The song of the day for Thursday, August 14, 2025, is “Blue and Sentimental.”

A Belated Birthday

We’re remembering the late Kay Starr, who was born on July 21, 1922. Normally, we remember Tony Bennett’s collaborators on their birth date, but because July 21 also marked our remembrance of Tony Bennett on the anniversary of his passing, we skipped Kay Starr.

Kay Starr was a remarkable singer who sang songs in several genres: jazz, pop, blues, country, and rock ‘n’ roll. Jazz was her primary calling. Her first professional job occurred when she was discovered by jazz violinist Joe Venuti when Starr was only 15 years old. Venuti was playing at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, TN, for the summer. Her parents allowed her to perform, as long as she was home by midnight. After she graduated from high school, she moved to Los Angeles to work with Joe Venuti.

You can learn more about Kay Starr on Wikipedia and All About Jazz.com.

About This Song

“Blue and Sentimental” was written in 1938 by Count Basie, Jerry Livingston, and Mack David. Recordings of the song include those by The King Cole Trio, The Mills Brothers, Ella Fitzgerald, and Catherine Russell.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Kay Starr recorded “Blue and Sentimental” in May 2001 for Playin’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings The Blues. Rob Mathes wrote the vocal arrangements.

“Blue and Sentimental,” as well as Playin’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings The Blues, is available on Apple Music.

Playin’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings The Blues won the 2003 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Album.

As a special treat, we’re including Kay Starr’s 1952 recording of “Wheel of Fortune,” which was a smash hit and was later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

The song of the day for Friday, December 6, 2024, is “Blue and Sentimental.”

About This Song

“Blue and Sentimental” was written in 1938 by Count Basie, Jerry Livingston, and Mack David. The Count Basie Orchestra recorded it in 1938. It has since been recorded by Ella Fitzgerald, Nat Cole, Kay Starr, and Mel Tormé.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Kay Starr recorded “Blue and Sentimental” in May 2001 for Playin’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings The Blues. It was Kay Starr’s last recording.

“Blue and Sentimental,” as well as Playin’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings The Blues, is available on Apple Music.

Here’s the 1938 recording with The Count Basie Orchestra:

And here’s the Kay Starr recording from 1957:

The song of the day for Friday, July 21, 2023, is “Blue and Sentimental.”

About Today

We are celebrating Kay Starr, Tony’s duet partner for today’s song, on the anniversary of her birth in Oklahoma on July 21, 1922. Kay loved to sing as a small child and won her first talent show at the age of 7. By then the family had moved to Dallas, Texas, where Kay found many opportunities to sing and earn money. She was discovered at the age of 15 by Joe Venuti and worked with Venuti for several years. Starr considered herself a jazz singer, but she also sang traditional pop, country, and Western swing music. She performed well into her 80s, including a stint in the revue 3 Girls, with Helen O’Connell and Margaret Whiting. She died in 2016 from complications of Alzheimer’s disease.

About This Song

“Blue and Sentimental” was written in 1938 by Count Basie, with Jerry Livingston and Mack David, and was originally recorded by The Count Basie Orchestra. It has since been recorded by Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, and Mel Tormé.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Kay Starr recorded “Blue and Sentimental” in May 2001 for the album Playin’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings The Blues.

“Blue and Sentimental,” as well as Playin’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings The Blues is available on Apple Music.