The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Sophisticated Lady

The song of the day for Monday, August 5, 2024, is “Sophisticated Lady.”

About This Song

“Sophisticated Lady” was written in 1932 by Duke Ellington, with lyrics by Irving Mills and Mitchell Parish. Ellington is said to have been inspired to write this song by two of his grade school teachers, who toured Europe in the summers after teaching all year. “To me that spelled sophistication.” “Sophisticated Lady” was first recorded in 1933 on the flip side with Harold Arlen’s Stormy Weather. It is, of course, one of Ellington’s most popular and often-played songs. In addition to numerous recordings by Ellington over the years, the song has been recorded by Art Tatum, Anita O’Day, Billie Holiday, Billy Eckstine, Johnny Hodges, Sarah Vaughan, and Glenn Miller.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Sophisticated Lady” in May 1999 for his album Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool. The recording features Joel Smirnoff on violin. Jorge Calandrelli wrote the arrangement.

em>Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool won the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Performance.

“Sophisticated Lady,” as well as Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool, is available on Apple Music.

Here’s a live recording of “Sophisticated Lady: from Ellington’s performance at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival (where he brought down the house with the extraordinary 14 minute rendition of “Dimenuendo In Blue” which I’m also including):

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Song of the Day: Sweet Lorraine

The song of the day for Wednesday, January 17, 2024, is “Sweet Lorraine.”

About This Song

“Sweet Lorraine” was written in 1928 by Cliff Burwell and Mitchell Parish and was originally a vaudeville song. The initial Rudy Valle recording made the song popular as a nice, up-tempo jazz number. Nat King Cole had a major hit with this song in 1940.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Sweet Lorraine” on March 11, 1965, for his album If I Ruled The World: Songs For The Jet Set. In his autobiography The Good Life, Bennett tells the story behind this recording.

If I Ruled the World: Songs for the Jet Set also included a song that’s always been very special to me: “Sweet Lorraine. I dedicated it to Nat Cole, who had died a month earlier in February 1965. I was heartbroken when I heard that Nat had passed away. Bobby Hackett and I were working at the Palmer House in Chicago, and it seemed appropriate to pay tribute by recording Nat’s signature tune while we were in his hometown. Bobby, whose instrument was normally cornet, surprised us all by playing ukulele on this record; his buddy Joe Marsala played clarinet.

“Sweet Lorraine,” as well as If I Ruled The World: Songs For The Jet Set, is available on Apple Music.

I found this video of Nat King Cole singing today’s song. I hope you enjoy it.

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Song of the Day: Sophisticated Lady

The song of the day for Wednesday, November 15, 2023, is “Sophisticated Lady.”

About This Song

Duke Ellington wrote “Sophisticated Lady” in 1932 as an instrumental. Lyrics were added later by Mitchell Parish. Ellington is said to have been inspired to write this song by two of his grade school teachers, who toured Europe in the summers after teaching all year. “To me that spelled sophistication.” “Sophisticated Lady” was first recorded in 1933 on the flip side with Harold Arlen’s “Stormy Weather.” It is, of course, one of Ellington’s most popular and often-played songs. In addition to numerous recordings by Ellington over the years, the song has been recorded by Art Tatum, Anita O’Day, Billie Holiday, Billy Eckstine, Johnny Hodges, Sarah Vaughan, and Glenn Miller.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this version of “Sophisticated Lady” in May 1999 for his album Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool. The album was released to coincide with the 100-year anniversary of Ellington’s birth. The song was arranged by Jorge Calandrelli. Joel Smirnoff played the violin solo for this recording.

Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool won the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance.

“Sophisticated Lady,” as well as Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Sophisticated Lady

The song of the day for Sunday, September 24, 2023, is “Sophisticated Lady.”

About This Song

Duke Ellington wrote “Sophisticated Lady” in 1932 as an instrumental. Lyrics were added later by Mitchell Parish. Ellington is said to have been inspired to write this song by two of his grade school teachers, who toured Europe in the summers after teaching all year: “To me that spelled sophistication.” “Sophisticated Lady” was first recorded in 1933 on the flip side with Harold Arlen’s “Stormy Weather.” It is, of course, one of Ellington’s most popular and often-played songs. In addition to numerous recordings by Ellington over the years, the song has been recorded by Art Tatum, Anita O’Day, Billie Holiday, Billy Eckstine, Johnny Hodges, Sarah Vaughan, and Glenn Miller.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Sophisticated Lady” in May 1999 for his album Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool. It was arranged by Jorge Calandrelli.

“Sophisticated Lady,” as well as Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Sweet Lorraine

The song of the day for Friday, March 17, 2023, is “Sweet Lorraine.”

About Today

We are celebrating the birth of Nathaniel Adams Cole, better known as Nat “King” Cole, on March 17, 1919, in Montgomery, Alabama. Cole started his career as a pianist, and gradually started singing as well. Cole tragically died from cancer at the young age of 45 from lung cancer. His daughter, Natalie Cole, carried on the family profession and became a professional singer in her own right.

About This Song

“Sweet Lorraine” was written in 1928 by Cliff Burwell and Mitchell Parish. It was written to be used in a vaudeville show. Rudy Vallee and his Heigh-Ho Yale Collegians recorded the song in 1928; the recording made the song popular and was widely recorded by artists including Teddy Wilson, Isham Jones, and Joe Venuti in the 1930s. Nat “King” Cole recorded it in 1940.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Sweet Lorraine” on March 11, 1965, with Bobby Hacket on the ukulele and Joe Marsala on clarinet. Bennett included the recording on his 1965 album If I Ruled the World: Songs for the Jet Set.

“Sweet Lorraine,” as well as If I Ruled the World: Songs for the Jet Set is available on Apple Music.

We’ve got a video of Nat “King” Cole singing today’s song:

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