The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Autumn Leaves

The song of the day for Wednesday, November 8, 2023, is “Autumn Leaves.”

About This Song

“Autumn Leaves” was composed in 1945 by Joseph Kosma, with French lyrics by Jacques Prévert. Johnny Mercer wrote English lyrics in 1947. Known as “Les feuilles mortes” (The Dead Leaves) in the original French, the English song is known as “Autumn Leaves.” Mercer wrote the lyrics in 1947 and Jo Stafford was the first artist to record the song with the English lyrics. Other notable recordings include those by Edith Piaf and Nat King Cole.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Autumn Leaves” on October 14, 1964, for his album Who Can I Turn To. George Siravo wrote the arrangement. The recording features The Ralph Sharon Trio (Sharon on piano, Hal Gaylord on bass, and Bill Exiner on drums).

“Autumn Leaves,” as well as the album Who Can I Turn To, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: They Can’t Take That Away From Me

The song of the day for Thursday, August 24, 2023, is “They Can’t Take That Away From Me.”

About Today

The Year of Tony Bennett wishes Elvis Costello a very happy birthday! Costello was born in London, England on August 25, 1954.

About This Song

“They Can’t Take That Away From Me” was written by George and Ira Gershwin for the 1937 Fred Astaire–Ginger Rodgers movie Shall We Dance. Unlike most songs that Astaire introduced in his films, there was no dance number associated with “They Can’t Take That Away From Me.” It is one of the Gershwin’s finest love songs. George Gershwin died just two months after this film was released.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Elvis Costello recorded “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” on April 12, 1994, for Bennett’s legendary MTV Unplugged appearance. The MTV Unplugged album was released in June of that year. The songs from the televised concert were arranged by Tony Bennett and the Ralph Sharon Trio.

MTV Unplugged won two 1994 Grammy Awards: Album of the Year and Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance.

“They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” as well as MTV Unplugged, is available on Apple Music.

Here’s the video of “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” from MTV Unplugged:

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Song of the Day: Ain’t Misbehaving

The song of the day for Saturday, August 12, 2023, is “Ain’t Misbehavin’.”

About This Song

“Ain’t Misbehaving” was written in 1929 by Fats Waller and Harry Brooks, with lyrics by Andy Razaf. Waller introduced “Ain’t Misbehaving” in the 1929 musical revue Hot Chocolates, staged at Connie’s Inn in Harlem. Andy Razaf, the lyricist, says that Waller wrote the entire song in just 45 minutes. It has become one of Waller’s most well-known songs, perhaps due to the wildly successful Broadway musical revue Ain’t Misbehaving, which opened in 1978.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Ain’t Misbehaving” on March 26, 1964, with The Ralph Sharon Trio for the album When Lights Are Low. It was arranged by Ralph Sharon.

“Ain’t Misbehaving,” as well as When Lights Are Low, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: The Way You Look Tonight

The song of the day for Tuesday, July 25, 2023, is “The Way You Look Tonight.”

About This Song

“The Way You Look Tonight” was written by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields for the 1936 film Swing Time, where it was introduced by Fred Astaire. The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for that year. Dorothy Fields was the first woman to win an Oscar for songwriting.

Dorothy Fields remarked:

The first time Jerry played that melody for me I went out and started to cry. The release absolutely killed me. I couldn’t stop, it was so beautiful.

It’s a magnificent love song that has found a strong position as a jazz standard, with recordings by Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday, Mel Tormé, and Frank Sinatra.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this song (in only one take, it’s said) for the 1997 movie My Best Friend’s Wedding. This recording is included in Rarities, Outtakes & Other Delights, Vol. 2, which was included in the 2011 Complete Collection box set.

“The Way You Look Tonight,” as well as Rarities, Outtakes & Other Delights, Vol. 2, is available on Apple Music.

We’ve also got Fred Astaire’s introduction of “The Way You Look Tonight” from Swing Time. Note that Astaire doesn’t dance to this number. Instead, he sits at the piano and sings it to Ginger Rogers.

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Song of the Day: The Rules of the Road

The song of the day for Thursday, May 18, 2023, is “The Rules of the Road.”

About This Song

“The Rules of the Road” was written by Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh. In addition to several recordings by Tony Bennett, the song has also been recorded by Lena Horne, Shirley Horne, Nat King Cole, and Rosemary Clooney.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this version of “The Rules of the Road” on March 26, 1964, for his album When Lights Are Low. Bennett recorded this album with The Ralph Sharon Trio, featuring Sharon on piano, Hal Gaylord on bass, and Billy Exiner on drums. Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement.

“The Rules of the Road,” as well as When Lights Are Low is available on Apple Music.