The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: How Do You Keep The Music Playing?

The song of the day for Saturday, October 3, 2015 is “How Do You Keep The Music Playing?”

About This Song

Today’s song, “How Do You Keep The Music Playing?”, was written in 1982, with music by Michel Legrand and lyrics from Alan and Marilyn Bergman. This song was written for the 1982 movie Best Friends, which starred Burt Reynolds and Goldie Hawn. The initial recording was a duet by Patti Austin and James Ingram, which became a hit single in 1983. It was one of three songs with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman that were nominated that year for an Academy Award for Best Song (though the award went to “Up Where We Belong” from the movie An Officer and a Gentleman). The song has become a popular standard and has had many fine recordings, including those by Frank Sinatra (who encouraged Bennett to sing this song), Frankie Laine, Johnny Mathis and Tony Bennett, Tony Bennett and George Michael and, most recently, Tony Bennett and Aretha Franklin.

About This Version

We feature Tony Bennett’s 1986 solo version of “How Do You Keep The Music Playing?” from The Art of Excellence, one of Bennett’s finest albums. It was arranged by Jorge Calandrelli.

Mr. Bennett sang this song at the first live concert of his I ever attended and I’ll never forget how much the song moved me that evening in Seattle. The Bergmans have never written a bad lyric and this is one of their very best.

How Do You Keep The Music Playing?

Listen to How Do You Keep The Music Playing? on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1986


“How Do You Keep The Music Playing?,” as well as Duets II, is available from iTunes.

About Today

Today is video Saturday and I am quite pleased to present the wonderful duet of today’s song from Tony and Aretha Franklin from Duets II. Keep an eye on Tony at the very end of the song. It makes me cry too.

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: How Do You Keep The Music Playing?

The song of the day for Saturday, August 29, 2015 is “How Do You Keep The Music Playing”?

About This Song

Today’s song, “How Do You Keep The Music Playing”, was composed by Michel Legrand with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman. It was written for the 1982 movie Best Friends, which starred Burt Reynolds and Goldie Hawn. The initial recording was a duet by Patti Austin and James Ingram, which became a hit single in 1983. It was one of three songs with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman that were nominated that year for an Academy Award for Best Song (though the award went to “Up Where We Belong” from the movie An Officer and a Gentleman). The song has become a popular standard and has had many fine recordings, including those by Frank Sinatra (who encouraged Bennett to sing this song), Frankie Laine, Johnny Mathis, Tony Bennett, Tony Bennett and George Michael and, most recently, Tony Bennett and Aretha Franklin

About This Version

Today we hear Mr. Bennett’s first, and solo, recording from The Art of Excellence, recorded in 1986. It was arranged and conducted by Jorge Calandrelli. This album was the first album Bennett made with Columbia when he returned to the label in the 1980s. In his autobiography, The Good Life, Bennett writes

My new record would be called The Art Of Excellence, referring not only to the songs, but also to my demand for quality. From that day forward people would expect nothing less from Tony Bennett.

It is most definitely one of his best albums and is frequently played in my household for sure. The wonderful cover photograph is by Annie Leibovitz.

How Do You Keep The Music Playing?

Listen to How Do You Keep The Music Playing? on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1986


“How Do You Keep The Music Playing?,” as well as The Art of Excellence, is available from iTunes.

About Today

Here’s your Saturday video from the wonderful recording of today’s song from Aretha Franklin and Tony Bennett for Duets II, released in 2011. Two of the greats!

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: How Do You Keep The Music Playing?

The song of the day for Monday, June 15, 2015 is “How Do You Keep The Music Playing.”

About This Song

Today’s song, “How Do You Keep The Music Playing?” was written in 1982 with music by Michel Legrand and lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman. It was written for the 1982 movie Best Friends, which starred Burt Reynolds and Goldie Hawn. The initial recording was a duet by Patti Austin and James Ingram, which became a hit single in 1983. It was one of three songs with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman that were nominated that year for an Academy Award for Best Song (though the award went to “Up Where We Belong” from the movie An Officer and a Gentleman). The song has become a popular standard and has had many fine recordings, including those by Frank Sinatra (who encouraged Bennett to sing this song), Frankie Laine, Johnny Mathis and Tony Bennett, Tony Bennett and George Michael and, most recently, Tony Bennett and Aretha Franklin.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “How Do You Keep The Music Playing?” in 1986 for The Art Of Excellence, his first album upon his return to Columbia. The album was produced by Danny Bennett and Ettore Stratta; the orchestration is by Jorge Calandrelli, with whom Bennett continues to work. This album is appropriately named–it really is excellent.

How Do You Keep The Music Playing?

Listen to How Do You Keep The Music Playing? on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1986


“How Do You Keep The Music Playing?” as well as , is available from iTunes.

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: How Do You Keep The Music Playing

The song of the day for Wednesday, March 25, 2015 is “How Do You Keep The Music Playing.”

About This Song

“How Do You Keep The Music Playing” was written by Michel Legrand (music) and Alan and Marilyn Bergman (lyrics0) for the 1982 movie Best Friends, which starred Burt Reynolds and Goldie Hawn. The initial recording was a duet by Patti Austin and James Ingram, which became a hit single in 1983. It was one of three songs with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman that were nominated that year for an Academy Award for Best Song (though the award went to “Up Where We Belong” from the movie An Officer and a Gentleman). The song has become a popular standard and has had many fine recordings, including those by Frank Sinatra (who encouraged Bennett to sing this song), Frankie Laine, Johnny Mathis and Tony Bennett, Tony Bennett and George Michael and, most recently, Tony Bennett and Aretha Franklin.

About This Version

Today’s version is from Duets II and is his wonderful duet with Aretha Franklin. This version was arranged by Jorge Calandrelli.

How Do You Keep The Music Playing

Listen to How Do You Keep The Music Playing on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin · 2011


“How Do You Keep The Music Playing,” as well as Duets II, is available from iTunes.

About Today

The Year of Tony Bennett would like to wish Aretha Franklin a very happy birthday today. Miss Franklin was born on March 25, 1942 in Memphis, Tennessee. As a child, she sang in her father’s church and by the age of 18 began her professional career with Columbia Records. She soon moved to Atlantic Records and started making the songs that were huge hits then and are completely iconic now: “Respect” and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” among others.

She has won 18 Grammy Awards and has received many honors, including her inductions to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (she was the first woman to be so honored), the UK Music Hall of Fame and the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame. She was ranked #1 in the Rolling Stone magazine’s 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.

Even though it’s not a Saturday, we include the beautiful video of Tony Bennett and Aretha Franklin recording today’s song. I could watch this video forever. Especially starting at 4:19 to the end. I love that single tear.

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Where Do You Start

The song of the day for Wednesday, March 11, 2015 is “Where Do You Start.”

About This Song

“Where Do You Start,” written in 1987, is one the great songs from Alan and Marilyn Bergman, with a beautiful melody by Johnny Mandel. This song has had many beautiful recordings: Nancy Lamott, Shirley Horn, Rosemary Clooney, Barbra Streisand, the Brad Mehldau Trio, Annie Ross and Tony Bennett.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Where Do You Start” for his 2004 album, The Art of Romance. It was arranged and conducted by the composer, Johnny Mandel.

The Art of Romance is the album that made me the Tony Bennett fan I am today, and mostly because of this song. I had just bought my first iPod and this was one of the first albums I put on it. I listened to it almost obsessively for months — anywhere from two to four times a day. And now, eleven years later, when I introduce Tony Bennett to someone, I always start by giving them this album. And they always wind up loving his music.

About Today

Tonight, just before dinner, we were listening to an airing of the late Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz program on our local jazz station, KMHD. Today’s show featured the Bergmans and I knew at once that I’d be writing up one of their songs for the song of the day.

Tony Bennett, in talking about his song “The Good Life” said that “The conflict between the two ideas makes it exactly the kind of lyric I love to do.” I think the songs of the Bergmans, especially this one, understand that love is complex and multi-dimensional, even when the love affair ends …

I promise there will always be
A little place no on will see
A tiny part within my heart
That stays in love with you

Where Do You Start

Listen to Where Do You Start on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 2004


“Where Do You Start,” as well The Art of Romance, is available from iTunes.

Subscribe to The Year of Tony Bennett

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Current Reader Favorites