The song of the day for Thursday, January 9, 2025, is “Moments Like This.”

About The Art Of Excellence and How That All Happened

The Art of Excellence is sometimes called Tony Bennett’s “comeback” album. After twenty years at Columbia Records, Bennett’s relationship with the label started to sour when Clive Davis, an attorney with no musical training or experience, was named president of Columbia Records in 1966. Davis was convinced that rock and roll was the future of the label and in 1970 pressured Bennett to “cover” hits on Tony Sings The Great Hits Of Today! Bennett related in his autobiography The Good Life:

I started planning the record by listening to as many current hits as I could stand. I mean, some of these songs made me physically ill. Even Clive Davis says in his book that I became so nauseous before the first recording session that I literally threw up.

The pressure to release this kind of music led Tony Bennett to leave the label in 1971. During the 1970s, he recorded a few albums with MGM/Verve in England and lived there for a year recording, doing concerts, and British television programs. Returning to the US in 1973, he renewed his friendship with Ruby Braff, who had just formed The Ruby Braff/George Barnes Quartet. Tony Bennett recorded his two Rodgers and Hart albums during that period. In 1972 he partnered with Bill Hassett, a realtor, and created the Improv label, which released the Rodgers and Hart albums.

In 1975, Tony Bennett recorded his first album with Bill Evans, The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album, which was released by Fantasy Records, Evans’s album. Their second album, Together Again, was recorded in 1976 and released on the Improv album.

Despite the artistic success of the Rodgers and Hart albums and the albums with Bill Evans, Bennett’s personal life was in shambles. He reached out to his eldest son, Danny, for help. He moved back to New York, with Danny as his manager. Together, they rebuilt his career, including a new contract with Columbia Records and the release of The Art Of Excellence in 1986.

Tony Bennett recorded The Art Of Excellence in three days, January 9-11, 1986. We’ll be playing songs from that album for the next few days.

About This Song

“Moments Like This” was written om 1938 by Burton Lane (music) and Frank Loesser (lyrics) for a movie called College Swing, which starred Bob Hope. Early recordings include those by Maxine Sullivan, Teddy Wilson, and Dick Stabile and His Orchestra. Later recordings include those by Peggy Lee, Bobby Short, and Michael Feinstein.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Moments Like This” in January 1986, for The Art Of Excellence. Jorge Calandrelli arranged and conducted the orchestra for the album.

“Moments Like This,” as well as The Art Of Excellence, is available on Apple Music.