The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Let’s Begin

The song of the day for Wednesday, July 31, 2019, 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 The Beat of My Heart. For this album, Bennett invited drummers and percussionists to record songs on this album; for “Let’s Begin,” drummer Art Blakey is featured.

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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Song of the Day: I Get a Kick Out of You

The song of the day for Tuesday, May 21, 2019, is “I Get a Kick Out of You.”

About This Song

“I Get a Kick Out of You” was written by Cole Porter his 1934 musical Anything Goes, where it was introduced by Ethel Merman. It’s been popular since then and has been recorded by artists including Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Anita O’Day, Max Roach, and many more. The original lyrics reference the use of cocaine (I get no kick from cocaine), and that particular line in the lyric is often rewritten, often to champagne.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “I Get a Kick Out of You” in 1957 for his second jazz album The Beat of My Heart (after Cloud 7). The album was conceived and arranged by Tony Bennett and Ralph Sharon. For the album, they invited some of the best percussionists in the world to appear on the album. “I Get a Kick Out of You” features Art Blakey. This recording did not appear on the original 1957 LP, but was, happily, included on the 1996 CD release.

In addition to the world-class percussionists, Bennett and Sharon brought in some the best musicians for the band, including Milt Hinton (bass), Al Cohn (tenor sax), and Eddie Costa (vibes), just to name a few.

The Beat of My Heart is a truly excellent album.

I Get a Kick out of You

I Get a Kick out of You, a song by Tony Bennett on Spotify

“I Get a Kick Out of You,” as well as The Beat of My Heart, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Crazy Rhythm

The song of the day for Thursday, April 11, 2019, is “Crazy Rhythm.”

About This Song

“Crazy Rhythm” was composed by Joseph Meyer and Roger Wolfe Kahn (music) and Irving Caesar (lyrics) in 1929 for the musical Here’s Howe. It’s been a popular standard since it was written and has been heavily recorded, not just by jazz and popular artists, but other genres including hillbilly. Significant recordings include those by Chet Atkins, Les Paul, Stan Getz, Bing Crosby, Bix Beiderbecke, and Whispering Jack Smith.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this version of “Crazy Rhythm” for Bennett’s 1957 album The Beat of My Heart. For this album, Bennett assembled the best jazz drummers and percussionists to perform on this album. “Crazy Rhythm” features Chico Hamilton.

Crazy Rhythm

Crazy Rhythm, a song by Tony Bennett on Spotify

“Crazy Rhythm,” as well as The Beat of My Heart, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Just One of Those Things

The song of the day for Sunday, March 10, 2019, is “Just One Of Those Things.”

About This Song

Cole Porter wrote “Just One of Those Things” for the 1935 musical Jubilee. It’s one of Porter’s most popular songs and has been recorded by Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, and Frank Sinatra. Alec Wilder in “American Popular Song” spoke of the lyric as ‘a trip to the moon on gossamer wings’ and “that it seems impossible that it wasn’t sitting on his piano, waiting for Porter even before he wrote the lyric.” It has a certain literary fame as well: Holden Caulfield, in Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye”, likes the song and notes that even the “stinking band” in the hotel lounge “couldn’t ruin it entirely.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Just One of Those Things” for his 1957 jazz album The Beat of My Heart. The arrangement is by Ralph Sharon. This album featured drummers and percussionists from all over the world. This recording feature Art Blakey.

Just One Of Those Things

Just One Of Those Things, a song by Tony Bennett on Spotify

“Just One Of Those Things,” as well as The Beat of My Heart, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Love For Sale

The song of the day for Tuesday, December 11, 2018, is “Love For Sale.”

About This Song

“Love For Sale” was written by Cole Porter in 1930 for the Broadway musical The New Yorkers. The song was sung by a prostitute advertising her services and was considered rather scandalous at the time. In fact, for the production of The New Yorkers, it was supposed to be sung by the white star Kathryn Crawford, but the song was assigned to an African-American singer instead. In spite of being banned from play on the radio, “Love For Sale” has had many fine recordings, including those by Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, and Miles Davis.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Love For Sale” for his 1957 album The Beat of My Heart. This album featured noted percussionists and drummers; this recording featured Candido, Sabu, and Bennett’s regular drummer Billy Exiner.

Love for Sale

Love for Sale, a song by Tony Bennett on Spotify

“Love For Sale,” as well as The Beat of My Heart, is available from iTunes.

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