The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: The Touch of Your Lips

The song of the day for Friday, November 14, 2014 is “The Touch Of Your Lips.”

About This Song

“The Touch Of Your Lips” was written in 1936 by British bandleader Ray Noble. After great success in London, he and his vocalist Al Bowlly appeared at the Rainbow Room in 1934. “The Touch of Your Lips” has been recorded by Chet Baker, Nat King Cole and Andy Williams.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Bill Evans recorded “The Touch Of Your Lips” in 1975 for their first album: The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album.

The Touch Of Your Lips

Bill Evans, Tony Bennett · The Tony Bennett / Bill Evans Album (Expanded Edition) · Song · 1975


“The Touch Of Your Lips,” as well as The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: My Foolish Heart

The song of the day for Tuesday, September 30, 2014 is “My Foolish Heart.”

About This Song

“My Foolish Heart” was composed in 1949 by Victor Young with lyrics by Ned Washington. This song 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 song went on to be a great standard. On the other hand, J.D. Salinger would never even consider allowing any films of any of his work after the experience.

About This Version

Today’s version is from the brilliant 1975 The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album, the first of their two albums. In lesser hands, one can imagine that this song could turn into the sentimental mush described by Time Magazine; indeed, your author remembers reading about a club owner in the 1950s who would not permit any singer to perform “My Foolish Heart” at all. In the hands of these two masters, however, the song is strong, focused and meaningful. Bill Evans’ version from the legendary Village Vanguard sessions in 1961, with Scott LaFaro on bass and Paul Motian on drums, is well worth listening to.

My Foolish Heart

Bill Evans, Tony Bennett · The Tony Bennett / Bill Evans Album (Expanded Edition) · Song · 1975


“My Foolish Heart,” as well as The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album, is available from iTunes.

Here’s the live 1961 Bill Evans version, in case you’re interested.

My Foolish Heart - Live

Listen to My Foolish Heart - Live on Spotify. Song · Bill Evans Trio · 1961

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Song of the Day: But Beautiful

The song of the day for Sunday, September 7, 2014 is “But Beautiful.”

About This Song

“But Beautiful” was written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke in 1947 for the Bob Hope / Bing Crosby movie Road to Rio. The song has been widely recorded, including recordings by Bill Evans, Johnny Hartman, Billie Holiday, Gregory Porter, Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Bill Evans recorded “But Beautiful” in 1975 for their first album, The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album. On an album filled with beautiful and poignant songs, this one is one of the best, at least for this author. Love is like that, sometimes.

About Today

I enjoyed so much hearing Tony Bennett singing this song on Saturday on the iTunes Festival, that I had to feature it as the song of the day. Many thanks to iTunes for streaming the concert.

But Beautiful

Bill Evans, Tony Bennett · The Tony Bennett / Bill Evans Album (Expanded Edition) · Song · 1975

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Remembering Bill Evans

The great jazz pianist Bill Evans was born on August 16, 1929 and died on September 5, 1980.

The collaboration between Bill Evans and Tony Bennett was an extraordinary one. Their two albums, The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album and Together Again are both extraordinary and bring out the greatest qualities of both musicians.

I saw this on Twitter today, and have to share it, as I believe it as true as the person who wrote it:

And so here it is … “My Foolish Heart” from The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album, 1975.

My Foolish Heart

Bill Evans, Tony Bennett · The Tony Bennett / Bill Evans Album (Expanded Edition) · Song · 1975

Happy Birthday, Bill.

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Song of the Day: When In Rome

The song of the day for Thursday, July 10, 2014 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.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Bill Evans chose “When In Rome” for their first outing, The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album. Bill Evans let be known that this particular song was his idea, not Tony’s. Evans was a big fan of the song and played it frequently with his trios.

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