The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: My One and Only

The song of the day for Thursday, November 9, 2023, is “My One and Only.”

About This Song

“My One and Only” was written by George and Ira Gershwin for the 1927 musical Funny Face, where it was introduced by Fred Astaire, Betty Compton, and Gertrude McDonald. The original title was “(What Am I Gonna Do) If You Turn Me Down.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Diana Krall recorded “My One and Only” for their 2018 album Love Is Here To Stay. Bill Charlap wrote the arrangement and co-produced the album with Dae Bennett, Tony’s son. The Bill Charlap Trio accompanied the album with Charlap on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums.

“My One and Only,” as well as Love Is Here To Stay, is available on Apple Music.

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Pick Yourself Up

The song of the day for Wednesday, August 23, 2023, is “Pick Yourself Up.”

About This Song

“Pick Yourself Up” was written by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields for the 1936 film Swing Time, where it was introduced by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. It is used in the early part of the film when Astaire pretends to not be able to dance and asks for Ginger Rogers as his dance instructor just so he can dance with her. This song has been widely recorded, including those by Nat King Cole, Anita O’Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Diana Krall.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Pick Yourself Up” for his album The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern, released in 2015. It was arranged by Bill Charlap. The Bill Charlap Trio (Charlap on piano, Peter Washington on bass, Kenny Washington on drums) accompanied Bennett.

“Pick Yourself Up,” as well as The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern, is available on Apple Music.

Here’s today’s song with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers:

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Somebody Loves Me

The song of the day for Saturday, July 8, 2023, is “Somebody Loves Me.”

About This Song

“Somebody Loves Me” was written by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ballard MacDonald and Buddy DeSylva, for the 1924 George White’s Scandals. It has been widely recorded since it was first published, with recordings from 1924 until the present. Significant recordings include those by Dinah Shore, Lena Horne, Diana Washington, Peggy Lee, Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole, and many more.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Diana Krall recorded “Somebody Loves Me” for their 2018 album of George Gershwin music: Love Is Here To Stay. The Bill Charlap Trio (Charlap on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums) accompanied the entire album. Bill Charlap wrote the arrangement for this song.

“Somebody Loves Me,” as well as Love Is Here To Stay is available on Apple Music.

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: I’m Old Fashioned

The song of the day for Thursday, March 9, 2023, is “I’m Old Fashioned.”

About This Song

“I’m Old Fashioned” was written by Jerome Kern and Johnny Mercer for the 1942 film You Were Never Lovelier, where it was first sung by Nan Wynn who dubbed for Rita Hayworth as part of a song and dance routine with Fred Astaire.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and The Bill Charlap Trio (Charlap on piano; Peter Washington on bass; and Kenny Washington on drums) recorded “I’m Old Fashioned” for The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern, released in 2015.

“I’m Old Fashioned,” as well as The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern is available on Apple Music.

Here are Fred Astaire, Rita Hayworth, and Nan Wynn’s voice from You Were Never Lovelier:

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Pick Yourself Up

The song of the day for Sunday, March 5, 2023, is “Pick Yourself Up.”

About This Song

“Pick Yourself Up” was written by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields for the 1936 movie Swing Time, where it was introduced by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. It was used in the early part of the film when Astaire pretends to be unable to dance and asks for Ginger Rogers as his dance instructor just so he can dance with her. This song has been widely recorded, including those by Nat King Cole, Anita O’Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Diana Krall.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Pick Yourself Up” for his album The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern, released in 2015. He was backed by The Bill Charlap, with Charlap on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums.

The album won the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Album.

“Pick Yourself Up,” as well as The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern is available on Apple Music.

Here are Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing to “Pick Yourself Up” from Swing Time:

Subscribe to The Year of Tony Bennett

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Current Reader Favorites