The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: I’ll Be Around

The song of the day for Sunday, July 7, 2013 is “I’ll Be Around.”

About This Song

This lovely ballad was written by Alec Wilder in 1942. Not only is “I’ll Be Around” a wonderful musical composition, but Wilder’s music and lyrics work extraordinarily well together. The song does a wonderful job of the describing the feelings of the admirer who has been cast aside  and waits still, no matter how badly he’s treated and no matter how long he has to wait.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this song in 1963 for the album The Many Moods of Tony. He also included the recording on the Forty/Fifty Years: The Artistry Of Tony Bennett box sets. In the liner notes, he says:

Many intelligent musicians whose opinions I respect taught me to sing only the best songs in the American songbook. I know I couldn’t go wrong with this one: Alec Wilder always tried to give America the best in music and built a catalog of the finest popular songs that were never an insult to the public. “I’ll Be Around” also marked the beginning of my musical and human relationship with Bobby Hackett. Louis Armstrong once described him to me in these words: “I’m the coffee, but Bobby is the cream.”

http://open.spotify.com/track/1fxX97MNGLCba2BbEZVFeL
“I’ll Be Around,” as well as The Many Moods of Tony album, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: So Long, Big Time!

The song of the day for Friday, April 26, 2013 is So Long, Big Time!

About This Song

So Long, Big Time! was written in 1963 by Harold Arlen and Dory Langdon, who may be better known by her married name Dory Langdon Previn.

About This Version

While researching information about the late Frank Laico this week, I came across a marvelous video of Tony Bennett’s recording session on September 17, 1963 of So Long, Big Time! at the CBS 30th Street Studio, with Harold Arlen himself conducting the orchestra. I was completely captivated and knew I had to feature this Arlen song as the song of the day. It’s one of Arlen’s later songs and it’s a darn good one. To the best of my knowledge, Bennett’s is the first recording of this song.

http://open.spotify.com/track/3KjtHoSOKmduvJYnYnhoW3
So Long, Big Time!, as well as the full remastered The Many Moods of Tony album, is available from iTunes.

And, as promised, here’s the video of Tony Bennett recording this cut at the famed CBS 30th Street Studio, with Harold Arlen conducting the orchestra. The smile on Harold Arlen’s face is beautiful. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.