The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Playlist of the Week: Tony Loves Judy and So Do We

The playlist for the week of September 29, 2019, is Tony Loves Judy and So Do We.

The founders of the Year of Tony Bennett saw the new film Judy last night, starring an absolutely amazing Renee Zellweger as Judy Garland. Both of us were moved to tears by Zellweger’s performance, and also from sadness over the challenges that Judy Garland, an immensely talented actress and singer, faced over her entire life, which ended much too soon.

Our playlist this week consists of a few of the songs that Judy Garland sang at her 1961 performance at Carnegie Hall and those same songs sung by Tony Bennett. There are also a couple of wonderful videos.

All of the Judy Garland recordings are from Judy Garland at Carnegie Hall.

Tony Bennett’s recordings are, in order, from Basie/Bennett, Tony Sings For Two, Together Again, and Tony Bennett Sings a String of Harold Arlen.

This clip is from Tony’s appearance on Judy Garland’s television program from 1963:

This clip is from a documentary on songwriters. It features Yip Harburg, who wrote the lyrics for “Over the Rainbow,” talking about his song:

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It’s No Secret

It’s no secret that we’re big fans of Judy Garland here at The Year of Tony Bennett.

Opening in September is Judy, a biopic starring Renée Zellweger as Judy Garland. We’ve got a couple of previews to share:

JUDY Official Trailer (2019) Renée Zellweger, Judy Garland Movie HD

JUDY Official Trailer (2019) Renée Zellweger, Judy Garland Movie HD © 2019 – RoadsideFlix Comedy, Kids, Family and Animated Film, Blockbuster, Action Cinema, Blockbuster, Scifi Movie or Fantasy film, Drama… We keep you in the know! Subscribe now to catch the best movie trailers 2017 and the latest official movie trailer, film clip, scene, review, interview.

Judy Trailer #2 (2019) | Movieclips Trailers

Check out the official Judy trailer starring Renée Zellweger! Let us know what you think in the comments below. ► Sign up for a Fandango FanAlert for Judy: https://www.fandango.com/judy-2019-218827/movie-overview?cmp=MCYT_YouTube_Desc Want to be notified of all the latest movie trailers? Subscribe to the channel and click the bell icon to stay up to date.

And while I’m on YouTube, here’s Tony and Judy on the Judy Garland Show on July 30, 1963:

Judy Garland – Tony Bennett – I Left My Heart In San Francisco

July 30, 1963: Videotaping of “Episode Five” of “The Judy Garland Show” at CBS Television City, Stage 43, Hollywood. Judy’s guests for this episode were Tony Bennett and Dick Shawn.

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Song of the Day: Over the Rainbow

The song of the day for Monday, July 8, 2019, is “Over the Rainbow.”

About This Song

Written by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg, “Over The Rainbow” is from the wonderful movie The Wizard Of Oz. Interestingly, the producers wanted to cut the song from the film, as they felt it slowed downed the movie. Thankfully, the preview audiences preferred the movie with the song.

“Over The Rainbow” ranked as the #1 song of the 20th century per the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment of the Arts. The song has always been closely associated with Judy Garland. In a letter to Harold Arlen, Judy Garland wrote that the song “…has become part of my life. It’s so symbolic of everybody’s dreams and wishes that I’m sure that’s why some people get tears in their eyes when they hear it. I’ve sung it thousands of times and it’s still the song that’s closest to my heart.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Over the Rainbow” in 1960 for Tony Bennett Sings a String of Harold Arlen. The recording was arranged and conducted by Glenn Osser.

Yesterday, I settled down for a couple of hours and watched The Wizard of Oz on TCM. At my age, I can’t begin to even guess how many times I’ve watched this movie. Yet, I’m still enchanted and find great joy in watching it. And, of course, “Over the Rainbow” never fails to stir my heart.

Over The Rainbow – 2011 Remaster

Over The Rainbow – 2011 Remaster, a song by Tony Bennett on Spotify

“Over the Rainbow,” as well as Tony Bennett Sings a String of Harold Arlen, is available from iTunes.

Lyricist Yip Harburg appeared on a television program about songwriting and talked about “Over the Rainbow”.

Yip Harburg – Over The Rainbow

After many requests, I am uploading this short clip which I use in teaching the basics of songwriting. It is a moving version of “Over The Rainbow” by the lyricist himself.

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Song of the Day: The Man That Got Away

The song of the day for Monday, June 10, 2019 is “The Man That Got Away.”

About This Song

“The Man That Got Away” by Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin, was written for Judy Garland for the 1954 version of A Star Is Born, with James Mason. Her performance of the song is legendary in film history, with 27 takes in three days, three separate sessions, and two different directors. The filmed scene is brilliant and made the song a huge hit for Garland, who sang it in most of her concerts.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Ralph Sharon recorded “The Man That Got Away” on October 28, 1959, released in 1961 on the album Tony Sings For Two. It was a remarkable session, as Bennett relates in his autobiography, The Good Life:

We booked time in the studio and pored through music books, trying one tune after another. The arrangements were spontaneous, and we finished each song in one or two takes. In one afternoon we laid down sixteen tunes–which must be some kind of record–twelve of which made it onto the album, which became 1961’s Tony Sings For Two. Mitch Miller showed up at the start of these sessions, furious that I was really going through with it. When he saw there no dissuading me, he turned to Frank Laico and said, “I’m leaving. I can’t support this.” Tony Sings For Two turned out to be one of my finest records ever.

The Man That Got Away – Remastered

The Man That Got Away – Remastered, a song by Tony Bennett on Spotify

“The Man That Got Away,” as well as Tony Sings For Two, is available from iTunes.

About Today

Today marks the anniversary of the birth of Judy Garland, born as Frances Ethel Gumm in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, on June 10, 1922. In her short life of just 47 years, she left us with a body of work that will never be forgotten. Her performance in 1954’s A Star Is Born was legendary, as shown in this clip of her singing “The Man That Got Away.”

The Man That Got Away – A Star Is Born (1954)

Of course this is the original version that was written for Judy by Harold Arlen for the film A Star Is Born in 1954. Judy Garland is 32 years old here.

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Song of the Day: The Man That Got Away

The song of the day for Saturday, February 23, 2019, is “The Man That Got Away.”

About This Song

“The Man That Got Away” was written by Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin for Judy Garland in the 1954 version of A Star Is Born, with James Mason. Her performance of the song is legendary in film history, with 27 takes in three days, three separate sessions, and two different directors. The filmed scene is brilliant and made the song a huge hit for Garland, who later sang it in most of her concerts.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “The Man That Got Away” for his album Tony Sings For Two. This is one of Tony’s finest albums, I think. Bennett and Ralph Sharon booked some time in the Columbia 30th Street Studio and entered with a briefcase full of sheet music. Bennett and Sharon recorded an astounding 16 songs in a single session, many on just one or two takes. For me, this album is a tribute to two incredibly talented musicians who were completely in sync. The session was held on October 28, 1959, but the album wasn’t released until February 1961.

The Man That Got Away – Remastered

The Man That Got Away – Remastered, a song by Tony Bennett on Spotify

“The Man That Got Away,” as well as Tony Sings For Two, is available from iTunes.

About Today

It’s Saturday and that means I have a video. Here’s Judy Garland from A Star Is Born.

The Man That Got Away – A Star Is Born (1954)

Of course this is the original version that was written for Judy by Harold Arlen for the film A Star Is Born in 1954. Judy Garland is 32 years old here.