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 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: We’ll Be Together Again

The song of the day for Sunday, September 29, 2013 is “We’ll Be Together Again.”

About This Song

“We’ll Be Together Again” was written in 1945 by Carl T. Fischer, with lyrics by Frankie Laine. Fischer was Frankie Laine’s pianist and musical director; after composing the tune, he asked Laine to write the lyrics. The first recording of “We’ll Be Together Again” was by a group called the Pied Pipers; other recordings include those by Laine, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Louis Armstrong and Anita O’Day. Barbara Cook recorded this song in 1999 for her album All I Ask Of You.

About This Version

Bill Evans and Tony Bennett included today’s song on their first album: The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album, released in 1975.

Tony Bennett had recorded “We’ll Be Together Again” with the Ralph Sharon Trio in 1964; it was released on the CD re-release of When Lights Are Low.

http://open.spotify.com/track/5gu1qdrba78rDk8oh55A6W
“We’ll Be Together Again,” as well as The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album, is available from iTunes and Amazon.com.

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Song of the Day: But Beautiful

The song of the day for Monday, August 5, 2013 is “But Beautiful.”

About This Song

I said last week that couldn’t resist a Jimmy Van Heusen song and that goes double when the song is “But Beautiful.” Written with lyricist Johnny Burke, “But Beautiful” was written for the Bing Crosby – Bob Hope 1947 movie The Road To Rio, where it was introduced by Bing Crosby. It’s one of those songs where both the lyric and the tune are exemplary. Burke starts off by exploring the concept love in a series of contrasting emotions: “funny or sad,” “quiet or mad,” “tearful or gay” and so on, but concluding with “but beautiful.” And indeed in a love song for adults, those contrasts almost always exist.

“But Beautiful” is one of Van Heusen’s most popular songs, with recordings by Tex Beneke, Nat King Cole, Johnny Hartman and Billie Holiday. It was a favorite instrumental for Bill Evans.

About This Version

Today’s version is from the first of two albums that Tony Bennett made with Bill Evans: the 1975 The Tony Bennett / Bill Evans Album. It’s a remarkable song on a remarkable album from two remarkable musicians.

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

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Song of the Day: When In Rome

The song of the day for Monday, June 24, 2013 is “When In Rome.”

About This Song

“When In Rome” was written by Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh in 1964.

In the year 2000, part of his 70th birthday celebration at the Library of Congress, Stephen Sondheim chose a list of ‘Songs I Wish I Had Written (At Least in Part).’ On this list were several songs by Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh, most of which are songs that Tony Bennett has recorded including “When In Rome,” “The Best is Yet to Come,” and “The Rules of the Road.” Who am I to disagree with Stephen Sondheim and Tony Bennett? Not that I could. Not only do I love those songs, but I love how Tony Bennett sings them.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Bill Evans chose “When In Rome” as one of the songs for their first album, The Tony Bennett / Bill Evans Album, released in 1975.

http://open.spotify.com/track/0z8NAX4UK2KxwvIUSvetdb
“When in Rome,” as well as The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album, is available from iTunes.

Here’s a brief video from the Clint Eastwood documentary “The Music Never Ends” with Tony Bennett, showing Evans and Bennett on the Tonight Show playing this song.

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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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