The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: When You Wish Upon A Star

The song of the day for Sunday, July 4, 2021, is “When You Wish Upon A Star.”

About This Song

“When You Wish Upon a Star” was written by Leigh Harline, with lyrics by Ned Washington, for the 1940 Walt Disney adaption of Pinocchio. It was sung by Cliff Edwards as Jiminy Cricket. “When You Wish Upon A Star” won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, and was the first Disney song to win this award. The American Film Institute rated it seventh in its 100 Greatest Songs in Film History. The song has also been recognized by the Library of Congress, which preserved the song in the National Recording Registry in 2009.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “When You Wish Upon A Star” in 1998 for his album for children, The Playground with the Ralph Sharon Quartet, featuring Sharon on piano, Paul Langosch on bass, Gray Sargent on guitar, and Clayton Cameron on drums. Up to this album, Bennett worked with the Ralph Sharon Trio; starting with this album, the guitar was added, played by Gray Sargent. Sargent has played with Bennett in studio recordings and live performances ever since. His work on this song is quite lovely.

When You Wish Upon A Star

Listen to When You Wish Upon A Star on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1998.

“When You Wish Upon A Star,” as well as The Playground is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day:Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive

The song of the day for Friday, March 292, 2019, is “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive.”

About This Song

“Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive” was written in 1944 by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer. This charming song was written in the style of sermon with the message of being positive is the key to happiness. Mercer is said to have heard a sermon by Father Divine, who said “you got to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative.” And thus this memorable song was born. The song was first used in the 1944 movie Here Comes the Waves, starring Bing Crosby and Betty Hutton. Significant recordings include those by Bing Crosby, Kay Kyser, Artie Shaw, Ella Fitzgerald, and Dinah Washington.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive” in 1998 for his delightful album for children: The Playground. He is accompanied by the Ralph Sharon Quartet, featuring Sharon on piano, Clayton Cameron on drums, Paul Langosch on bass, and Gray Sargent on guitar.

Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive

Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive, a song by Tony Bennett on Spotify

“Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive,” as well as The Playground, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Swinging on a Star

The song of the day for Friday, March 18, 2016 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 for the movie Going My Way, starring Bing Crosby. It 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. I must confess that I can remember singing this song when I was young as three years old. I thought growing up to be a fish was the funniest thing I’d ever heard. I can only wonder how annoying this must have been for my loving, patient parents.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Swinging on a Star” in 1998 for his album for children, The Playground. It features the Ralph Sharon Quartet, with Sharon on piano, Gray Sargent on guitar, Paul Langosch on bass and Cameron Clayton on drums. The song is just as much fun as I remember it from 1953.

Swinging On A Star

Listen to Swinging On A Star on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1998.


“Swinging on a Star,” as well as The Playground, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Dat Dere

The song of the day for Tuesday, October 27, 2015 is “Dat Dere.”

About This Song

The jazz instrumental “Dat Dere” was written in 1960 by Bobby Timmons; it was first played by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers in 1960, with Timmons on piano. Oscar Brown, Jr. wrote lyrics for the tune in 1961 for his album Sin & Soul … and Then Some. The song has been recorded by jazz and popular singers including Mel Tormé and Rickie Lee Jones.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this terrific version of “Dat Dere” in June 1998 for his album of music for children, The Playground. The album features the Ralph Sharon Quartet, with Paul Langosch on bass, Clayton Cameron on drums and Gray Sargent on guitar. Mr. Sargent continues to play (very excellent) guitar for Mr. Bennett today.

Dat Dere

Listen to Dat Dere on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1998.


“Dat Dere,” as well as The Playground, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Don’t Cry Baby

The song of the day for Thursday, January 31, 2013 is Don’t Cry Baby.

About Don’t Cry Baby

Don’t Cry Baby was written by Saul Bernie, James P. (Jimmy) Johnson and Stella Unger. Jimmy Johnson was a composer and pianist who, along with Jelly Roll Morton, came into prominence in the era between ragtime and the stride piano techniques in early jazz. Saul Bernie and Stella Unger were both composers who were active in the 1920s.

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It was first sung by Bessie Smith in 1929. Erskine Hawkins recorded it in 1943; this version reached #1 on the Harlem Hit Parade in 1943 and #15 on the popular charts. Etta James recorded it in 1961 as well.

About This Version

This blues song is from Tony Bennett’s 2001 album Playin’ With My Friends. Although the album has a good number of duets (Stevie Wonder, Bonnie Raitt, k.d. lang, and Ray Charles among others), this song is one of the solos.

This album features the Ralph Sharon Quartet, with Sharon on piano, Paul and Langosch on bass, Clayton Cameron on drums and Gray Sargent on guitar. Don’t Cry Baby also used Harry Allen on sax and Mike Melvoin on the Hammond B3 organ. There’s nothing like the sound of the Hammond B3 on a blues album.

Don"t Cry Baby

Listen to Don"t Cry Baby on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 2001.

Don’t Cry Baby, as well as the full Playin’ With My Friends album, is available from iTunes.

 

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