The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: But Beautiful

The song of the day for Thursday, March 28, 2024, is “But Beautiful.”

About Today

The Year of Tony Bennett wishes Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta aka Lady Gaga a very happy birthday! She was born on March 28, 1986, in New York City. She loved music and began piano lessons at the age of 4. She enrolled at New York University in their music school but left her studies to start her career as a performer. She first sang with Tony Bennett for their duet of “The Lady is a Tramp” for Duets II and recorded two additional albums with Bennett: Cheek To Cheek and Love For Sale.

About This Song

“But Beautiful” was written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke in 1947 for Bing Crosby to sing in the 1947 movie The Road to Rio. The song has been widely recorded, including recordings by Bill Evans, Bill Evans and Tony Bennett, Johnny Hartman, Billie Holiday, Gregory Porter, Frank Sinatra, and Nat King Cole.

About This Version

Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett recorded “But Beautiful” in 2014 for their album Cheek To Cheek. It was arranged by Jorge Calandrelli.

“But Beautiful,” as well as Cheek To Cheek, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Nature Boy

The song of the day for Sunday, March 17, 2024, is “Nature Boy.”

About This Song

“Nature Boy” was written in 1947 by eden ahbez, the name adopted by George Alexander Aberle, who was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1908. In the 1930s, he lived in Kansas City and worked as a pianist and band leader. In the early 1940s, he moved to Los Angeles and began playing piano in a health food and raw food store run by John and Vera Richter, who followed a Naturmensch and Lebensreform philosophy influenced by the Wandervogel movement in Germany. In following their philosophy, he and other followers grew their hair long, became vegetarians, and were, for all practical purposes, the earliest hippies. They called themselves The Nature Boys. At the suggestion of Johnny Mercer, eden ahbez approached Nat King Cole with his song “Nature Boy.” Unable to meet with Nat Cole personally, he left the song with Cole’s valet. Cole began to perform the song in his concerts; in 1947 he recorded it for Capitol Records, with an arrangement by Frank DeVol, who used strings and flute in his orchestration. The song was a big hit for Nat Cole and Capitol Records.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga recorded “Nature Boy” in 2014 for their album Cheek To Cheek. It was arranged by Jorge Calandrelli.

“Nature Boy,” as well as Cheek To Cheek, is available on Apple Music.

Today is the anniversary of the birth of Nat “King” Cole on March 17, 1919. In his honor, we’re happy to include his original 1947 recording of “Nature Boy.”

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Song of the Day: It Don’t Mean a Thing (If it Ain’t Got That Swing)

The song of the day for Friday, March 1, 2024, is “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If it Ain’t Got That Swing).”

About This Song

“It Don’t Mean a Thing (If it Ain’t Got That Swing)” was written in 1931 by Duke Ellington, with lyrics by Irving Mills. It was one of the first songs to use the word “swing” in the title and this song certainly defined what it meant to swing. Ellington recorded the song with Ivie Anderson on vocals and it was an immediate hit. It has been widely recorded since it was written and the song is a lot of fun to play and to listen to. Significant recordings include those by Louis Armstrong, Django Reinhardt, Gigi Gryce, Tony Bennett, and Thelonious Monk.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga recorded “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If it Ain’t Got That Swing)” in 2014 for their album Cheek To Cheek, featuring an arrangement by Marion Evans. It features Joe Lovano on tenor sax and George Rabbi on trumpet.

“It Don’t Mean a Thing (If it Ain’t Got That Swing),” as well as Cheek To Cheek, is available on Apple Music.

Cheek To Cheek won the 2015 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.

Here’s the fantastic 1931 Ellington recording of “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If it Ain’t Got That Swing)” with Ivie Anderson on vocals.

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Song of the Day: Let’s Face The Music And Dance

The song of the day for Sunday, December 3, 2023, is “Let’s Face The Music And Dance.”

About This Song

“Let’s Face The Music And Dance” was written by Irving Berlin for the 1936 film Follow the Fleet with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The Astaire–Rogers dance to this song is considered one of their best. It has also been recorded by singers including Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga recorded “Let’s Face The Music And Dance” in 2014 for their album Cheek To Cheek. It was arranged by Alex Smith.

“Let’s Face The Music And Dance,” as well as Cheek To Cheek, is available on Apple Music.

And here are Fred and Ginger from the 1936 Follow The Fleet

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Song of the Day: Take The A Train

The song of the day for Wednesday, November 30, 2023, is “Take The A Train.”

About Today

Today we are honoring Billy Strayhorn, who was born on November 29, 1915. Born in Ohio, he grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He studied classical music at the Pittsburgh Musical Institute and wrote “Lush Life” during that time. In 1938, he met Duke Ellington, who invited Strayhorn to visit him at his home in the Sugar Hill neighborhood in New York. Ellington wrote down instructions on how to get to his home after arriving in New York, starting with “take the A train.” Strayhorn worked with Ellington for 25 years, until Strayhorn’s death from cancer.

About This Song

“Take The A Train” was written by Billy Strayhorn in 1939, with lyrics by Joya Sherrill (which were added in 1944). It became Ellington’s signature tune and was played at virtually every concert he gave.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Take The A Train” on May 20, 1999, and features the Ralph Sharon Quartet, with Paul Langosch (bass), Gray Sargent (guitar) Clayton Cameron (drums) Also featured are Al Grey on trombone and Wynton Marsalis on trumpet. It was arranged and conducted by Ralph Burns. This recording was an unreleased outtake from Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool. It was included in Rarities, Outtakes and Other Delights, Vol. 2, in the 2011 Complete Collection box set.

“Take The A Train,” as well as Rarities, Outtakes and Other Delights, Vol. 2, is available on Apple Music.

I’m adding Lady Gaga’s solo recording of “Lush Life, from her album with Tony Cheek to Cheek, released in 2014.

A Note to Readers

I will likely be posting intermittently for a while. I won’t be able to see well for a while (cataract surgery, no big deal) which makes it difficult to post. No fear, The Twelve Days of a Tony Bennett Christmas will start on December 14, as usual. Thank you all for your support of The Year of Tony Bennett.