The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: When In Rome

The song of the day for Saturday, May 24, 2014 is “When In Rome.”

About This Song

“When In Rome” was written in 1964 by Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh. 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” as one of the songs for their first album, The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album, released in 1975. Like all the songs on the album, it’s about as close to perfect as can be.

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

For our Saturday video, here’s a clip from the Clint Eastwood documentary about Tony Bennett, The Music Never Ends, about Bill Evans and Tony Bennett, including their appearance on The Tonight Show, where they performed “When In Rome.”

The Music Never Ends is available from Amazon. The special edition DVD also includes Tony Bennett’s performance at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 2005.

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Song of the Day: Some Other Time

The song of the day for Sunday, March 23, 2014 is “Some Other Time.”

About This Song

“Some Other Time” is from the 1944 musical On The Town. The music was written by Leonard Bernstein and the lyrics were written by Adolph Green and Betty Comden. The plot concerns three sailors on a 24-hour leave. Other great songs from this show are “New York, New York” and “I Can Cook, Too.” Some Other Time is one of the loveliest tunes that Bernstein ever wrote.

About This Version

Today’s song is from the first album that Tony Bennett made with Bill Evans: The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album. This song is one of my favorites from the album. In the show, it’s sung as a quartet by the two couples as they say goodbye. Even though they promise to ‘catch up some other time,’ that promise comes into to question with the wonderful ‘Oh well,” which drops a full octave. Both musicians found the heart of the song and the result is extraordinary. And heart-breaking, as it should be.

http://open.spotify.com/track/7wuNnS40gfC3vF6NLoATqu
“Some Other Time,” as well as The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: But Beautiful

The song of the day for Sunday, March 16, 2014 is “But Beautiful.”

About This Song

“But Beautiful” was written in 1947 by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke for the movie Road To Rio. Road To Rio was one a series of “Road” films starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope. In this film, Bing Crosby introduced this song, singing it to his co-star, Dorothy Lamour. The song quickly found its home in the jazz world, with great recordings by Stan Getz, Shirley Horn, Billie Holiday and Gregory Porter. The Tony Bennett and Bill Evans version is among the very best.

About This Version

My website content management system just let me know that I’ve used this song as the song of the day six times. I try to not repeat myself too much, but this beautiful version from Tony Bennett and Bill Evans must be the exception to that rule. Evans, of course, is no accompanist. In this song, as in the album, they meet as both two instruments and two voices in these performances. For this author, it’s both musicians at their very best.

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: Young and Foolish

The song of the day for Sunday, January 5, 2013 is “Young and Foolish.”

About This Song

“Young and Foolish” was written by Albert Hague and Arnold B. Horwitt for the 1954 musical Plain and Fancy, which concerns a New York couple who travel to Amish country in Lancaster, Pennsylvania to sell a piece of property and become involved with and learn from the community. The song proved popular for jazz and popular musicians, with recordings by Dean Martin, Joe Williams, Bill Evans and Brad Mehldau.

About This Version

Today’s song is from the first album from Tony Bennett and Bill Evans: The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album, released in 1975, a song that both musicians had recorded earlier, with Bennett including it in his 1963 album This Is All I Ask.

http://open.spotify.com/track/4q9g66QBVulLS1C6XpggyJ
“Young and Foolish,” as well as The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Some Other Time

The song of the day for Monday, December 2, 2013 is “Some Other Time.”

“Some Other Time” was written by Leonard Bernstein, with lyrics by Adolph Green and Betty Comden, for the 1944 Broadway musical On The Town. Adolph Green was born on this day, December 2, 1914, and was born and raised in the Bronx. He met and partnered up with Betty Comden in 1938 and they worked together for many years. In his early years, they met and worked with Leonard Bernstein and Judy Holliday, who went on to star in the musical Bells Are Ringing, for which Comden and Green wrote the lyrics. Comden and Green also wrote the screenplay for the great film musical Singin’ In The Rain.

About This Version

Today’s version of “Some Other Time” is an alternate take (take 7) from The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album, released in 1975. The song is one of my favorites from this album and I’m quite happy to have a good reason, other than my love for the song, to choose it for today. Bennett finds depth and nuance in this song that I’ve never heard in any of dozen or so versions of this song that I have listened too. It’s a true masterpiece.

http://open.spotify.com/track/4GpjSjgl1XVD6IXX9nj6bP
“Some Other Time,” as well as The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album, is available from iTunes.