The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Album of the Week: Tony

The album of the week starting on January 9, 2022, is Tony.

 

Tony is Tony Bennett’s second full-length studio album.  In Tony, we see first-hand Tony Bennett’s love of the American Songbook. This album features many great songs from composers including Irving Berlin, Duke Ellington, Jimmy McHugh, Harry Warren, Kurt Weill, and the Gershwins. Most of the songs from this album, such as It Had To Be You, These Foolish Things, I’ll Be Seeing You and Always are songs that he still sings today in concert. Tony has two distinct sound profiles: the numbers arranged by Ray Conniff (mostly Side One, plus Always from Side Two) feature a big band sound, while the Percy Faith numbers have a lusher sound with more strings. He is joined on this album by guitarist Chuck Wayne, whom he worked with on Cloud 7; on Tony, Wayne provides a wonderful guitar accompaniment to Lost in the Stars.

Release Date January 14, 1957
Label Columbia
Producer Mitch Miller
Vocals Tony Bennett
Arrangements Ray Conniff, Percy Faith

Listen to Tony

You can also listen to Tony on:

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Song of the Day: These Foolish Things

The song of the day for Monday, January 4, 2021, is “These Foolish Things.”

About This Song

“These Foolish Things” was written in 1936 by Jack Strachey and Eric Maschwitz (credited as Holt Marvell due to a contract issue). “These Foolish Things” was not an immediate hit. In fact, Maschwitz’s agent refused to publish the song and so Maschwitz himself did. There were several fine recordings in the 1930s, including one by Billie Holiday with the Teddy Wilson Orchestra and Benny Goodman. In the 1950s, the song became even more popular, with recordings by Artie Shaw, Nat King Cole, Art Pepper, and Johnny Hartman.

About This Version

Tony Bennett his first recording of “These Foolish Things” in 1956 for the album Tony. Ray Conniff wrote the orchestration and conducted.

These Foolish Things

Listen to These Foolish Things on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1957.

“These Foolish Things,” as well as Tony, is available from Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Lost In The Stars

The song of the day for Friday, September 11, 2015 is “Lost In The Stars.”

About This Song

“Lost in the Stars” was composed in 1949 by Kurt Weill with lyrics by Maxwell Anderson. The song is from the 1949 musical of the same name, 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, in a robbery attempt, kills 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 has recorded this song many times and all of the versions are wonderful. Today’s version is his first recording of “Lost In the Stars” and was recorded on June 6, 1956. This song was conducted by Ray Conniff. The arrangement is, I believe, from the uncredited Marion Evans. Other songs on the album were arranged by Neal Hefti, Gil Evans and Don Costa. “Lost In The Stars” was released in January 1957 on Bennett’s second full-length album, Tony.

Lost In the Stars

Listen to Lost In the Stars on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1957.


“Lost In The Stars,” as well as Tony, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Love Walked Right In

The song of the day for Thursday, January 16, 2014 is “Love Walked Right In.”

About This Song

George Gershwin wrote the music for “Love Walked Right In” in 1930, though Ira Gershwin’s lyric wasn’t written until 1937 for the movie The Goldwyn Follies, released in 1938. Louis Armstrong recorded it that same year and the song has stayed popular, with recordings by Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Artie Shaw and Sammy Kaye, among many others.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Love Walked Right In” in 1956 for his second full-length album Tony, released in 1957. It was arranged and conducted by Ray Conniff. Tony has always been an interesting album to me. On one hand, we hear the big dramatic sound that Bennett was known for early in his career. At the same, though, he’s singing songs in a more introspective manner, showing his impeccable phrasing, as in today’s song and “Lost in the Stars.”

http://open.spotify.com/track/12g7iTirVNLnBwSanuvi4o
“Love Walked In,” as well as the album Tony, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Without A Song

The Song of the Day for Sunday, December 2, 2012 is Without A Song.

About Without A Song

This song was written in 1929 by Vincent Youmans, with lyrics by Billy Rose and Edward Eliscu. It is has been recorded by popular, jazz and even opera singers, ranging from Andy Williams to Louis Armstrong to Mario Lanza.

About This Version

Tony Bennett first recorded Without A Song in 1956, with Ray Conniff arranging and conducting. It was included on the 1957 album Tony. He also sang it at his legendary 1962 Carnegie Hall concert.

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