The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Spring Is Here

The song of the day for Saturday, March 30, 2013 is Spring Is Here.

About This Song

Spring Is Here was written in 1938 by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart for the film I Married an Angel. In his discussion of the score for I Married an Angel, Alec Wilder says “and in the same score is another shattering ballad, Spring is Here” and “the lyric is Hart at his best, including the closing line: ‘Spring is here, I hear.'”

The lovely simplicity of Rodger’s tune aptly supports Hart’s lyrics. The combination is an exquisitely poignant ballad with the lonely singer looking at Spring from the outside.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded Spring Is Here in 1973 on his first album for his Improv label, Tony Bennett Sings 10 Rodgers & Hart Songs, which was followed by Tony Bennett Sings More Great Rodgers & Hart. Both albums are available on CD as Tony Bennett Sings the Rodgers & Hart Songbook.

Bennett chose to work with the Ruby Braff-George Barnes Quartet, which consisted of Ruby Braff (cornet), George Barnes (guitar), Wayne Wright (guitar) and John Guiffrida (bass). All of the recordings from this quartet of Rodgers and Hart songs are exceptional and this relatively unusual combination of instruments (no piano!) with these great songs and Bennett’s voice make for a wonderful album. I think this is one his finest recordings.

http://open.spotify.com/track/0ALVIr2zoYiVLKLsZkVpnn
Spring Is Here, as well as the full Tony Bennett Sings The Rodgers & Hart Songbook, is available from iTunes.

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: The Lady is a Tramp

In honor of Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (otherwise known as Lady Gaga) who is celebrating her birthday today, our song of the day for March 28, 2013 is The Lady Is A Tramp.

Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett

About This Song

The Lady is a Tramp was written in 1937 by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart for the Broadway musical Babes in Arms. It’s been a jazz and popular standard from the beginning, with recordings by Tommy Dorsey and Sophie Tucker. Other notable recordings are by Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Lena Horne.

About This Version

The first time I heard Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga sing The Lady is a Tramp, I had to jump up and start dancing. As the first song in the album, it’s a great promise on the incredible joys to come.  A lot of people in my baby-boomer age group were a little apprehensive about Bennett and Lady Gaga, but all fears were erased with first note she sings. She’s a natural for jazz and was a great partner for Bennett. It’s a great arrangement of a great song with two great singers. It’s not often that you get hear singers having this much fun while doing an amazing take.

http://open.spotify.com/track/6ZsKRsnPsdZvXfqqE6bTPy
The Lady is a Tramp, as well as the full Duets II album, is available from iTunes.

By 1 Comment

Happy Valentine’s Day

The Year of Tony Bennett would like to wish our readers  and subscribers (as well as Tony Bennett and everyone at RPM Productions) a Happy Valentine’s Day. To help you celebrate, we offer this video of a Tony Bennett singing My Funny Valentine from a 1979 concert at Jubilee Hall in Edmonton, Canada.

My Funny Valentine was written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart in 1937 for the musical Babes In Arms.

By 1 Comment

Song of the Day: I Could Write A Book

The song of the day for Wednesday, January 30, 2012 is I Could Write A Book.

About I Could Write A Book

Composed by Richard Rodgers with lyrics by Lorenz Hart, I Could Write A Book is one of the hit songs from the 1940 musical Pal Joey (the other being Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered). Rodgers and Hart had a magnificent career and worked together from 1919 until Hart’s death in 1943. They wrote two more musicals after Pal Joey: By Jupiter and A Connecticut Yankee. After Hart’s death, Rodgers partnered with Oscar Hammerstein II.

The contribution of Rodgers and Hart to the American Songbook cannot be underestimated. Mountain Greenery, Thou Swell, Blue Moon, This Can’t Be Love and many, many more are some of the songs that were popular when written and remain popular today with jazz and cabaret singers.

10RodgersHart

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded two Rodgers and Hart albums for his Improv label: Tony Bennett Sings 10 Rodgers and Hart Songs and Tony Bennett Sings More Great Rodgers and Hart, both released in 1973.

Bennett is an excellent interpreter of the songs of Rodgers and Hart. The albums are also remarkable for the musicians he recorded the albums with. Bennett was a big fan of the cornet player Ruby Braff. Together, they created a wonderful sound with Braff’s cornet, George Barnes and Wayne Wright on guitar, and John Guiffrida on bass. No drums, no piano: just cornet, two guitars and bass. It’s a warm, inviting and very intimate sound that Bennett’s voice fits beautifully with.

I Could Write A Book originally appeared on Tony Bennett Sings 10 Rodgers & Hart Songs.

I Could Write A Book

Listen to I Could Write A Book on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1973

I Could Write A Book, as well as the full Tony Bennett Sings Rodgers and Hart, is available from iTunes.

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Falling In Love With Love

The Song of the Day for Sunday, November 11, 2012 is Falling In Love With Love.

About Falling In Love With Love

This song was written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart for the 1938 Broadway musical The Boys From Syracuse and was also included the 1940 film version. It’s been sung by artists ranging from Sergio Franchi to Helen Merrill to Frank Sinatra.

About This Version

This version is from one my favorite Tony Bennett albums, If I Ruled The World: Tony Bennett Songs For The Jet Set, though this song wasn’t included on the original release, it was added to the rerelease for the Complete Collection. It was recorded in February, 1965 with the Ralph Sharon Trio: Ralph Sharon (p), Hal Gaylor (b) and Billy Exiner (d). Also featured on the album was Al Cohn on tenor saxophone. The producer was Ernie Altschuler.