An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett
The song of the day for Tuesday, May 10, 2016 is “It Never Was You.”
“It Never Was You” was written by Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson for the 1938 Broadway musical Knickerbocker Holiday, the score of which also included “September Song.”
Tony Bennett recorded “It Never Was You” in 1961 for his album My Heart Sings. The arrangement is by Ralph Burns.
It Never Was You
Listen to It Never Was You on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1961
The song of the day for Wednesday, March 2, 2016 is “Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me.”
Today’s song, “Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me,” was written in 1933 by Rube Bloom and Ted Koehler for the Cotton Club Parade — World’s Fair Edition. In addition to two recordings by Tony Bennett, it has been recorded notably by Dave Brubeck, Doris Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra and Joni Mitchell.
Tony Bennett recorded this version of “Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me” in 1961 for his album My Heart Sings. The terrific arrangement is by Ralph Burns.
Don"t Worry "Bout Me
Listen to Don"t Worry "Bout Me on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1961
The song of the day for Thursday, February 4, 2016 is “The Rules of the Road.”
Today’s song, “The Rules of the Road,” was written in 1961 by Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh. While Coleman and Leigh may be best-known for their scores for Broadway musicals, such as Little Me and Wildcat, “The Rules of the Road” was not written for a show. In addition to several recordings by Tony Bennett, the song has also been recorded by Lena Horne, Shirley Horne, Nat King Cole and Rosemary Clooney.
Well, here we are a full 4 1/2 weeks into the new year and I have yet to feature my favorite song: “The Rules of the Road.” Today, I’m featuring Bennett’s first recording, made in 1961 and released in 1962 on his album I Left My Heart In San Francisco, which also features another pretty popular song from Tony Bennett. “The Rules of the Road” was arranged by Ralph Burns and features a great big band, which included Milt Hinton on bass, Urbie Green on trombone and Eddie Costa on vibes. It’s a terrific, bold and muscular arrangement.
https://open.spotify.com/track/4BDHAqkndBSHcFA5kmGUm7
“The Rules of the Road,” as well as I Left My Heart in San Francisco, is available from iTunes.
The song of the day for Friday, January 15, 2016 is “By Myself.”
“By Myself” was written by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz for the 1937 musical Between the Devil, where it was introduced by Jack Buchanan. Another great Schwartz-Dietz song from Between the Devil was “I See Your Face Before Me.” This song was used in the 1953 Fred Astaire film, The Band Wagon.
Tony Bennett recorded “By Myself” in 1958 for one of his best, if somewhat unappreciated, albums: Hometown, My Town. This album is one of the first “concept” albums recorded. It follows the dreams of a young couple in Manhattan, from their yearning for a penthouse in the sky (“Penthouse Serenade”) to the end of a relationship (“The Party’s Over”). Everything in between is fantastic. The album was arranged by Ralph Burns.
By Myself
Listen to By Myself on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1959
The song of the day for Friday, November 20, 2015 is “Georgia Rose.”
Today’s song, “Georgia Rose,” was written in 1921 by Harry Rosenthal, Alex Sullivan and Jimmy Flynn for the revue Put and Take.
Tony Bennett recorded “Georgia Rose” in 1966 for his album A Time For Love. It was arranged by Ralph Burns and features Bobby Hackett on cornet.
Georgia Rose
Listen to Georgia Rose on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1966