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, April 29, 2013, 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 this grade school teacher, 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 first recorded Sophisticated Lady in 1960 for Alone Together. Today’s version comes from his 1999 tribute album to Ellington: Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool. Yes, that’s Gray Sargent on guitar.

http://open.spotify.com/track/3TFxZHXUFvwHuFrVghjj7x
Sophisticated Lady, as well as the full Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Sweet Lorraine

The song of the day for Saturday, March 9, 2013 is Sweet Lorraine.

About This Song

Written in 1928 by Cliff Burwell and Mitchell Parish, Sweet Lorraine has been a popular and jazz standard since that time. Rudy Vallee recorded it in 1928. The Nat King Cole recording from 1940 may be best known, but it has also been recorded by Teddy Wilson, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Chet Baker, Art Tatum and many other great singers and instrumentalists.

About This Version

Today’s version is from Tony Bennett’s 1965 album If I Ruled The World: Songs For The Jet Set. This is one of the first Tony Bennett albums I experienced. I was in junior high school and remember going shopping with my Mother when she bought this album. We listened to it after dinner and agreed it was a great album. My Dad and I liked the new Brazilian sound best; Mom liked the ballads. I remember thinking that I’d never seen a cooler album design than this. The photograph of Rio de Janeiro was – and still is – breathtaking, especially for a kid from Birmingham, Alabama who had never been out of the South in her life.

This recording of Sweet Lorraine features Bobby Hackett – not on the cornet but the ukulele – and Joe Marsala on clarinet and the great Ralph Sharon Trio with Sharon, Hal Gaylord on bass and Billy Exiner on drums.

http://open.spotify.com/track/50XojfSBJJQ75bAFowNyGZ
Sweet Lorraine, as well as the full If I Ruled The World: Songs For The Jet Set, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Sophisticated Lady

The Song of the Day for October 23, 2012 is Sophisticated Lady.

About Sophisticated Lady

The music for Sophisticated Lady was written in 1932 by Edward Kennedy (Duke) Ellington, with lyrics added later by Mitchell Parish. It has been a jazz standard since it was written and been recorded widely by jazz performers, both as a vocal and as an instrumental.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded Sophisticated Lady in 1999 for his remarkable Bennett Sings Ellington Hot & Cool. My co-blogger Lesley and I both have been listening to this album and, specifically this song, a lot lately. We both think it’s one of Mr. Bennett’s most heartfelt and finest recordings.