Pal Joey, where it was introduced by Gene Kelly and Leila Ernst. This has always been an interesting song. Today it’s considered a lovely romantic number, but in the context of the musical, it’s sung as a phony love song in order to woo the innocent ingenue. It’s been widely recorded by artists including Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, Betty Carter, Anita O’Day, and Ella Fitzgerald.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “I Could Write a Book” in July 1973 for Tony Bennett Sings 10 Rodgers & Hart Songs, released in 1976 on Bennett’s Improv label. The Rodgers and Hart recordings were made with the Ruby Braff-George Barnes Quartet, which featured Braff on cornet, Barnes and Wayne Wright on guitar, and John Guiffrida on bass. It’s a lovely sound for these songs, even though without piano or drums.

“I Could Write a Book,” as well as Tony Bennett Sings The Rodgers & Hart Songbook, is available from Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Thou Swell

The song of the day for Monday, July 6, 2020, is “Thou Swell.”

About This Song

Richard Rodgers and Larry Hart wrote “Thou Swell” for the 1927 musical A Connecticut Yankee, based on the Mark Twain novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. “Thou Swell” is one of the more charming songs from the musical, as the lyrics feature a combination of modern and medieval language: “thine eyes are cute too” and “I’d feel so rich in a hut for two.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Thou Swell” in 1973, featuring the somewhat unusual, but quite perfect, The Ruby Braff-George Barnes Quartet, with Braff on cornet, Barnes on guitar, Wayne Wright on guitar, and John Guiffrida on bass. It’s not often you see a group with piano or drums, but for these Rodgers and Hart songs, the sound is absolutely perfect. “Thou Swell” was released in 1977 on Tony Bennett Sings More Rodgers and Hart.

“Thou Swell,” as well as The Complete Improv Recordings, is available from Apple Music.

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Tony Live! Watch What Happens

The song of the day for Saturday, July 3, 2020, is “Watch What Happens.”

About Today

Today, our Tony Live! series moves to Buffalo, New York in May 1977. Tony Bennett, Marian McPartland, and a lot more talented musicians did a show at the Statler Hilton’s Downtown Club in Buffalo. Accompanying Tony was Torrie Zito on piano, John Guiffrida on bass, and Joe Cocuzzo on drums.

About This Song

“Watch What Happens” was composed by Michel Legrand for the lovely 1964 French film The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. The film’s director and screenwriter, Jacques Demy, wrote the original lyrics. Norman Gimbel wrote the English lyrics. Bennett’s first recording of “Watch What Happens” was made for his 1965 album If I Ruled The World: Songs For The Jet Set. It was the first recording of the song with the Gimbel lyrics.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this version in May 1977 in Buffalo, New York; the show also featured Marian McPartland and a fine jazzband, led by cornettist Jimmy McPartland. The show was released on Bennett’s Improv label as Tony Bennett, The McPartlands and Friends Make Magnificent Music and was included as a CD in the 2011 Complete Collection. Currently, it is available on The Complete Improv Recordings.

“Watch What Happens,” as well as The Complete Improv Recordings, is available from Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Blue Moon

The song of the day for Thursday, March 5, 2020, is “Blue Moon.”

About This Song

Richard Rodgers and Larry Hart wrote “Blue Moon” in 1933. Although written in 1933, “Blue Moon” first appeared in the 1934 film Manhattan Melodrama, though with a completely different lyric. I can’t imagine any lyric other than the one we all know; it’s quite perfect.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Blue Moon” in July 1973, and released it in 1976 on Tony Bennett Sings 10 Rodgers & Hart Songs. He’s accompanied by The Ruby Braff-George Barnes Quartet, featuring Braff on cornet, Barnes and Wayne Wright on guitar, and John Guiffrida on bass. With neither piano or drums, the sound is perfect for the Rodgers and Hart songs.

“Blue Moon,” as well as Tony Bennett Sings the Rodgers & Hart Songbook, is available from iTunes.

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