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The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

January 16, 2021 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Crazy Rhythm

The song of the day for Sunday, January 17, 2021, is “Crazy Rhythm.”

About This Song

“Crazy Rhythm” was composed by Joseph Meyer and Roger Wolfe Kahn, with lyrics by Irving Caesar. It was written for the 1929 musical Here’s Howe. It’s been a popular standard since it was written and has been heavily recorded, not just by jazz and popular artists, but other genres including hillbilly. Significant recordings include those by Chet Atkins, Les Paul, Stan Getz, Bing Crosby, Bix Beiderbecke, and Whispering Jack Smith.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Crazy Rhythm” in 1957 for his second jazz album, The Beat of My Heart. It features Chico Hamilton on drums. Ralph Sharon arranged all of songs on the album.

Crazy Rhythm

Listen to Crazy Rhythm on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1957.

“Crazy Rhythm,” as well as The Beat of My Heart, is available from Apple Music.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Chico Hamilton, Irving Caesar, Joseph Meyer, Ralph Sharon, Roger Wolfe Kahn, The Beat of My Heart, Tony Bennett

April 10, 2019 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Crazy Rhythm

The song of the day for Thursday, April 11, 2019, is “Crazy Rhythm.”

About This Song

“Crazy Rhythm” was composed by Joseph Meyer and Roger Wolfe Kahn (music) and Irving Caesar (lyrics) in 1929 for the musical Here’s Howe. It’s been a popular standard since it was written and has been heavily recorded, not just by jazz and popular artists, but other genres including hillbilly. Significant recordings include those by Chet Atkins, Les Paul, Stan Getz, Bing Crosby, Bix Beiderbecke, and Whispering Jack Smith.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this version of “Crazy Rhythm” for Bennett’s 1957 album The Beat of My Heart. For this album, Bennett assembled the best jazz drummers and percussionists to perform on this album. “Crazy Rhythm” features Chico Hamilton.

Crazy Rhythm

Crazy Rhythm, a song by Tony Bennett on Spotify

“Crazy Rhythm,” as well as The Beat of My Heart, is available from iTunes.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Chico Hamilton, Irving Caesar, Joseph Meyer, Roger Wolfe Kahn, The Beat of My Heart, Tony Bennett

September 4, 2017 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Crazy Rhythm

The song of the day for Tuesday, September 5, 2017 is “Crazy Rhythm.”

About This Song

“Crazy Rhythm” was written for the 1929 musical Here’s Howe. The music was written by Joseph Meyer and Roger Wolfe Kahn with lyrics by Irving Caesar. It’s been a popular standard since it was written and has been heavily recorded, not just by jazz and popular artists, but other genres including hillbilly. Significant recordings include those by Chet Atkins, Les Paul, Stan Getz, Bing Crosby, Bix Beiderbecke and Whispering Jack Smith.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Crazy Rhythm” in 1949 for a demo record but, alas, no copies remain. I’m very glad he decided to record it again in 1957, this time with an arrangement by Ralph Sharon, for The Beat of My Heart. This recording features drummer Chico Hamilton.

Crazy Rhythm

Listen to Crazy Rhythm on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1957.


“Crazy Rhythm,” as well as The Beat of My Heart, is available from iTunes.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Joseph Meyer, Ralph Sharon, Roger Wolfe Kahn, The Beat of My Heart, Tony Bennett

July 28, 2014 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Crazy Rhythm

The song of the day for Monday, July 28, 2014 is “Crazy Rhythm.”

About This Song

Today’s song was written in 1928 by Joseph Meyer and Roger Wolfe Kahn for a long-forgotten Broadway musical called Here’s Howe. It’s been a popular standard since it was written and has been heavily recorded, not just by jazz and popular artists, but other genres including hillbilly. Significant recordings include those by Chet Atkins, Les Paul, Stan Getz, Bing Crosby, Bix Beiderbecke and Whispering Jack Smith.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Crazy Rhythm” in 1957 for his third album, The Beat of My Heart. Tony Bennett had, very wisely, hired Ralph Sharon as his pianist and musical director in early 1957. Sharon encourage Bennett to continue to explore his jazz inclinations. Bennett describes their interaction in developing The Beat of My Heart in his autobiography, The Good Life:

Ralph and I wanted to make a jazz statement in a big way, and I came up with the idea of recording an album of standards that put the spotlight on different kinds of rhythm by using all the great jazz drummers I could find. We talked the concept over during our first few months on the road, and gradually it all came together. The first recording date was in June, 1957, with Chico Hamilton. … when the album came out, an army of jazz fans said, Hey this guy knows how to swing. A whole new audience accepted me–in fact, I still get my biggest reactions at jazz festivals all over the world.

Today’s song, “Crazy Rhythm,” features the great Chico Hamilton.

http://open.spotify.com/track/3Km0pzPoVkrr29letO2Z7p
“Crazy Rhythm,” as well as the album The Beat of My Heart, is available from iTunes.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Chico Hamilton, Joseph Meyer, Ralph Sharon, Roger Wolfe Kahn, The Beat of My Heart

August 9, 2013 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Crazy Rhythm

The song of the day for Friday, August 9, 2013 is “Crazy Rhythm.”

About This Song

“Crazy Rhythm” was written in 1928 for the musical Here’s Howe by Irving Caesar, Joseph Meyer and Roger Wolfe Kahn. True to its title, the song is quite rhythmic and soon became a jazz classic, with well over a hundred different versions including those by Stan Getz, Harry James, Miles Davis, Les Paul and Chet Atkins. While mostly recorded as an instrumental, the song’s lyrics are quite clever and enjoyable, at least in Tony Bennett’s fine recording.

About This Version

Today’s song is from Tony Bennett’s third album, The Beat of My Heart. Tony Bennett, who had just brought in Ralph Sharon as his pianist, had a strong vision for this album: a jazz album featuring great percussionists. “Crazy Rhythm” features Chico Hamilton. This album also featured Jo Jones, Candido, Sabu, Art Blakely, and Billy Exiner (who would play with Bennett and the Ralph Sharon Trio for many years).

http://open.spotify.com/track/4QtftZeekTIyen4G12d529
“Crazy Rhythm,” as well as the album The Beat of My Heart, is available from iTunes.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Chico Hamilton, Here's Howe, Irving Caesar, Joseph Meyer, Roger Wolfe Kahn, The Beat of My Heart

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