The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Where Do You Start?

The song of the day for Sunday, November 23, 2014 is “Where Do You Start?”

About This Song

Today’s song was composed by Johnny Mandel, with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman in 1987. This song has had many beautiful recordings, including those by Nancy Lamott, Shirley Horn, Rosemary Clooney, Barbra Streisand, Annie Ross and Tony Bennett.

About This Version

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

About Today

The Year of Tony Bennett would like to wish Johnny Mandel, the composer of today’s song, a very happy birthday. Mr. Mandel was born on November 23, 1925 in New York City. His father was a garment manufacturer and his mother was an opera singer who discovered, when young Johnny was only five, that he had perfect pitch. He studied at the Manhattan School of Music and Juilliard. A trombone player, he soon found work with various big bands, including those led by Jimmy Dorsey, Buddy Rich, and Count Basie.

Mandel began writing songs in the late 1940s, at first for bands but soon for movies and television. His list of credits is long and distinguished. Some of his best-known songs include “Suicide is Painless” (from MASH), “Emily” and “The Shadow of Your Smile” from The Sandpiper.

Johnny Mandel first worked with Tony Bennett on his 1966 The Movie Song Album, which included several songs composed by Mandel. He also arranged the 2004 The Art of Romance, from which today’s song comes.

He has won many awards including five Grammy Awards, three Emmy awards, one Oscar and two Golden Globe awards. He was named an NEA Jazz Master in 2011.

Happy Birthday, Johnny Mandel. Thanks for all the wonderful music!

Where Do You Start

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

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Song of the Day: You Must Believe In Spring

The song of the day for Thursday, April 10, 2014 is “You Must Believe In Spring.”

About This Song

“You Must Believe In Spring” was written by Michel Legrand, with original French lyrics by Jacques Demy, in 1967 for the film Les Demoiselles de Rochefort, which starred Catherine Deneuve. Alan and Marilyn Bergman wrote the English lyrics used here. “You Must Believe In Spring” has been widely recorded by artists including Sylvia Syms, Barbra Streisand and Bill Evans, in a posthumous release of an album with the same name, featuring sessions with Eddie Gomez and Eliot Zigmund, recorded in 1977, in the same time period as the second album with Tony Bennett.

About This Version

This version is from the second album that Tony Bennett and Bill Evans made, Together Again. For me, this song represents Bennett at his very best: just touching lightly on the notes with a vulnerability that makes the song a true treasure. Just Bill and Tony. Perfection indeed.

http://open.spotify.com/track/1CiaNBNMmszRQyyWETsAFa
“You Must Believe In Spring,” as well as The Complete Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Recordings, is available from iTunes.

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

Today is Aretha Franklin’s birthday! In honor of her birthday, the song of the day for March 25, 2014 is “How Do You Keep The Music Playing.”

About This Song

“How Do You Keep The Music Playing” was written by Michel Legrand, with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman, in 1982 for the movie Best Friends. The song, along with three others written by the Bergmans, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. The song has been recorded by Frank Sinatra, Frankie Laine, Johnny Mathis, Barbra Streisand and many more popular singers.

About This Version

Tony Bennett tells this story in his autobiography The Good Life, as he talks about the creation of The Art of Excellence:

I included a song on that album called “How Do You Keep The Music Playing” by Alan and Marilyn Bergman, which I first heard Sinatra sing. One night I went to see Frank perform at the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles. I had no idea he knew I was there, but right after he finished singing the song, he said to me, in full view of thousands of people, “Tony! You should sing this song!” How could I refuse?

I had the great pleasure of hearing Tony Bennett sing this song live in concert and it was wonderful. The song is a favorite of mine, as is the duet with Miss Franklin. The Year of Tony Bennett wishes her a very happy birthday. But enough talking … time for a song.

http://open.spotify.com/track/4LTa2DALHWoAvFKQwsRugj
“How Do You Keep The Music Playing,” as well as the album Duets II, is available from iTunes.

And even though it isn’t Saturday, the video of these two magnificent musicians recording this song cannot be missed.

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

The song of the day for Saturday, February 22, 2014 is “How Do You Keep The Music Playing.”

About This Song

“How Do You Keep The Music Playing” was written by Michel Legrand with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman. It was written for a 1982 movie called Best Friends that starred Burt Reynolds and Goldie Hawn and was initially recorded as a duet by Patti Austin and James Ingram. Frank Sinatra recorded this song in 1984 and encouraged Tony Bennett to record it. It remains a very popular song with popular and cabaret artists.

About This Version

Today’s version is Bennett’s first recording from 1986 for his comeback album The Art of Excellence (and boy, was it excellent). The song was arranged and conducted by Jorge Calandrelli, with whom Bennett continues to work.

My co-blogger Lesley and I were just discussing how much we love the songs with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman because they understand mature love and write eloquently about it. Today’s song is a perfect example.

http://open.spotify.com/track/7FKpxwRQeBorSxzNKOXbbM
“How Do You Keep The Music Playing,” as well as the remastered The Art of Excellence album, is available from iTunes.

And as it’s YouTube Saturday, I’m more than happy to have an excuse to, once again, show the video of Tony Bennett and Aretha Franklin recording this song for Duets II. Watch the tear towards the end. I dare you to not get a lump in your throat.

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Song of the Day: You Must Believe in Spring

The song of the day for Thursday, December 12, 2013 is “You Must Believe in Spring.”

About This Song

“You Must Believe in Spring” was written by Michel Legrand, with the English lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman (the French lyrics were by director Jacques Demy). The song was written for the 1967 French film Les Demoiselles de Rochefort, which starred Catherine Deneuve. “You Must Believe In Spring” has been widely recorded by artists including Sylvia Syms, Barbra Streisand and Bill Evans, in a posthumous release of an album with the same name, featuring sessions with Eddie Gomez and Eliot Zigmund.

About This Version

Last summer, someone on Twitter was posting about the Tony Bennett / Bill Evans albums and called them “bruised and beautiful.” I’ve never forgotten that phrase, as (for me, anyway) applies to many of the songs that Bennett and Evans recorded, none more so than “You Must Believe in Spring.” In other hands, this song would express a sense of sadness, tempered with hope. In the hands of Tony Bennett and Bill Evans, it’s a pleading song of loss and love and despair, with a small bit of hope coming through. Bruised and beautiful.

In her one-woman show a few years ago, Elaine Stritch remarked on singing Stephen Sondheim’s song “The Ladies Who Lunch” from Company as a three-act play. This recording is also a three-act play of amazing depth, pain, sensitivity and love and hope.

http://open.spotify.com/track/44S9DUM1T1vNN9jn8aOGeL
“You Must Believe in Spring,” as well as the album Together Again, is available from iTunes and Amazon.

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