The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Isn’t It Romantic

The song of the day for Tuesday, March 16, 2021, is “Isn’t It Romantic.”

About This Song

“Isn’t It Romantic” was written by Richard Rodgers and Larry Hart for the 1932 movie Love Me Tonight, starring Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald. The song has proved to be one of their most popular and has been and still is widely recorded by artists including Chet Baker, Peggy Lee, Mel Tormé, Ella Fitzgerald, and The Bill Evans Trio. In his book American Popular Song, Alec Wilder calls “Isn’t It Romantic” a “perfect song.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Isn’t It Romantic” with The Ruby Braff/George Barnes Quartet for the 1976 album Tony Bennett Sings 10 Rodgers & Hart Songs.

I’ve always found the composition of this quartet both highly unusual and absolutely perfect for Tony’s take on these Rodgers and Hart songs. The quartet features Braff on cornet, George Barnes and Wayne Wright on guitar, and John Guiffrida on bass. Without drums or piano, the sound evokes a lovely period sound for songs written in the 1930s but without being dated.

We’re also celebrating the birth anniversary of Ruby (born Reuben) Braff on March 16, 1927. Braff had a distinguished career playing trumpet and cornet starting in 1954. He died in 2003.

Isn’t It Romantic

Listen to Isn’t It Romantic on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1973.

“Isn’t It Romantic,” as well as Tony Bennett Sings the Rodgers & Hart Songbook, is available from Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Blue Moon

The song of the day for Sunday, November 1, 2020, is “Blue Moon.”

About This Song

Richard Rodgers and Larry Hart wrote “Blue Moon” in 1933. Although written in 1933, “Blue Moon” first appeared in the 1934 film Manhattan Melodrama, though with a completely different lyric.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this version of “Blue Moon” in 1973 with The Ruby Braff-George Barnes Quartet, which featured Braff on cornet, Barnes and Wayne Wright on guitar, and John Guiffrida on bass. It was released on Tony Bennett Sings 10 Rodgers & Hart Songs in 1976 on Bennett’s Improv label.

Blue Moon

Listen to Blue Moon on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1973.

“Blue Moon,” as well as Tony Bennett Sings the Rodgers and Hart Songbook, is available from Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Thou Swell

The song of the day for Monday, July 6, 2020, is “Thou Swell.”

About This Song

Richard Rodgers and Larry Hart wrote “Thou Swell” for the 1927 musical A Connecticut Yankee, based on the Mark Twain novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. “Thou Swell” is one of the more charming songs from the musical, as the lyrics feature a combination of modern and medieval language: “thine eyes are cute too” and “I’d feel so rich in a hut for two.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Thou Swell” in 1973, featuring the somewhat unusual, but quite perfect, The Ruby Braff-George Barnes Quartet, with Braff on cornet, Barnes on guitar, Wayne Wright on guitar, and John Guiffrida on bass. It’s not often you see a group with piano or drums, but for these Rodgers and Hart songs, the sound is absolutely perfect. “Thou Swell” was released in 1977 on Tony Bennett Sings More Rodgers and Hart.

“Thou Swell,” as well as The Complete Improv Recordings, is available from Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Blue Moon

The song of the day for Thursday, March 5, 2020, is “Blue Moon.”

About This Song

Richard Rodgers and Larry Hart wrote “Blue Moon” in 1933. Although written in 1933, “Blue Moon” first appeared in the 1934 film Manhattan Melodrama, though with a completely different lyric. I can’t imagine any lyric other than the one we all know; it’s quite perfect.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Blue Moon” in July 1973, and released it in 1976 on Tony Bennett Sings 10 Rodgers & Hart Songs. He’s accompanied by The Ruby Braff-George Barnes Quartet, featuring Braff on cornet, Barnes and Wayne Wright on guitar, and John Guiffrida on bass. With neither piano or drums, the sound is perfect for the Rodgers and Hart songs.

“Blue Moon,” as well as Tony Bennett Sings the Rodgers & Hart Songbook, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: I’ve Got Five Dollars

The song of the day for Wednesday, September 18, 2019, is “I’ve Got Five Dollars.”

About This Song

“I’ve Got Five Dollars” was written by Richard Rodgers and Larry Hart for the 1931 musical America’s Sweetheart, where it was introduced by Ann Sothern and Jack Whiting. Notable recordings include those by Ella Fitzgerald, Jeri Southern, and Tony Bennett.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “I’ve Got Five Dollars” in 1973 with The Ruby Braff/George Barnes Quartet, which consisted to Braff on cornet, Barnes and Wayne Wright on guitar, and John Guiffrida on bass. The recording was released in 1977 on Tony Bennett Sings More Rodgers and Hart.

“I’ve Got Five Dollars,” as well as Tony Bennett Sings The Rodgers & Hart Songbook, is available from iTunes.

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