The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: You Took Advantage Of Me

The song of the day for Tuesday, January 24, 2017 is “You Took Advantage Of Me.”

About This Song

Today we feature great Rodgers and Hart song from 1928, “You Took Advantage Of Me.” The song was written for the musical Present Arms. The song quickly found itself a popular standard and has been recorded many times, including those by Bing Crosby with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli, Anita O’Day, Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this version of “You Took Advantage Of Me” in 1973 for his second album of Rodgers and Hart songs, Tony Bennett Sings More Great Rodgers and Hart, released on Bennett’s own Improv label. His two Rodgers and Hart albums featured an unusual but incredibly effective quartet of musicians: George Barnes and Wayne Wright on guitar, Ruby Braff on cornet and John Guiffrida on bass. No piano and no drums, but the recordings are really sublime.

You Took Advantage Of Me

Listen to You Took Advantage Of Me on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 2004


“You Took Advantage Of Me,” as well as The Complete Improv Recordings, is available from iTunes.

About The Secret Theme

Well, we’ve reached the end of the “secret theme” for January and no one guessed (or, more likely, guessed but decided not to mention it). The so-called secret was playing songs in alphabetical order by title, one song for each letter of the alphabet, though we did have to skip X and Z. Next month will feature the first entry for our theme of the year, Tony Bennett’s great collaborators. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun!

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Song of the Day: There’ll Be Some Changes Made

The song of the day for Tuesday, November 8, 2016 is “There’ll Be Some Changes Made.”

About This Song

“There’ll Be Some Changes Made” was written in 1921, with music by Benton Overstreet and lyrics by Billy Higgins, two African-American vaudeville performers. Ethel Waters had a hit recording of this song in late 1921; other early recordings include those by Marion Harris, Josie Miles, Fats Waller, and the Chicago Rhythm Kings. Later recordings include those by Billy Holiday, Peggy Lee and Tony Bennett. Even western singers have been drawn to the song by artists including Chet Atkins, Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys and Pee Wee Russell’s Rhythmakers.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “There’ll Be Some Changes Made” in 1975 on his own Improv label for the album Tony Bennett Sings “Life Is Beautiful”, released in 1975. He is backed by the Torrie Zico Trio, consisting of Zito on piano, John Guiffrida on bass, and Chuck Hughes on drums.

There"ll Be Some Changes Made

Listen to There"ll Be Some Changes Made on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 2004


“There’ll Be Some Changes Made,” as well as The Complete Improv Recordings, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: The Lady Is Tramp

The song of the day for Saturday, July 2, 2016 is “The Lady Is Tramp.”

About This Song

Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart wrote “The Lady Is A Tramp” for the Broadway musical Babes In Arms, where it was introduced by Mitzi Green. The song was meant as a spoof on the high society of New York, where the singer is clear about what she likes to do, no matter what everyone else is doing. “The Lady Is A Tramp” has been sung by Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Lena Horne. More recently, Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga sang a duet of this song on their 2011 album “Duets II.”

About This Version

Today’s version of “The Lady Is A Tramp” was recorded in 1973 for the album Tony Bennett Sings 10 Rodgers & Hart Songs, released in 1975 on Bennett’s own Improv label. Accompanying Bennett on this album is the The Ruby Braff-George Barnes Quartet, featuring Braff on cornet, Barnes on guitar, Wayne Wright on guitar and John Guiffrida on bass. This quartet, with no piano or drums, is absolutely sublime for this body of Rodgers and Hart recordings.

The Lady Is A Tramp

Listen to The Lady Is A Tramp on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 2004


“The Lady Is Tramp,” as well as The Complete Improv Recordings, is available from iTunes.

About Today

It’s Saturday and our video today is the great duet of “The Lady Is A Tramp” with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, from 2011. This version of our song of the day is by Marion Evans.

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Song of the Day: I Could Write A Book

The song of the day for Monday, May 2, 2016 is “I Could Write A Book.”

About This Song

Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart wrote “I Could Write A Book” for the 1940 Broadway musical Pal Joey. 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 1976 for Tony Bennett Sings 10 Rodgers and Hart Songs. The lovely accompaniment is from 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.

I Could Write A Book

Listen to I Could Write A Book on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 2004


“I Could Write A Book,” as well as The Complete Improv Recordings, is available from iTunes.

About Today

We’re featuring “I Could Write A Book” to celebrate the 121st anniversary of the birth of the lyricist of the song, Lorenz Hart.

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Song of the Day: Blue Moon

The song of the day for Tuesday, October 6, 2015 is “Blue Moon.”

About This Song

“Blue Moon” was written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart in 1933. The tune first was used in the 1934 film Manhattan Melodrama, though with a completely different lyric. It has gone on to be one of the great jazz standards, ranking #94 on the Jazz Standards website. The song was recorded by many of the great artists of the 1930s, including Benny Goodman and Ray Noble. It has remained popular up to now and is regularly sung by jazz and cabaret vocalists.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded today’s version of “Blue Moon” in July 1973 at the CBS 30th Street Studios on his own label, Improv, founded after Bennett left Columbia. It was initially released on Tony Bennett Sings 10 Rodgers & Hart Songs. Other songs recorded over the two day long session were released on Tony Bennett Sings More Great Rodgers & Hart. The songs from both albums, as well as alternate versions of many of the songs, is collected on The Complete Improv Recordings, which is available from iTunes and on CD from Amazon. The liner notes for the CD set is wonderful.

For these two albums, Bennett was backed by the Ruby Braff – George Barnes Quartet, featuring Braff on cornet, Barnes and Wayne Wright on guitar and John Guiffrida on bass. No piano and no drums. And completely brilliant. Not only does the sound of the quartet beautifully evoke the sound of the 1930s, the Quartet and Bennett are perfect together. After the pretty rough last months at Columbia, these songs are pure perfection. There’s a wonderful lightness in his voice that I dearly love–when he dances just over the tune. I believe these recordings to be some of Tony Bennett’s finest work.

Blue Moon

Listen to Blue Moon on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 2004


“Blue Moon,” as well as The Complete Improv Recordings, is available from iTunes.