The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Bewitched (Bothered and Bewildered)

The song of the day for Sunday, December 21, 2014 is “Bewitched.”

About This Song

Bewitched, written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, was one of the hit songs from 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 recorded “Bewitched” in 1959 for his wonderful album with Ralph Sharon, Tony Sings For Two, released in 1961.

Bewitched

Tony Bennett · Tony Sings For Two · Song · 1961


“Bewitched,” as well as Tony Sings For Two, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: I Could Write a Book

The song of the day for Thursday, October 9, 2014 is “I Could Write A Book.”

About This Song

“I Could Write a Book” was written for the Broadway musical Pal Joey by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, 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

Bennett recorded “I Could Write a Book” for his 1973 album Tony Bennett Sings 10 Rodgers & Hart Songs, released on his own Improv label. For this album, he is backed by the Ruby Braff – George Barnes Quartet, with Braff on cornet, Barnes and Wayne Wright on guitar and John Guiffrida on bass. It’s a remarkably effective sound for these songs.

And yes, I’m not only on a Rodgers and Hart kick, but also a Pal Joey kick. Once I start listening to Rodgers and Hart, it’s very hard for me to stop.

I Could Write A Book

Listen to I Could Write A Book on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 2004

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Song of the Day: Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered

The song of the day for Wednesday, October 8, 2014 is “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered.”

About This Song

“Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered,” written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, was one of the hit songs from 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 recorded “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered” in 1959 for his wonderful album with pianist Ralph Sharon for their album Tony Sings For Two, released in 1961. The album is a marvel, especially when you consider that Bennett and Sharon walked into the studio with a large assortment of sheet music, selected nineteen songs and recorded them all in a single session. It is, to this author, one of his finest albums.

Bewitched

Tony Bennett · Tony Sings For Two · Song · 1961

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Song of the Day: Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered

The song of the day for Monday, March 31, 2014 is “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered.”

About This Song

“Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered,” written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, was one of the hit songs from 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

Today’s version of this wonderful Rodgers and Hart song is from one my favorite of Tony Bennett’s albums: Tony Sings For Two. This album is just Tony Bennett and Ralph Sharon on piano giving us a remarkable collection of the finest songs from the American Songbook and no one, and I mean no one, does these songs any better than they are on this album. There’s isn’t a single note on this album that I don’t love. “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered” is one of the best of the best.

http://open.spotify.com/track/4Re3BBnTFrSppLM2M4iATX
“Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered,” as well as the album Tony Sings For Two, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered

The song of the day for Tuesday, October 8, 2013 is “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered.”

About This Song

“Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered” was written for the 1940 Broadway musical Pal Joey by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. The song was one of the big hits from this show, in addition to another Bennett favorite “I Could Write a Book.” 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

Today’s version is from Tony Bennett’s 1961 album Tony Sings For Two. This album is rather remarkable: at that time, and perhaps even today, it was practically unheard of for a very popular singer like Bennett to record an album with just piano accompaniment (from Ralph Sharon). Bennett and Sharon recorded sixteen songs in a single session, twelve of which made it onto the album, which is widely considered to be one of Bennett’s finest.

http://open.spotify.com/track/4Re3BBnTFrSppLM2M4iATX
“Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered,” as well as the album Tony Sings For Two, is available from iTunes and Amazon.