The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Lazy Afternoon

The song of the day for Thursday, August 6, 2026, is “Lazy Afternoon.”

About This Song

“Lazy Afternoon” was written by Jerome Moross and John LaTouche for the 1954 musical The Golden Apple. The musical uses mythological Greek characters from Ulysses but is set in the state of Washington (at Mount Olympia, of course) in the United States. This song, as well as the entire score, is quite beautiful.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Lazy Afternoon” on June 27, 1957, for The Beat of My Heart. Bennett invited many notable percussionists to play on the recordings; Chico Hamilton played for “Lazy Afternoon.” Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement.

“Lazy Afternoon,” as well as The Beat of My Heart is available on Apple Music

Here’s the recording of “Lazy Afternoon” from the original cast album of The Golden Apple. It’s sung by Kaye Ballard, who played Helen in the production.

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Song of the Day: Maybe This Time

The Song of the Day for September 12, 2012 is Maybe This Time.

About Maybe This Time

Maybe This Time was written by John Kander and Fred Ebb. The song was used in the film version of their musical Cabaret, but not in the original stage production. It is said that the song was written by Kaye Ballard and that she first recorded Maybe This Time, though The Year of Tony Bennett cannot find any documentation of when she recorded it for the first time. However, her website does have a link to play a snippet from her current 4-CD set. The song is widely associated with Liza Minnelli, who sings it regularly.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded Maybe This Time in 1995 for his album to Here’s To The Ladies. Mr. Bennett has performed this song at every concert of his I’ve ever attended, and I dearly hope he continues to include it in his concert set lists. It’s a wonderful song and I, personally, will never tire of hearing him sing it to a live audience. Mr. Bennett, with the current quartet, performed this song at the iTunes Festival in London 2010, which is available on iTunes and is a great, if short, live set. And is the best $5.99 you can spend if you like Tony Bennett. Everyone at the Year of Tony Bennett recommends this iTunes concert.