The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Lost in the Stars

The song of the day for Sunday, September 17, 2017 is “Lost in the Stars.”

About This Song

“Lost in the Stars” was written by Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson for the 1949 musical of the same name. Lost in the Stars Was based on the 1948 novel by Alan Paton, Cry, the Beloved Country. Set in South Africa in an era when apartheid seemed as if it would never end, the plot concerns a black priest whose son kills, in a robbery attempt, a white man who is a friend of his father. The priest sings this song at the end of the first act, in a complete crisis of faith.

About This Version

Tony Bennett first recorded “Lost in the Stars” in 1956. However, today I’m featuring his 1962 live recording from his 1962 Carnegie Hall concert, which is (thankfully) available on the multi-album set Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall. Ralph Sharon did the arrangement. It’s a beautiful recording.

Lost In The Stars (From "Lost In The Stars") - Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY - June 1962

Listen to Lost In The Stars (From "Lost In The Stars") - Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY - June 1962 on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett, Ralph Sharon & His Orchestra · 1962


“Lost in the Stars,” as well as Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: The Best Is Yet To Come

The song of the day for Saturday, September 16, 2017 is “The Best Is Yet To Come.”

About This Song

Today’s song, “The Best Is Yet To Come,” was written in 1959 by Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh. Some say that “The Best Is Yet To Come” was written for Tony Bennett. In any case, the song is strongly identified with him and he sings it at most of his concerts. Other recordings include those by Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra, and Ella Fitzgerald.

About This Version

Tony Bennett sang the Ralph Sharon arrangement of “The Best Is Yet To Come” at his 1962 Carnegie Hall concert, released on the 1997 CD re-release of Tony Bennett At Carnegie Hall.

The Best Is Yet To Come - Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY - June 1962

Listen to The Best Is Yet To Come - Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY - June 1962 on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett, Ralph Sharon & His Orchestra · 1962


“The Best Is Yet To Come,” as well as Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall, is available from iTunes.

About Today

Our video for this Saturday is the duet version of “The Best Is Yet To Come” featuring Diana Krall, from Duets: An American Classic.

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Song of the Day: Solitude

The song of the day for Friday, September 15, 2017 is “Solitude.”

About This Song

Duke Ellington wrote “Solitude” in 1934, with lyrics by Eddie DeLange and Irving Mills added later.

One of his masterpieces, Ellington is said to have written “Solitude” in twenty minutes at the recording session, as they were one number short (Ted Gioia in The Jazz Standards). It’s a very strong song for both vocalists and instrumentalists. Ellington made over a hundred recordings of this song. Other great recordings include those by Paul Robeson, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Billy Eckstine.

About This Version

This may very well be my favorite number from Tony Bennett’s 1962 Carnegie Hall concert. Ralph Sharon did a very nice arrangement with good use of his small string section. I love how softly Bennett starts the song … with just the brushes on the drums and Eddie Costa’s vibe … and he hits the verse hard with the brass … and holds that last note on “love” for quite a while. Just great! Bennett shows us in the concert, and not just with this song but also “I’m Just a Lucky So and So,” that he has a deep feeling for Ellington’s songs, which we see several decades later on Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool.

I am grateful for this recording on Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall.

Solitude - Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY - June 1962

Listen to Solitude - Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY - June 1962 on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett, Ralph Sharon & His Orchestra · 1962


“Solitude,” as well as Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: I Left My Heart in San Francisco

The song of the day for Thursday, September 14, 2017 is “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.”

About This Song

“I Left My Heart in San Francisco” was written in 1953 by George Cory and Douglass Cross.

This song is, of course, Tony Bennett’s signature song. It actually became that quite by accident. As Bennett’s musical director, songwriters were constantly giving Ralph Sharon copies of their songs. Cross and Cory had done that and Sharon had stuck the song in a drawer and forgotten all about it. In 1961, he and Bennett were heading out on tour, which included a stop in San Francisco at The Venetian Room at the Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill. Sharon came across the music and thought it might be a nice local number for the San Francisco audience. After a performance in Hot Springs, Arkansas, they found a piano and started to work on the song a bit. An early fan was the bartender, who said that he’d buy the first copy if they ever decided to record it.

Of course, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” was a huge hit at the performance and in January, 1962, Bennett recorded it and released it on a 45 RPM record on the B-side to “Once Upon a Time.” But gradually, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” started getting all the airplay and it became a major hit for Bennett, winning him his first Grammy Award. It is his signature song and is beloved by all of his fans.

About This Version

Tony Bennett sang “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” at his 1962 Carnegie Hall concert, recorded on Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall. At that time, the song had been released for six months. I love how he introduces it as “a brand-new popular song.” Popular indeed.

(I Left My Heart) In San Francisco (with Ralph Sharon & his Orchestra) - Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY - June 1962

Listen to (I Left My Heart) In San Francisco (with Ralph Sharon & his Orchestra) - Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY - June 1962 on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett, Ralph Sharon & His Orchestra · 1962


“I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” as well as Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: It Amazes Me

The song of the day for Wednesday, September 13, 2017 is “It Amazes Me.”

About This Song

Written in 1958, “It Amazes Me” is one of the non-theatrical popular songs written by Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh. Liza Minnelli recorded this song when she was only eighteen years old on her first album. It has also been recorded by Bill Evans, George Shearing and Cleo Laine.

About This Version

Tony Bennett performed “It Amazes Me” at his 1962 Carnegie Hall concert, with an arrangement by Ralph Sharon, that was released on Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall.

It Amazes Me - Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY - June 1962

Listen to It Amazes Me - Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY - June 1962 on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett, Ralph Sharon & His Orchestra · 1962


“It Amazes Me,” as well as Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall, is available from iTunes.