The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: But Beautiful

The song of the day for Monday, September 29, 2014 is “But Beautiful.”

About This Song

Today’s song was written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke. It was written for Bing Crosby to sing in the 1947 movie The Road to Rio. The song has been widely recorded, including recordings by Bill Evans, Johnny Hartman, Billie Holiday, Gregory Porter, Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole.

About This Version

Today’s version of “But Beautiful” is the duet version with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga from their new album Cheek To Cheek. Bennett has recorded this song once before: in 1975 with Bill Evans for The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album. Both versions are wonderful. I never tire of this song and am happy to present this new recording of a favorite song. Note the very lovely work from guitarist Gray Sargent.

But Beautiful

Listen to But Beautiful on Spotify. Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga · Song · 2014.


“But Beautiful,” as well as Cheek To Cheek, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: But Beautiful

The song of the day for Thursday, October 10, 2013 is “But Beautiful.”

About This Song

“But Beautiful” was written in 1947 by Jimmy Van Heusen, with lyrics by Johnny Burke. The song was written for the movie Road To Rio, where it was introduced by Bing Crosby. The song is a close to the perfect ballad as songs can get.

Bennett’s recording that we feature today is one of the very best. Other significant recordings in addition to Bennett and Crosby include Nat King Cole, Carmen McRae and Frank Sinatra. Gregory Porter (whom I had the great pleasure of hearing this year at the 56th Monterey Jazz Festival)recorded it for his 2010 album Water.

About This Version

Your author has her weaknesses when it comes to Tony Bennett songs. Rodgers and Hart, Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen and “Rules of the Road” are featured here often. At the top of the list, though, are the two albums that Tony Bennett made with Bill Evans.

Today’s song is from their first album, The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album, released in 1975. I love each and every note on this album, but today’s song, “But Beautiful,” is quite special to me. I had the honor of hearing Bennett sing this song in concert last June; it was wonderful. As is this recording, which I hope you enjoy.

http://open.spotify.com/track/0239f1wAgvbGw7pzFg5Upd
“But Beautiful,” as well as The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album, is available from iTunes and Amazon.

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Song of the Day: But Beautiful

The song of the day for Tuesday, June 18, 2103 is “But Beautiful.”

About But Beautiful

“But Beautiful” was written in 1947 by Jimmy Van Heusen with lyrics by Johnny Burke. It was written for the Bob Hope/Bing Crosby Road To Rio, which also starred Dorothy Lamour.  The light touch with a Brazilian theme of the performance in the film might not have predicted its inclusion as one the great jazz standards; it ranks at #133 on the Jazz Standards website. Both Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby recorded  “But Beautiful” in 1948. Its jazz beginnings were from instrumentalists; it was recorded in 1947 by Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis with later recordings by Stan Getz and Lionel Hampton. The jazz vocal versions soon followed, with recordings by Nat King Cole, Billie Holiday, Lena Horne and Johnny Hartman. Bill Evans played  “But Beautiful” frequently starting in 1974; it was an inspired choice for Bill Evans’ and Tony Bennett’s first album.

About This Version

We pick this song today as it was one of the highlights of the Tony Bennett concert we attended on Saturday, June 15. Accompanied by Gray Sargent on guitar, Bennett perfectly referenced the intensity and yearning of his 1975 recording with  Bill Evans from their first album.

http://open.spotify.com/track/3iBFz5Y4c2t0zjzdjJmijc
“But Beautiful,” as well as the original The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album, is available from iTunes. The Complete Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Recordings, which also contains additional takes of several songs, is also available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: But Beautiful

The song of the day for Wednesday, February 6, 2013 is But Beautiful.

About But Beautiful

Written for Road to Rio in 1947, a Bob Hope/Bing Crosby road movie, But Beautiful was written by Jimmy Van Heusen, with lyrics by Johnny Burke. The song was introduced by Bing Crosby in the movie. Other notable recordings include those by Nat King Cole, Doris Day, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Hartmann, Billy Holiday and Shirley Horn.

About This Version

But Beautiful was a favorite of Bill Evans; he had recorded it live with Stan Getz at the 1974 Laren International Jazz Festival; the recording from the festival was released as an album in 1996.

Tony Bennett and Bill Evans recorded this song for their first album, The Tony Bennett / Bill Evans Album. All I know is that as a Tony Bennett fan and a jazz piano fan, it doesn’t get any better than their two albums, at least for me.

But Beautiful

Listen to But Beautiful on Spotify. Bill Evans, Tony Bennett · Song · 2009.

But Beautiful, as well as The Complete Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Recordings compilation, is available from iTunes. This compilation album includes an excellent selection of alternate takes and is well worth listening to.

As a little something extra today, we also present Evan’s piano-only recording from their second album: The Bad And The Beautiful, the David Raskin theme song from the 1952 movie of the same name, starring Kirk Douglas and Lana Turner.

The Bad And The Beautiful - Remastered 2003

Listen to The Bad And The Beautiful - Remastered 2003 on Spotify. Tony Bennett, Bill Evans · Song · 2009.

Not everyone knows that Tony Bennett is the one who insisted that The Bad And The Beautiful solo be used as the first song on their second album, Together Again. It’s all about the music. Always, for both artists.

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