The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Out Of This World

The song of the day for Saturday, February 21, 2026, is “Out Of This World.”

About This Song

“Out Of This World” was written in 1944 by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer for the 1945 film Out of This World. The film starred Eddie Bracken, however Bing Crosby dubbed the vocals for Bracken and introduced the song. Alec Wilder was a fan of this song, praising its ethereal quality and the excellent lyrics by Mercer.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Out Of This World” on January 18, 1967, for his album For Once In My Life. Marion Evans wrote the arrangement and conducted the orchestra.

“Out Of This World,” as well as For Once In My Life, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)

The song of the day for Tuesday, February 17i, 2026, is “One For My Baby (And One More For The Road).”

About This Song

“One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)” was written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer for the 1943 film The Sky’s The Limit, where it was introduced by Fred Astaire. Harold Arlen called this song one of his “tapeworms” as at 48 bars, it was longer than the standard 32 bar popular song. Alec Wilder, in American Popular Song, says that “the honors must go the lyric. Just imagine having the acuity and courage to start a song, as Mercer does, with ‘It’s a quarter to three!’.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)” in June 1992 for Perfectly Frank, his tribute to Frank Sinatra. Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement.

“One For My Baby (And One More For The Road),” as well as Perfectly Frank, is available on Apple Music.

We have Sinatra’s 1958 recording of “One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)” from Frank Sinatra Sings For Only The Lonely, with an arrangement by Nelson Riddle.

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Song of the Day: That Old Black Magic

The song of the day for Sunday, February 15, 2026,is “That Old Black Magic.”

About Today

The great Harold Arlen was born 121 years ago on February 15, 1905. We’ll be celebrating Harold Arlen all week.

About This Song

“That Old Black Magic” was written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer for the 1942 film Star Spangled Rhythm. This song has been widely recorded, starting with Glenn, Miller’s 1942 recording. Other significant recordings include those by Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, Sammy Davis Jr., and many more. It was used in several films, including the 1952 movie Bus Stop, where it was sung by Marilyn Monroe.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “That Old Black Magic” live on August 28, 1962, in Washington, D.C. President John F. Kennedy had invited The Dave Brubeck Quartet and Tony Bennett, with Ralph Sharon Trio to perform for that year’s White House Presidential Scholars, which consisted of college-age students who wanted to serve their country. The concert was originally to be held in The White House Rose Garden, but wwas moved to The Mall, near the Washington Monument in order to accommodate the expected larger audience.

The Dave Brubeck Quartet played a set, followed by a set by Tony Bennett. After that, Tony Bennett joined Dave Brubeck, Eugene Wright, and Joe Morello for a short improv session, which included “That Old Black Magic.”

The full concert was recorded by Columbia Records. However, the concert tapes were lost somewhere in the Columbia archives, and were only found after Brubeck’s death on December 5, 2012. Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions was released on May 28, 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: I Thought About You

The song of the day for Saturday, January 24, 2026, is “I Thought About You.”

About This Song

“I Thought About You” was written in 1939 by Jimmy McHugh and Johnny Mercer. In the biography Portrait of Johnny: The Life of John Herndon Mercer, author Gene Lees quotes Mercer about this song:

I can remember the afternoon that we wrote it. He [Van Heusen] played me the melody. I didn’t have any idea, but I had to go to Chicago that night. I think I was on the Benny Goodman program. And I got to thinking about it on the train. I was awake, I couldn’t sleep. The tune was running through my mind, and that’s when I wrote the song. On the train, really going to Chicago.

“I Thought About You” proved quite popular and has been recorded many times by jazz performers including Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Johnny Hartman, Shirley Horn, Dinah Washington, and Mel Tormé.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “I Thought About You” in June 1992 for Perfectly Frank, his tribute to Frank Sinatra. Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement.

Perfectly Frank won the 1992 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance.

“I Thought About You,” as well as Perfectly Frank, is available on Apple Music.

Here’s Frank Sinatra‘s 1956 recording of “I Thought About You” from Songs For Swingin’ Lovers! with an arrangement by Nelson Riddle.

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Song of the Day: Blues in the Night

The song of the day for Thursday, January 22, 2026, is “Blues in the Night.”

About This Song

“Blues in the Night” was written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer for the 1941 film Blues in the Night. Arlen wrote the music first and wrote a true blues song. Johnny Mercer, who later wrote the lyrics, drew on his Southern heritage to write the exceptional blues lyrics.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Blues in the Night” on October 21, 1957, for his album The Beat of My Heart. For The Beat of My Heart, Bennett and Ralph Sharon invited percussionists to participate. Jo Jones was the drummer for “Blues in the Night.” Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement.

“Blues in the Night,” as well as The Beat of My Heart, is available on Apple Music.

I was delighted to find a video from this film Blues in the Night where the song is introduced. The soloist is baritone William Gillespie, who was hired to sing this song,