The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Blues in the Night

The song of the day for Saturday, September 2, 2017 is “Blues in the Night.”

About This Song

“Blues in the Night” was written in 1941 for the film of the same name by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer. Arlen wrote the music first and wrote a true blues song. Johnny Mercer, who later wrote the lyrics, drew on his southern heritage to write the exceptional blues lyrics.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Blues in the Night” in 1957 for his album The Beat of My Heart, which was arranged by both Bennett and Ralph Sharon. The featured percussionist for this song was Jo Jones.

Blues In The Night

Listen to Blues In The Night on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1957


“Blues in the Night,” as well as The Beat of My Heart, is available from iTunes.

About Today

Here’s today’s song, from the 1941 film Blues in the Night.

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Song of the Day: Let’s Begin

The song of the day for Friday, September 1, 2017 is “Let’s Begin.”

About This Song

“Let’s Begin” was written by Jerome Kern and Otto Harbach for the 1933 musical Roberta, which also included many other fine Kern songs, including “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” and “The Touch of Your Hand.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Let’s Begin” in 1957 for his second jazz album: The Beat of My Heart. This album featured percussionists from the world over, with Art Blakey on this recording.

The Beat of My Heart was the first album that Ralph Sharon worked on with Tony Bennett, who related this in The Good Life:

Ralph and I wanted to make a jazz statement in a big way, and I came up with the idea of recording an album of standards that put the spotlight on different kinds of rhythm by using all the great jazz drummers I could find. We talked the concept over during our first few months on the road, and gradually it all came together.

Let"s Begin

Tony Bennett · The Beat Of My Heart · Song · 1957


“Let’s Begin,” as well as The Beat of My Heart, is available from iTunes.

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Musical Collaborator of the Month: Ralph Sharon

The Year of Tony Bennett is proud to recognize Ralph Sharon as the musical collaborator the month for September 2017.

Ralph Sharon was born in London on September 23, 1923. He emigrated to the United States in 1954 and in 1958, became Tony Bennett’s pianist and musical director.

I’ll be sharing more about Mr. Sharon over this month. But today I’ll let Mr. Bennett speak, in his wonderful memory of Ralph in Jazz Times.

Tony Bennett Remembers Ralph Sharon – JazzTimes

Each year, in our March issue, we ask prominent musicians to pay tribute to fellow artists who have passed in the previous year. This piece appeared in the March 2016 edition of JazzTimes. As with other artists, there’s always one song that’s bigger than any other song, and for me that was “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.”

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Song of the Day: Fascinatin’ Rhythm

The song of the day for Thursday, August 31, 2017 is “Fascinatin’ Rhythm.”

About This Song

Written by George and Ira Gershwin in 1924 for the Broadway musical Lady Be Good, “Fascinating Rhythm” was introduced by Cliff Edwards and Fred and Adele Astaire. The Astaires also recorded the song in 1926 with Gershwin on piano. “Fascinating Rhythm” was, and still is, a jazz number. For that reason, it has never been out of favor with jazz artists, both vocal and instrumental.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded today’s version of “Fascinatin’ Rhythm” in December 1958 for the album In Person!, made with Count Basie and His Orchestra. The terrific arrangement is by Ralph Sharon.

Fascinatin" Rhythm

Tony Bennett & Count Basie · The Complete Recordings (Bonus Track Version) · Song · 2013


“Fascinatin’ Rhythm,” as well as In Person!, is available from iTunes.

About Today

Today we say goodbye to our musical collaborator of the month, Count Basie. It’s been a real pleasure for me to listen to these great recordings. I hope you’ve enjoyed it to.

I have a very special person picked out for September, so stay tuned for some more great Tony Bennett recordings!

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Song of the Day: There Will Never Be Another You

The song of the day for Tuesday, August 15, 2017 is “There Will Never Be Another You.”

About This Song

Today’s song, “There Will Never Be Another You,” was composed in 1942 by Harry Warren, with lyrics by Mack Gordon.

I’ve always found it interesting that one of Harry Warren’s most beautiful songs was written for a Sonja Henie vehicle called Iceland, starring Miss Henie and John Payne as a U.S. Marine stationed in Iceland during World War II. The song was introduced in the movie by Joan Merrill. Amazingly, this beautiful song was not nominated for an Academy Award. No matter. The song has become a serious jazz standard and has had many fine recordings, including Bennett’s 1959 recording with Count Basie and his 1962 improvisation with Dave Brubeck at the White House Sessions. Other significant recordings include those by Lionel Hampton, Chet Baker, Nat King Cole and Sonny Rollins.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this beautiful arrangement of “There Will Never Be Another You” by Ralph Sharon in 1958 with Count Basie and His Orchestra for the album In Person!

What’s interesting about the album In Person! is that, in the end, it wasn’t live at all. Tony Bennett tells the story in his book The Good Life:

It was always my dream to perform with Count Basie and Duke Ellington, the greatest bandleaders of all time. I was particularly keen to do an album with Count Basie, and in 1958 I got my chance to make not only one album with him, but two.

…

We decided to do the live album for Columbia first, and worked out the details with the Latin Casino in Philadelphia. Ralph orchestrated and arranged the entire album. … We opened at the Latin Casino in Philadelphia on November 28, 1958, and did tremendous business. There was barely room in that tiny club for Frank Laico to set up his console, and he finally had to rig it up in the basement kitchen. I thought the recording came out wonderfully, but stereo recording had just been discovered and Al Ham, the producer, was unhappy that we had recorded in mono. It was his call, so the following month, we re-recorded the album in the studio in stereo, adding the crowd noise and applause to make it sound “live.” But of all things, Ham put the audience applause in the wrong places. What a mess! We titled the album In Person! and released it in early 1959. I never understood why we didn’t release the live version. The whole attempt at fabricating an audience was in bad taste.

There Will Never Be Another You

Listen to There Will Never Be Another You on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett & Count Basie · 2013


“There Will Never Be Another You,” as well as In Person!, is available from iTunes.