The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: I Could Write a Book

The song of the day for Tuesday, February 3, 2026, is “I Could Write a Book.”

About This Song

“I Could Write a Book” was written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart for the Broadway musical Pal Joey (based on the 1940 novel by John O’Hara), where it was introduced by Gene Kelly and Leila Ernst. This has always been an interesting song. Today it’s considered a lovely romantic number, but in the context of the musical, it’s sung as a phony love song in order to woo the innocent ingenue. It’s been widely recorded by artists including Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, Betty Carter, Anita O’Day, and Ella Fitzgerald.

Chez Joey, a reimagining of the Rodgers and Hart classic Pal Joey is in previews at the Arena Theatre in Washington, D.C. The score not only contains the original songs from the Broadway musical, but also more from the 1957 film of Pal Joey. The original book has been heavily revised, including moving the location to Chicago’s South Side.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “I Could Write a Book” in July 1973 with the The Ruby Braff/George Barnes Quartet: (Braff on trumpet, Barnes and Wayne Wright on guitar, and John Guiffrida on bass). It was initially released in 1973 on Tony Bennett Sings 10 Rodgers & Hart Songs.

“I Could Write a Book,” as well as Tony Bennett Sings the Rodgers & Hart Songbook, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Bewitched (Bothered and Bewildered)

The song of the day for Monday, March 10, 2025, is “Bewitched.”

About This Song

“Bewitched (Bothered and Bewildered)” was written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart for the 1940 musical Pal Joey, where it was introduced by Vivienne Segal. Notable recordings are by Benny Goodman, Mel Tormé, Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatra. Alec Wilder admired the lyric and the verse but found the song “notey.” Despite being notey, it’s a cornerstone of the American Songbook.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Ralph Sharon recorded “Bewitched (Bothered and Bewildered)” on October 28, 1959, for their album Tony Sings For Two, which was released in 1961.

Tony Bennett tells his story about Tony Sings For Two in his autobiography, The Good Life:

I always wanted to be unpredictable, and so for my next project, I decided to go in the opposite direction from the big orchestral albums I’d been doing lately and cut an intimate piano-vocal album with Ralph Sharon. We booked time at the studio and pored through music books, trying one tune after another. The arrangements were spontaneous, and we finished each song in one or two takes. In one afternoon, we laid down sixteen tunes—which must be some kind of record—twelve of which made it onto the album, which became 1961’s Tony Sings For Two. Mitch Miller showed up at the start of these sessions, furious that I was really going through with it. When he saw that there was no dissuading me, he turned to Frank Laico and said, “I’m leaving. I can’t support this.” Tony Sings For Two turned out to be one of my finest records ever.

“Bewitched (Bothered and Bewildered),” as well as Tony Sings For Two, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: I Could Write a Book

The song of the day for Wednesday, March 5, 2025, is “I Could Write a Book.”

About This Song

“I Could Write a Book” was written in 1940 by Richard Rodgers and Larry Hart for the Broadway musical Pal Joey, where it was introduced by Gene Kelly and Leila Ernst. This has always been an interesting song. Today, it’s considered a lovely romantic number, but in the context of the musical, it’s sung as a phony love song to woo the innocent ingenue. It’s been widely recorded by artists including Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, Betty Carter, Anita O’Day, and Ella Fitzgerald.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “I Could Write a Book” in July 1973 for the 1976 album Tony Bennett Sings 10 Rodgers & Hart Songs. For his Rodgers and Hart albums, Bennett used The Ruby Braff/George Barnes Quartet, with Braff on cornet, Barnes and Wayne Wright on guitar, and John Guiffrida on bass. Without piano or drums, the quartet is well-suited to the Rodgers and Hart songs.

“I Could Write a Book,” as well as Tony Bennett Sings the Rodgers & Hart Songbook, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: I Could Write a Book

The song of the day for Thursday, May 2, 2024, is “I Could Write a Book.”

About Today

Today we are celebrating Lorenz Milton Hart, who was born 129 years ago on May 2, 1895. Larry Hart, the lyricist for today’s song, worked with Richard Rodgers starting in 1919, a partnership that continued until Hart’s death on November 22, 1942, from alcoholism. Their last new show was Jupiter, which opened in mid-1942. In 1943, they had guided a revival of A Connecticut Yankee, which opened in November 1943. Hart did not show up on opening night. He was found ill in his hotel room and died a few days later.

About This Song

“I Could Write a Book” was written by Richard Rodgers and Larry Hart for the Broadway musical Pal Joey, where it was introduced by Gene Kelly and Leila Ernst. This has always been an interesting song. Today it’s considered a lovely romantic number, but in the context of the musical, it’s sung as a phony love song in order to woo the innocent ingenue. It’s been widely recorded by artists including Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, Betty Carter, Anita O’Day. and Ella Fitzgerald.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “I Could Write a Book” in July 1973 with The Ruby Braff/George Barnes Quartet for the album Tony Bennett sings 10 Rodgers & Hart Songs.

“I Could Write a Book,” as well as Tony Bennett Sings the Rodgers & Hart Songbook, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Bewitched

The song of the day for Sunday, September 16, 2023, is “Bewitched.”

About Today

The Year of Tony Bennett is proud to honor one of Tony Bennett’s greatest collaborators: Ralph Sharon, who was born in London on September 17, 1925. He served as Bennett’s pianist, musical director, and arranger for many years, starting in 1958.

About This Song

“Bewitched” (also known by its full name “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered”) was written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart for the the 1940 musical Pal Joey, where it was introduced by Vivienne Segal. Notable recordings are by Benny Goodman, Mel Tormé, Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatra. Alec Wilder admired the lyric and the verse, but found the song “notey.” In spite of being notey, it’s a cornerstone of the American Songbook.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Ralph Sharon recorded “Bewitched” on October 28, 1959. They wanted to an album of songs from the Great American Songbook, without any other accompaniment, other than Sharon. Bennett’s producer, Mitch Miller, showed up and said to the Frank Laico, who recorded the session, “I’m leaving. I can’t support this.”

The resulting album, Tony Sings For Two, was released in 1961.

“Bewitched,” as well as Tony Sings For Two, is available on Apple Music.