The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Soon It’s Gonna Rain

The song of the day for Tuesday, April 3, 2018 is “Soon It’s Gonna Rain.”

About This Song

“Soon It’s Gonna Rain” was written by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt in 1960 for the Off-Broadway musical The Fantasticks, which ran for astounding 42 years and 17,162 performances at the Sullivan Street Playhouse.

Jones and Schmidt, both Texans, met at the University of Texas. Schmidt, an art major, was also a pianist and accompanied Jones for auditions and musical performances. They began writing musicals and revues while still students, but took a break when Schmidt served in Army and later moved to New York to begin his career as a graphic artist. He and Jones soon began writing The Fantasticks and the rest, as they say, was history. Schmidt and Jones were both inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in July 2012

Harvey Schmidt died just a few weeks ago on February 28, 2018.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Soon It’s Gonna Rain” in March, 1962 for the un-released album On The Glory Road. The very fine arrangement was done by Ralph Sharon.

I love Tony’s recording of this lovely song and I hope you do too.

Soon It"s Gonna Rain

Listen to Soon It"s Gonna Rain on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1962


“Soon It’s Gonna Rain,” as well as The Glory Road, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Small World

The song of the day for Wednesday, March 28, 2018 is “Small World.”

About This Song

“Small World” is from the great 1959 musical Gypsy by Jule Styne (music) and Stephen Sondheim (lyrics). Based on the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, it tells the story of the mother, Rose, and her two daughters, June and Louise, and her obsession to make it in the vaudeville circuit. The role of Rose was written for Ethel Merman and is one of her finest and most complex roles. “Small World” is sung by Rose and Herbie, who has the misfortune to fall in love with Rose. Gypsy is arguably the best musical ever written and has been revived many times on Broadway.

About This Song

Just a few months after his legendary concert at Carnegie Hall in June, Tony Bennett and the Dave Brubeck Quartet were invited by President John F. Kennedy to perform for the summer interns who had served at the White House that year. The set started with a set by Brubeck, followed by Tony Bennett with Ralph Sharon (piano), Billy Exiner (drums) and Hal Gaylord (bass).

Our song for today is from Tony Bennett’s set, recorded on Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions Live 1962. That we have this album is in itself a miracle. The tapes of the concert were thought to be long-lost. However, soon after Brubeck’s death in December, 2012, the tapes were found–misfiled in the classical music archives. It was released on CD six months later, in May, 2013.

Small World - Live at the Washington Monument, Washington, D.C. - August 1962

Listen to Small World - Live at the Washington Monument, Washington, D.C. - August 1962 on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 2013


“Small World,” as well as Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions Live 1962, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: All The Things You Are

The song of the day for Friday, February 9, 2018 is “All The Things You Are.”

About This Song

“All The Things You Are” was written by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein for the 1939 musical Very Warm For May. In American Popular Song, Alec Wilder considers it to be one of Kern’s finest songs and with good reason. It’s a beautiful tune and Hammerstein’s lyrics are excellent.

About This Version

“All The Things You Are” was the third song for Bennett’s Carnegie Hall concert. It was perfect too. After the energetic opening with “Lullaby of Broadway “and the mid-tempo “Just In Time,” he sings this absolutely gorgeous ballad. You’d know it was a Jerome Kern song from just the first few notes and the Hammerstein lyric works wonderfully with the melody.

One of my favorite things in this song is the transition from the verse to the chorus, which I believe is a brilliant choice by Sharon and Bennett.
In the published lyrics, the last two lines of the verse are:

Touching your hand, my heart beats the faster
All that I want in all of this world is you

And then the chorus starts with:

You are the promised kiss of springtime …

But in this wonderful recording, the last “you” in the verse elegantly transitions into the first “you” in the chorus. I have to say that the first time I heard Tony Bennett sing this song, I practically swooned. I’ve listened to it countless times and featured it often on this blog and it never, ever ceases to make me stop in my tracks at the beauty of this recording.

I often wondered why Tony Bennett never recorded this song again, but was pleasantly surprised to hear it once more as the first song on The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern, recorded with pianist Bill Charlap and released in 2015.

From Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall, recorded on June 9, 1962: “All The Things You Are.”

All The Things You Are (From "Very Warm For May") - Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY - June 1962

Listen to All The Things You Are (From "Very Warm For May") - Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY - June 1962 on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett, Ralph Sharon & His Orchestra · 1962


“All The Things You Are,” as well as Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Revolvin’ Jones

The song of the day for Sunday, February 4, 2018 is “Revolvin’ Jones.”

About This Song

“Revolvin’ Jones” was was written by Will Robison in 1940. Other well-known Robison songs include “A Cottage For Sale” and “Don’t Smoke in Bed.” In American Popular Song, Alec Wilder wrote

Everybody loved him and many tried to help him, among them John Mercer. Mildred Bailey revered him and sang every song of his she could lay her hands on. I became aware of him in the late twenties when he recorded for Perfect Records. … He did manage, during his almost euphoric life, to write a few successful songs … but generally his songs were known only to a few singers and lovers of the off-beat and the non-urban song. He had a special flair for gentleness and childhood, the lost and the religious. I suppose it’s not part of the growth of popular music, nor perhaps were any of Robison’s songs. But if they could so much bolster John Mercer’s conviction that there was more to write lyrics about than city life, that the world of memory, of remembered sayings and scenes, was as evocative as the whispered words of lovers, then he did make a contribution.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Revolvin’ Jones” on March 16, 1962 for On The Glory Road. Ralph Sharon did the arrangement.

Revolvin" Jones

Listen to Revolvin" Jones on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1962


“Revolvin’ Jones,” as well as On The Glory Road, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: The Man That Got Away

The song of the day for Wednesday, January 31, 2018 is “The Man That Got Away.”

About This Song

“The Man That Got Away” was written by Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin for Judy Garland to sing in the 1954 version of A Star Is Born, with James Mason. Her performance of the song is legendary in film history, with 27 takes in three days, three separate sessions, and two different directors. The filmed scene is brilliant and made the song a huge hit for Garland, who sang it in most of her concerts.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “The Man That Got Away” with Ralph Sharon for their album Tony Sings For Two which was released in February 1961. Bennett and Sharon entered the CBS 30th Street Studio on October 28, 1959 with a briefcase full of sheet music. In that one day, they chose and recorded 16 songs, most of them on the first or second take, 12 of which wound up on the album. It was a mammoth recording session that resulted in a magnificent album.

The Man That Got Away

Listen to The Man That Got Away on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1961


“The Man That Got Away,” as well as Tony Sings For Two, is available from iTunes.

Here’s a video of Judy Garland and “The Man That Got Away” from A Star is Born.

About Today

I thank you for letting me indulge myself by playing some of my very favourite of Tony’s recordings. Tune in tomorrow for a special monthly theme that I hope you’ll enjoy.