The song of the day for Wednesday, March 4, 2015 is “My Foolish Heart.”
About This Song
Composed by Victor Young, with lyrics by Ned Washington, “My Foolish Heart” was written for a widely-panned film of the same name, based on a J.D. Salinger short story. Time magazine excoriated the score: “nothing offsets the blight of such tear-splashed excesses as the bloop-bleep-bloop of a sentimental ballad on the soundtrack.” The experience of the film caused Mr. Salinger to never speak to anyone from Hollywood ever again. But in spite of all that, the song is lovely and is one of the most beloved songs performed by jazz and cabaret artists.
About This Version
Today’s version of “My Foolish Heart” is from the first of Tony Bennett’s and Bill Evans’ albums: The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album, recorded and released in 1975 under the Fantasy label. The album is revered by many jazz fans of both artists (including your author) and is widely considered to be one of the finest jazz vocal albums ever made. This is due in no small part to the fact that Bill Evans is not just an accompanist; these are two musicians, each masters of their respective instruments, making extraordinary music.
“My Foolish Heart,” as well as The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album, is available from iTunes.