An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett
The song of the day for Sunday, February 19, 2023, is “Because of You.”
“Because of You” was written in 1940 by Arthur Hammerstein and Dudley Wilkinson. It was Tony Bennett’s first major hit, recorded in 1951.
Tony Bennett and k.d. lang recorded “Because of You” on February 10, 2006, for Duets: An American Classic. Jorge Calandrelli wrote the arrangement.
“Because of You,” as well as Duets: An American Classic is available on Apple Music.
The song of the day for Tuesday, February 7, 2023, is “What a Wonderful World.”
“What a Wonderful World” was written in 1967 by Bob Thiele (as George Douglas) and George David Weiss. Written at a time of great political and racial unrest in America, “What A Wonderful World” was a kind, gentle and positive song that was very well received. Louis Armstrong recorded it first and it was a big hit for him, selling over a million singles. Even though this song has been recorded by many fine artists, including Tony Bennett, it remains closely identified with Louis Armstrong.
Tony Bennett and k.d. lang recorded “What a Wonderful World” in March 2002 for their album A Wonderful World.
“What a Wonderful World,” as well as A Wonderful World is available on Apple Music.
Here’s Armstrong’s recording of “A Wonderful World.”
The song of the day for Sunday, February 5, 2023, is “You Can’t Lose a Broken Heart.”
“You Can’t Lose a Broken Heart” was written in 1931 by James P. Johnson and Flournoy Earkin Miller. Johnson, a composer who was also known as a Harlem Stride pianist, collaborated with author and producer Miller to produce the Sugar Hill revue in 1931 for this song. Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday recorded “You Can’t Lose A Broken Heart” as a duet with Sy Oliver and His Orchestra in 1949 on the Decca label.
Tony Bennett and k.d. lang recorded “You Can’t Lose a Broken Heart” in March 2002 for the album A Wonderful World. Vocal arrangements were by Rob Mathes. The album was orchestrated and conducted by Peter Matz, with musical direction and arrangements by Lee Musiker.
“You Can’t Lose a Broken Heart” as well as A Wonderful World is available on Apple Music.
Here’s the Louis Armstrong and Billy Holiday 1949 duet of “You Can’t Lose a Broken Heart” on the Decca label:
The song of the day for Saturday, February 4, 2023, is “Exactly Like You.”
“Exactly Like You” was written in 1930 by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields for Lew Leslie’s International Revue, which also introduced “On The Sunny Side Of The Street.” While the reviewers were not kind to the production, the score was then, and remains still, quite noteworthy. Even though Fields’ lyrics for the song are very fine, the early recordings of the song were mostly instrumentals, such as that by Louis Armstrong. The song became popular again in 1936, with a fine recording by Benny Goodman that featured Lionel Hampton on the vibraphone, followed by the 1937 recording by Count Basie, which included the vocals by Jimmy Rushing. Later notable recordings include those by Carmen McRae (1954), Bing Crosby (1944), Patti Page (1949), Anita O’Day (1975), Nina Simone (1959), and Diana Krall (2006).
Tony Bennett and k.d. lang recorded “Exactly Like You” in March 2002 for their album Tony Bennett & k.d. lang: A Wonderful World. Vocal arrangements were by Rob Mathes. The album was orchestrated and conducted by Peter Matz, with musical direction and arrangements by Lee Musiker.
“Exactly Like You,” as well as Tony Bennett & k.d. lang: A Wonderful World is available on Apple Music.
We’ve also got Armstrong’s 1930 recording on the Okey label.
The song of the day for Thursday, April 21, 2022, is “Exactly Like You.”
“Exactly Like You” was written in 1930 by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields for Lew Leslie’s International Revue, which also introduced “On The Sunny Side Of The Street.” While the reviewers were not kind to the production, the score was then, and remains still, quite noteworthy. Even though Fields’ lyrics for the song are very fine, the early recordings of the song were mostly instrumentals, such as that by Louis Armstrong. The song became popular again in 1936, with a fine recording by Benny Goodman that featured Lionel Hampton on the vibraphone, followed by the 1937 recording by Count Basie, which included the vocals by Jimmy Rushing. Later notable recordings include those by Carmen McRae (1954), Bing Crosby (1944), Patti Page (1949), Anita O’Day (1975), Nina Simone (1959), and Diana Krall (2006).
Tony Bennett and k.d. lang recorded “Exactly Like You” in 2002 for their album A Wonderful World, which consisted of songs associated with Louis Armstrong. The album was orchestrated and conducted by Peter Matz, with musical direction and arrangements by Lee Musiker.
“Exactly Like You,” as well as A Wonderful World is available on Apple Music.