The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues

The song of the day for Tuesday, June 13, 2023, is “I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues.”

About This Song

“I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues” was written by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler for the 1932 Broadway show, Earl Carroll’s Vanities. It has been a blues and jazz standard ever since. Notable recordings include those by Cab Calloway, Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Lean Horne, Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Billie Holiday.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Bonnie Raitt recorded “I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues” in May 2001 for the album Playin’ With My Friends. They were accompanied by The Ralph Sharon Quartet (Sharon on piano; Gray Sargent on guitar; Paul Langosch on bass; and Cameron Clayton on drums), Mike Melvoin on the Hammond B3 organ, and Harry Allen on saxophone.

“I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues,” as well as Playin’ With My Friends is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: East of Sun

The song of the day for Monday, May 8, 2023, is “East of Sun (And West of the Moon).”

About This Song

“East of Sun (And West of the Moon)” was written in 1934 by Brooks Bowman. Bowman wrote “East of the Sun” while a student at Princeton University for a student musical production called Stags at Bay, produced by the Princeton Triangle Club. The song had a great reception and was noted by Princeton alumnus F. Scott Fitzgerald. After his graduation from college in 1936, he worked briefly in Hollywood for the film industry but decided to return to the East Coast. He was about to start a contract with a New York music publisher when he was killed in an automobile accident in 1937.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “East of Sun (And West of the Moon)” in June 1992 in his tribute album to his friend Frank Sinatra: Perfectly Frank. Bennett recorded this album with The Ralph Sharon Trio, with Sharon on piano, Paul Langosch on bass, and Joe LaBarbera on drums. Sharon wrote the arrangement.

Perfectly Frank won the 1993 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance.

“East of Sun (And West of the Moon),” as well as Perfectly Frank is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: In A Mellow Tone

The song of the day for Friday, January 27, 2021, is “In A Mellow Tone.”

About This Song

“In A Mellow Tone” was written in 1939 by Duke Ellington, with lyrics by Milt Gabler. It was based on the 1917 song “Rose Room” by Art Hickman and Harry Williams. The song is a favorite of both vocal and instrumental jazz performers, including Tony Bennett, Paul Gonsalves, Oscar Peterson, Coleman Hawkins, Ella Fitzgerald, and Annie Ross.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “In A Mellow Tone” in May 1999 for Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool, with an arrangement by Ralph Burns. The recording gives everyone in the quartet a chance to shine: Ralph Sharon, piano; Gray Sargent, guitar; Paul Langosch, bass; and Clayton Cameron, drums. Wynton Marsalis is featured on trumpet.

“In A Mellow Tone,” as well as Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool is available on Apple Music.

We’ve got Ellington’s 1958 instrumental recording of today’s song, from his album Blues In Orbit. Featured musicians include Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney, and Sam Woodyard.

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Song of the Day: Swinging on a Star

The song of the day for Wednesday, January 18, 2023, is “Swinging on a Star.”

About This Song

“Swinging on a Star” was written in 1944 by the songwriting team of Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke. It was written for the movie Going My Way, starring Bing Crosby, and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for that year. Crosby recorded a very successful version of the song in 1944. Other recordings include those by Rosemary Clooney, Burl Ives, and Ruby Braff, among many others.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Swinging on a Star” in June 1998 for his album The Playground. The Ralph Sharon Quartet accompanied Mr. Bennett on this album. In addition to Sharon on piano, the quartet featured Paul Langosch on bass; Gray Sargent on guitar; and Clayton Cameron on drums. This album marks the first time Gray Sargent recorded with Tony Bennett.

“Swinging on a Star,” as well as The Playground is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Undecided Blues

The song of the day for Monday, May 9, 2022, is “Undecided Blues.”

About This Song

“Undecided Blues” was written in 1941 by blues shouter Jimmy Rushing (also known as Five-by-Five, due to his stature). Rushing was born in Oklahoma City into to a musical family; his father was trumpet player and his mother a singer. He started his career as an itinerant blues singer in the early 1920s. He sang with Jelly Roll Morton and other early jazz orchestras before joining the Bennie Moten band in 1929. When Moten died in 1935, he joined the Count Basie Orchestra, which was his home for many years. Rushing with the Count Basie Orchestra first recorded “Undecided Blues” in 1941.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Undecided Blues” in 2001 for his album Playin’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings The Blues. The Ralph Sharon Quartet (Sharon on piano; Gray Sargent on guitar; Paul Langosch on bass; and Clayton Cameron on drums) backs Bennett on this album. The vocal arrangements are by Rob Mathes. The album won the 2003 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Album.

“Undecided Blues,” as well as Playin’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings The Blues is available on Apple Music.

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