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The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

August 22, 2023 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Pick Yourself Up

The song of the day for Wednesday, August 23, 2023, is “Pick Yourself Up.”

About This Song

“Pick Yourself Up” was written by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields for the 1936 film Swing Time, where it was introduced by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. It is used in the early part of the film when Astaire pretends to not be able to dance and asks for Ginger Rogers as his dance instructor just so he can dance with her. This song has been widely recorded, including those by Nat King Cole, Anita O’Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Diana Krall.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Pick Yourself Up” for his album The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern, released in 2015. It was arranged by Bill Charlap. The Bill Charlap Trio (Charlap on piano, Peter Washington on bass, Kenny Washington on drums) accompanied Bennett.

“Pick Yourself Up,” as well as The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern, is available on Apple Music.

Here’s today’s song with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers:

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Bill Charlap, Dorothy Fields, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Jerome Kern, Kenny Washington, Peter Washington, Swing Time, The Bill Charlap Trio, The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern, Tony Bennett

July 7, 2023 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Somebody Loves Me

The song of the day for Saturday, July 8, 2023, is “Somebody Loves Me.”

About This Song

“Somebody Loves Me” was written by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ballard MacDonald and Buddy DeSylva, for the 1924 George White’s Scandals. It has been widely recorded since it was first published, with recordings from 1924 until the present. Significant recordings include those by Dinah Shore, Lena Horne, Diana Washington, Peggy Lee, Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole, and many more.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Diana Krall recorded “Somebody Loves Me” for their 2018 album of George Gershwin music: Love Is Here To Stay. The Bill Charlap Trio (Charlap on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums) accompanied the entire album. Bill Charlap wrote the arrangement for this song.

“Somebody Loves Me,” as well as Love Is Here To Stay is available on Apple Music.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Ballard MacDonald, Bill Charlap, Buddy DeSylva, Diana Krall, George Gershwin, Kenny Washington, Peter Washington, The Bill Charlap Trio, Tony Bennett

March 8, 2023 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: I’m Old Fashioned

The song of the day for Thursday, March 9, 2023, is “I’m Old Fashioned.”

About This Song

“I’m Old Fashioned” was written by Jerome Kern and Johnny Mercer for the 1942 film You Were Never Lovelier, where it was first sung by Nan Wynn who dubbed for Rita Hayworth as part of a song and dance routine with Fred Astaire.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and The Bill Charlap Trio (Charlap on piano; Peter Washington on bass; and Kenny Washington on drums) recorded “I’m Old Fashioned” for The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern, released in 2015.

“I’m Old Fashioned,” as well as The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern is available on Apple Music.

Here are Fred Astaire, Rita Hayworth, and Nan Wynn’s voice from You Were Never Lovelier:

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Bill Charlap, Jerome Kern, Johnny Mercer, Kenny Washington, Peter Washington, The Bill Charlap Trio, The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern, Tony Bennett, You Were Never Lovelier

March 4, 2023 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Pick Yourself Up

The song of the day for Sunday, March 5, 2023, is “Pick Yourself Up.”

About This Song

“Pick Yourself Up” was written by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields for the 1936 movie Swing Time, where it was introduced by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. It was used in the early part of the film when Astaire pretends to be unable to dance and asks for Ginger Rogers as his dance instructor just so he can dance with her. This song has been widely recorded, including those by Nat King Cole, Anita O’Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Diana Krall.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Pick Yourself Up” for his album The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern, released in 2015. He was backed by The Bill Charlap, with Charlap on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums.

The album won the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Album.

“Pick Yourself Up,” as well as The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern is available on Apple Music.

Here are Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing to “Pick Yourself Up” from Swing Time:

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Bill Charlap, Dorothy Fields, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Jerome Kern, Kenny Washington, Peter Washington, The Bill Charlap Trio, The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern

April 11, 2022 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Pick Yourself Up

The song of the day for Tuesday, April 12, 2022, is “Pick Yourself Up.”

About This Song

“Pick Yourself Up” was written by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields for the film Swing Time, where it was introduced by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. It was used in the early part of the film where Astaire pretends to not be able to dance and asks for Ginger Rogers as his dance instructor just so he could dance with her. This song has been widely recorded, including those by Nat King Cole, Anita O’Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Diana Krall.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Pick Yourself Up” with The Bill Charlap Trio for the 2015 album The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern. Rounding out Charlap on piano, the trio features Peter Washington on bass and Kenny Washington on drums. Bill Charlap wrote all arrangements for this album.

This album won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Album.

“Pick Yourself Up,” as well as The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern is available on Apple Music.

One of the things that got me through the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021 was this fund-raising video for the Actors Fund of “Pick Yourself Up.” Pianist Tony DeSare pulled together jazz and stage performers to create this video. Whenever I’m feeling blue, I always play this video. And contribute something to The Actors Fund, led by Brian Stokes Mitchell, which helped support actors and musicians who were unable to work during the height of the pandemic.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Actor's Fund, Bill Charlap, Dorothy Fields, Jerome Kern, Kenny Washington, Peter Washington, Tony Bennett

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