The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: It Amazes Me

The song of the day for Friday, August 30, 2019, is “It Amazes Me.”

About This Song

Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh wrote “It Amazes Me” in 1958. Liza Minnelli recorded this song when she was only eighteen years old, on her first album. It has also been recorded by Bill Evans, George Shearing, and Cleo Laine.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “It Amazes Me” in 1958 for his album Long Ago and Far Away. The very nice arrangement is by Frank DeVol.

“It Amazes Me,” as well as Long Ago and Far Away, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Time After Time

The song of the day for Monday, March 11, 2019, is “Time After Time.”

About This Song

“Time After Time” was written in 1947 by Jule Styne (music) and Sammy Cahn (lyrics) for the movie It Happened in Brooklyn. The song was introduced by Frank Sinatra and was a major hit for him; it has been widely recorded by many artists. In his fine book The Jazz Standards, Al Gioia quotes Jule Styne as saying “It’s a man’s song — ‘Time After Time.’ When a woman sings it, it is drained of all its power, so to speak. The girls can’t do it.”Well, tell that to Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Carmen McRae, Anita O’Day, and Cyndi Lauper.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Time After Time” in 1958 for his album Long Ago And Far Away. Ralph DeVol wrote the arrangement and conducted the orchestra.

Time After Time – 2011 Remaster

Time After Time – 2011 Remaster, a song by Tony Bennett on Spotify

“Time After Time,” as well as Long Ago And Far Away, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: The Way You Look Tonight

The song of the day for Saturday, January 5, 2019, is “The Way You Look Tonight.”

About This Song

“The Way You Look Tonight” was written in 1936 by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields. The song was introduced by Fred Astaire in the 1936 film Swing Time; the song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for the year. Dorothy Fields remarked “The first time Jerry played that melody for me I went out and started to cry. The release absolutely killed me. I couldn’t stop, it was so beautiful.” Dorothy Fields was the first woman to win an Oscar for songwriting. It’s a magnificent love song that has found a strong position as a jazz standard, with recordings by Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday, Mel Tormé, and Frank Sinatra.

About This Version

Tony Bennett has recorded “The Way You Look Tonight” several times. Today, I chose to feature his first recording, arranged by Frank DeVol, for the album Long Ago and Far Way, released in 1958.

The Way You Look Tonight – Remastered

The Way You Look Tonight – Remastered, a song by Tony Bennett on Spotify

“The Way Look Tonight,” as well as Long Ago and Far Away, is available from iTunes.

About Today

Our video today is quite special. On December 31, 2008, Tony appeared on a television special hosted by Elvis Costello, who asked him to sing a Jerome Kern. Tony chose this song and his surprise accompanist was Bill Charlap … an early preview of great things to come.

Tony Bennett: “The Way You Look Tonight”

Tony Bennett sings “The Way You Look Tonight” accompanied by Bill Charlap on Elvis Costello’s Spectacle, 1231/ 08

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Song of the Day: Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye

The song of the day for Sunday, October 22, 2017 is “Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye.”

About This Song

“Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye” was written by Cole Porter for the 1944 Billy Rose musical revue Seven Lively Arts. The song is well-known for the phrase “change from major to minor” as the song itself changed from A-flat major to A-flat minor, matching the lyric perfectly. I think it’s one of Porter’s best ballads.

It has always been a strong jazz standard. Significant recordings include those by Tony Bennett, Mabel Mercer, Sonny Rollins, Chet Baker, Sarah Vaughan and Dinah Washington.

About This Version

Tony Bennett sings “Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye” from his 1958 album Long Ago and Far Away. The arrangement was written by Frank DeVol.

Ev"rytime We Say Goodbye

Listen to Ev"rytime We Say Goodbye on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1958


“Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye,” as well as Long Ago and Far Away, is available from iTunes.

Lady Gaga sang today’s song as a solo on her album with Tony Bennett: Cheek to Cheek. As we are celebrating her this month, I’m please to present her recording today as well.

Ev"ry Time We Say Goodbye

Listen to Ev"ry Time We Say Goodbye on Spotify. Song · Lady Gaga · 2014

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Song of the Day: The Way You Look Tonight

The song of the day for Saturday, May 20, 2017 is “The Way You Look Tonight.”

About This Song

Today’s song, “The Way You Look Tonight,” was written by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields in 1936 for the movie Swing Time. The song was introduced by Fred Astaire and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for the year.

Dorothy Fields remarked “The first time Jerry played that melody for me I went out and started to cry. The release absolutely killed me. I couldn’t stop, it was so beautiful.” Dorothy Fields was the first woman to win an Oscar for songwriting. It’s a magnificent love song that has found a strong position as a jazz standard, with recordings by Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday, Mel Tormé and Frank Sinatra.

About This Version

Tony Bennett has recorded today’s song several times. Today I’ve chosen his first recording from 1958 for the album Long Ago and Far Away. The arrangement is by Frank DeVol.

The Way You Look Tonight

Listen to The Way You Look Tonight on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1958


“The Way You Look Tonight,” as well as Long Ago and Far Away, is available from iTunes.

About Today

While our version of “The Way You Look Tonight” was Bennett’s first recording of the song, our video is his most recent. Here are Tony Bennett and Bill Charlap performing “The Way You Look Tonight” from their 2015 album The Silver Lining: The Music of Jerome Kern.