The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: When I Lost You

The song of the day for Monday, May 26, 2014, Memorial Day, is “When I Lost You.”

About This Song

“When I Lost You” was written by Irving Berlin in 1912. He wrote the song in memory of his first wife, Dorothy Goetz Berlin, who did of typhoid fever just five months after their wedding. After her death, he found himself unable to write, but finally penned this song in remembrance of his wife.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “When I Lost You” in 1987 for the album Bennett/Berlin. Tony Bennett arranged the song himself and sings is a cappella, save for a brief piano ending from Ralph Sharon.

http://open.spotify.com/track/2tCO3DwAlSSVsSctsWdGBv
“When I Lost You,” as well as the album Bennett/Berlin, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Nobody’s Heart Belongs To Me

The song of the day for Friday, May 9, 2014 is “Nobody’s Heart Belongs To Me.”

About This Song

“Nobody’s Heart Belongs To Me” was written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart for the 1942 musical By Jupiter. The song was introduced by Constance Moore and then reprised later in the show by Ray Bolger. It was their last full-length work. In American Popular Music, Alec Wilder called this song “one of the loveliest songs Rodgers or any other theater writer has ever written. In the area of this form of music it is a masterpiece.”

About This Version

On October 28, 1959, Tony Bennett and his pianist and musical director, Ralph Sharon, walked into the famed CBS 30th Street Studio with a briefcase full of sheet music. Bennett says in his autobiography The Good Life that “I decided to go in the opposite direction from the big orchestral albums I’d been doing lately and cut an intimate piano-vocal album with Ralph Sharon.” Over the course of the afternoon, they would pull out a song and work up spontaneous arrangements and record the songs in just one or two takes. They recorded sixteen songs that day, twelve of which ended up on Tony Sings For Two. Bennett relates that Mitch Miller stormed out of the session in his frustration. Needless to say, Tony Sings For Two is one of the finest albums that Tony Bennett made during his entire career and is beloved by his fans and any one who loves the American Songbook. And I am glad that one of the songs they recorded is this lovely Rodgers and Hart song.

http://open.spotify.com/track/0pNwau3h5Xq9LxwLO58Y9c
“Nobody’s Heart Belongs To Me,” as well as the album Tony Sings For Two, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: I’ve Got Just About Everything

The song of the day for Thursday, April 17, 2014 is “I’ve Got Just About Everything.”

About This Song

This wonderful song was written by the great Bob Dorough. Readers of a certain age may remember Dorough as the composer for Schoolhouse Rock, which had its first broadcast in 1973. Dorough lives and works in Pennsylvania at the age of 91. He and Dave Frishberg performed together at the Portland Jazz Festival this year.

About This Version

Your author came home from work today completely and totally exhausted. After dinner, we sat down for a little dish of ice cream while listening to our local Portland jazz station, KMHD, as I wondered aloud what song I would feature for Thursday’s song. And then, we heard just the first few bars of “I’ve Got Just About Everything” and the decision was made. I adore this song and nothing in the world cheers me up like listening to Tony Bennett sing it. It’s a wonderful arrangement and the Ralph Sharon Trio, with Hal Gaylord on bass and Billy Exiner on drums, is just great.

http://open.spotify.com/track/32ne5iCh5B7geOvcX8PQsu
“I’ve Got Just About Everything,” as well as the album When Lights Are Low,” is available from iTunes.

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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: My Funny Valentine

The song of the day for Thursday, February 13, 2014 is “My Funny Valentine.”

About This Song

“My Funny Valentine” is one of the great songs by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. It was written for the 1937 Broadway musical Babes in Arms, where it was introduced by Mitzi Green. This ballad is one of the most-loved songs in the American songbook and has been sung by most jazz and cabaret artists. In addition to Tony Bennett’s excellent recordings of this song, others include those by Chet Baker, Frank Sinatra, and Miles Davis.

About This Version

Tony Bennett has recorded several versions of “My Funny Valentine.” Today’s version from the 1961 album Tony Sings For Two is my favorite of them all. This was a remarkable album for Mr. Bennett. Unlike the popular music of the time, this wonderful album is just Tony Bennett and Ralph Sharon and no other musicians. Not only that, they just went into the studio with a lot of sheet music and chose, arranged and recorded sixteen songs in a single recording session, twelve of which appeared on the album. It’s a remarkably beautiful and sophisticated album and is one my favorites of his albums.

I would like to dedicate this song to my co-blogger Lesley, whose surname is Valentine. You are my funny Valentine.

http://open.spotify.com/track/1QTXexM8oX5Q6vZoV1d28G
“My Funny Valentine,” as well as the album Tony Sings For Two, is available from iTunes.

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