The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Waltz For Debby

The Song of the Day for August 18, 2012 is Waltz for Debby.

About Waltz for Debby

Bill Evans wrote Waltz for Debby in 1956. The Debby in the song was his three-year-old niece. Written originally as an instrumental piece, lyrics were later written by Gene Lees.  Even though the waltz meter has never been popular in jazz, Waltz for Debby has become a jazz classic. In addition to his Evans’ own recordings of the piece, it was also recorded by other jazz musicians, including Oscar Peterson and Johnny Hartman.

About This Version

Bennett and Evans recorded Waltz for Debby for their 1975 The Tony Bennett / Bill Evans Album.  It features a lengthy piano solo section by Evans.

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Tony Bennett and Bill Evans on the Tonight Show

Tony Bennett was a frequent performer on the Tonight Show: he was on the first and last episodes of the program with Johnny Carson, and was a frequent guest in between.

In October 1975, after the release of The Tony Bennett / Bill Evans Album, Bennett and Evans appeared and sang When in Rome. This clip from American Masters: The Music Never Ends shows much of their performance and some of the interview with Carson. It also features commentary from Clint Eastwood, Stephen Holden, Martin Scorsese, Jonathan Schwartz, and Bill Charlap.

The Year of Tony Bennett strongly recommends the The Music Never Ends. It’s available for streaming on Netflix and may be purchased as well. Amazon.com offers a two-DVD set, which also  includes the film of Tony Bennett’s performance at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 2005 in addition to the documentary.

Ladies and gentlemen: Tony Bennett and Bill Evans.

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