The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Album of the Week: My Heart Sings

The album of the week starting on February 27, 2022, is My Heart Sings.

My Heart Sings

Tony Bennett remembers My Heart Sings in his autobiography, The Good Life:

Ralph Burns and I got together again to do some singles, including “Smile,” and for our next album we changed gears again. Instead of the lush, ballad-style arrangements we had used on Hometown, My Town, we switched to a cookin’ jazz sound. The album is called My Heart Sings, and I simply love Ralph’s writing on this one. It’s really beautiful music.

This album is a preview of 1962, which was an outstanding year for Tony Bennett, including his concert at Carnegie Hall and winning his first Grammy Award for “I Left My Heart In San Francisco.”

My Heart Sings was recorded in 3 sessions on 3 consecutive days: April 4, April 5, and April 6, 1961.

Album Facts

Release Date August 7, 1961
Label Columbia
Producer Ernie Altschuler
Vocals Tony Bennett
Arrangements, Conductor Ralph Burns
Piano Bernie Leighton
Bass Milt Hinton
Drums Herb Lovelle
Guitar Barry Galbraith, Chuck Wayne, Mundell Lowe
Saxophone Danny Bank, Al Klink, Toots Mondello, Romeo Penque, Jerry Sanfino
Trumpet Bernie Glow, Irving Markowitz, Jimmy Maxwell, Carl Sereinsen
Trombone Robert Alexander, Urbie Green, Dick Hixson, Frank Rehak
Vibes Eddie Costa

Songs on My Heart Sings

Song Composers
Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me Rube Bloom, Ted Koehler
Dancing in the Dark Arthur Schwartz, Howard Dietz
I’m Comin’ Virginia Donald Heywood, Will Marion Cook
My Heart Sings Jean Blanvillain (Jamblin), Harold Rome, Henri Laurent Herpin
It Never Was You Kurt Weill, Maxwell Anderson
You Took Advantage of Me Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart
Close Your Eyes Bernice Petkere
Stella By Starlight Victor Young, Ned Washington
More Than You Know Vincent Youmans, Billy Rose, Edward Eliscu
My Ship Kurt Weill, Ira Gershwin
Lover Man Jimmy Davis, Roger “Ram” Ramirez, James Sherman
Toot, Toot, Tootsie Gus Kahn, Ernie Erdman, Ted Fiorito, Dan Russo

Listen to My Heart Sings

You can also listen to My Heart Sings on

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Song of the Day: Just One Of Those Things

The song of the day for Wednesday, October 14, 2020, is “Just One Of Those Things.”

About This Song

Cole Porter wrote “Just One of Those Things” for the 1935 musical Jubilee. It’s one of Porter’s most popular songs and has been recorded by Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, and Frank Sinatra. Alec Wilder in “American Popular Song” spoke of the lyric as ‘a trip to the moon on gossamer wings’ and “that it seems impossible that it wasn’t sitting on his piano, waiting for Porter even before he wrote the lyric.” It has certain literary fame as well: Holden Caulfied, in J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye likes the song and notes that even the “stinking band” in the hotel lounge “couldn’t ruin it entirely.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Just One Of Those Things” 63 years ago today–October 14, 1957, for the album The Beat of My Heart. The band was fantastic: Ralph Sharon (musical director and piano), Nat Adderly (trumpet), Al Cohn (tenor sax), Milt Hinton (bass), and Art Blakey (drums). It’s a wonderful recording.

“Just One Of Those Things,” as well as The Beat of My Heart, is available from Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: I Get a Kick Out of You

The song of the day for Tuesday, May 21, 2019, is “I Get a Kick Out of You.”

About This Song

“I Get a Kick Out of You” was written by Cole Porter his 1934 musical Anything Goes, where it was introduced by Ethel Merman. It’s been popular since then and has been recorded by artists including Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Anita O’Day, Max Roach, and many more. The original lyrics reference the use of cocaine (I get no kick from cocaine), and that particular line in the lyric is often rewritten, often to champagne.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “I Get a Kick Out of You” in 1957 for his second jazz album The Beat of My Heart (after Cloud 7). The album was conceived and arranged by Tony Bennett and Ralph Sharon. For the album, they invited some of the best percussionists in the world to appear on the album. “I Get a Kick Out of You” features Art Blakey. This recording did not appear on the original 1957 LP, but was, happily, included on the 1996 CD release.

In addition to the world-class percussionists, Bennett and Sharon brought in some the best musicians for the band, including Milt Hinton (bass), Al Cohn (tenor sax), and Eddie Costa (vibes), just to name a few.

The Beat of My Heart is a truly excellent album.

I Get a Kick out of You

I Get a Kick out of You, a song by Tony Bennett on Spotify

“I Get a Kick Out of You,” as well as The Beat of My Heart, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Just One of Those Things

The song of the day for Friday, July 20, 2018 is “Just One of Those Things.”

About This Song

Cole Porter wrote “Just One of Those Things” for the 1935 musical Jubilee. It’s one of Porter’s most popular songs and has been recorded by Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra. Alec Wilder in American Popular Song spoke of the lyric as ‘a trip to the moon on gossamer wings’ and “that it seems impossible that it wasn’t sitting on his piano, waiting for Porter even before he wrote the lyric.” It has a certain literary fame as well: Holden Caulfied, in J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye likes the song and notes that even the “stinking band” in the hotel lounge “couldn’t ruin it entirely.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Just One of Those Things” in 1957 for his album The Beat of My Heart. The arrangement was done by Ralph Sharon.

For this album, Bennett gathered world-class drummers and percussionists to participate in the album. Today’s recording featured a spectacular band, including Art Blakey (drums), Milt Hinton (bass), Al Cohn (tenor saxophone) and Nat Adderly (trumpet). It’s a great recording of a great song.

Just One Of Those Things

Listen to Just One Of Those Things on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1957.


“Just One of Those Things,” as well as The Beat of My Heart, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: My Heart Sings

The song of the day for Thursday, May 31, 2016 is “My Heart Sings.”

About This Song

“My Heart Sings” was composed by Jean Blanvillain (aka Jamblin), with lyrics by Harold Rome and Henri Laurent Herpin. The song was used in the 1945 musical film Anchors Aweigh, where it was introduced by Kathryn Grayson.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “My Heart Sings” in 1961, with a very fine arrangement by Ralph Burns. The song was released on the 1961 album My Heart Sings. Burns put together an excellent big band sound for this album and this recording features some particularly nice saxophone playing. I’m not sure who the sax player was, but Zoot Sims is listed as one of the reed players. Other noted musicians for the album include Toots Mondello, Bernie Glow, Bernie Leighton, Milt Hinton and Eddie Costa. With a band like this plus arrangements by Ralph Burns and the voice of Tony Bennett, you’ve got a pretty special album.

(All of a Sudden) My Heart Sings

Listen to (All of a Sudden) My Heart Sings on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1961.


“My Heart Sings,” as well as the album My Heart Sings, is available from iTunes.

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