An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett
This episode aired in Fall 1990.
Setlist:
“Wait Till You See Her” (Hart, Rodgers)
“Stay as Sweet as You Are” (Gordon, Revel)
“Willow Creek” (McPartland)
“While We’re Young” (Coots, Gillespie)
“Jazz Waltz For A Friend” (Wilder)
“Let There Be Love” (Rosnes)
“Portrait of Tony Bennett” (McPartland)
“Imagination” (Burke, Van Heusen)
“Watch What Happens” (Demy, Gimbel)
“Love Is Just Around the Corner” (Gensler, Robin)
“I’ve Grown Accustomed to Your Face” (Lerner, Loewe)
The song of the day for Monday, March 20, 2023, is “Twilight World.”
We are remembering a great jazz pianist, Marian McPartland, who was born on March 19, 1918, in Slough, England. In addition to being a very fine jazz pianist, she was also a composer and writer. She introduced jazz to an entire generation with her weekly program on PBS, Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz, that ran from 1970 to 2010.
Happy birthday to Marian McPartland!
“Twilight World” was written in 1957 by Marian McPartland, with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. This ballad by Marian McPartland has proven to be one of her most enduring and popular songs. The tune itself is a lovely mid-tempo ballad, often played in a bossa nova style. The lyrics by Johnny Mercer are quite good, and the combination makes for a nearly perfect jazz song. Tony Bennett said “well, that song will last forever. It’s a beautiful song.”
Tony Bennett recorded “Twilight World” on October 1, 1971, and released the following year on the album With Love. It was arranged by Robert Farnon.
“Twilight World,” as well as With Love is available on Apple Music.
Tony Bennett was a guest on Piano Jazz in 2004. We are pleased to present the full recording. It’s a lovely show.
The song of the day for Wednesday, November 16, 2022, is “While We’re Young.”
“While We’re Young” was written by Alec Wilder and Morty Palitz, with lyrics by William Engvick, in 1944. It was first recorded in 1944 by the Fred Waring Singers and again in 1949 by Meredith Willson (who wrote The Music Man) and his Orchestra. Peggy Lee also recorded the song in 1949, but not to Wilder’s liking. Marion McPartland quotes Wilder as telling Miss Lee ‘The next time you come to the bridge (of the song), jump off!’ “While We’re Young” remains popular in the American songbook, having been recently recorded by Jane Monheit and Ben Sidron.
In May 1977, Tony Bennett, with his trio, and Marian McPartland and her band (including Jimmy McPartland on cornet) played at the Statler Hilton in Buffalo, NY. In addition to singing, Bennett acted as emcee. The gig was released on Tony Bennett, The McPartlands and Friends Make Magnificent Music. It’s a nice mix of vocals and the instrumentals with Marian McPartland are really a joy.
“While We’re Young,” as well as The Complete Improv Recordings is available on Apple Music.
The song of the day for Wednesday, October 19, 2022, is “Twilight World.”
“Twilight World” was written in 1957 by the wonderful pianist Marian McPartland, with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. This ballad has proven to be one of her most enduring and popular songs. The tune itself is a lovely mid-tempo ballad, often played in a bossa nova style. The lyrics by Johnny Mercer are quite good, and the combination makes for a nearly perfect jazz song. Tony Bennett said “well, that song will last forever. It’s a beautiful song.”
Tony Bennett recorded “Twilight World” on October 1, 1971, for his album With Love. The song was arranged by Robert Farnon.
“Twilight World,” as well as With Love is available on Apple Music.
The song of the day for Sunday, March 20, 2022, is “Twilight World.”
We are very pleased to honor Marian McPartland on the anniversary of her birth on March 20, 1918, in Slough, United Kingdom. She was a noted pianist, composer, and writer. Her NPR series, Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz, ran from 1978 to 2011 and introducted jazz to much of America.
“Twilight World” was written by Marian McPartland, with lyrics by Johnny Mercer in 1957. This ballad by Marian McPartland has proven to be one of her most enduring and popular songs. The tune itself is a lovely mid-tempo ballad, often played in a bossa nova style. The lyrics by Johnny Mercer are quite good, and the combination makes for nearly perfect jazz song. Tony Bennett said “well, that song will last forever. It’s a beautiful song.”
Tony Bennett recorded “Twilight World” in 1971; the recording was released on the album With Love in 1972. Robert Farnon wrote the arrangement
“Twilight World,” as well as With Love is available on Apple Music.
We are happy to present the 1990 episode of Piano Jazz with Tony Bennett as guest. It’s really lovely.