The Year of Tony Bennett would like to wish Johnny Mandel a very happy birthday. He was born November 23, 1925, in New York City. His mother was an opera singer who discovered when Johnny was five years old that he had perfect pitch. He started his musical education on piano, but switched to the trumpet and later the trombone. He studied at the Manhattan School of Music and at Julliard.

Mr. Mandel has a notable career as a composer, arranger, conductor and performer. His songs for films are legendary, including the score for The Sandpiper and its theme song The Shadow of Your Smile. He also composed the theme song for the film M*A*S*H, Suicide is Painless.

Johnny Mandel has not only composed songs sung by Tony Bennett (The Shadow of Your Smile, Close Enough for Love, and Emily, for example) but has also arranged and conducted for him as well, including The Movie Song Album and The Art of Romance.

In honor of Mr. Mandel’s birthday, here is Close Enough For Love, written by Johnny Mandel, from the 2004 The Art of Romance, arranged and conducted by Mr. Mandel.