The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Dream Dancing

The song of the day for Sunday, June 15, 2014 is “Dream Dancing.”

About This Song

Cole Porter wrote “Dream Dancing” for the 1941 movie You’ll Never Get Rich. It was to be sung by Fred Astaire to his co-star, Rita Hayworth, followed by a dance to the music. The singing of the song was cut, leaving just the instrumental dance number. Astaire liked the song and recorded it, but it came out during an ASCAP strike and got no radio play as a result. Porter used it again in 1957 for This Could Be The Night in a nightclub scene.

In spite of a slow beginning due to these circumstances, the song gradually caught on and has been adopted as a jazz standard. It’s a quite lovely ballad that works well as both as instrumental and a vocal. In addition to this recording by Tony Bennett and Bill Evans, “Dream Dancing” has been recorded by Ella Fitzgerald, Mel Tormé and George Shearing and Zoot Sims.

About This Version

“Dream Dancing” is from Bennett’s and Evans’ second album, Together Again, released in 1977.

Dream Dancing - Remastered 2003

Listen to Dream Dancing - Remastered 2003 on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett, Bill Evans · 1977

“Dream Dancing,” as well as the album Together Again, is available from iTunes.

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: You Must Believe In Spring

The song of the day for Thursday, April 10, 2014 is “You Must Believe In Spring.”

About This Song

“You Must Believe In Spring” was written by Michel Legrand, with original French lyrics by Jacques Demy, in 1967 for the film Les Demoiselles de Rochefort, which starred Catherine Deneuve. Alan and Marilyn Bergman wrote the English lyrics used here. “You Must Believe In Spring” has been widely recorded by artists including Sylvia Syms, Barbra Streisand and Bill Evans, in a posthumous release of an album with the same name, featuring sessions with Eddie Gomez and Eliot Zigmund, recorded in 1977, in the same time period as the second album with Tony Bennett.

About This Version

This version is from the second album that Tony Bennett and Bill Evans made, Together Again. For me, this song represents Bennett at his very best: just touching lightly on the notes with a vulnerability that makes the song a true treasure. Just Bill and Tony. Perfection indeed.

http://open.spotify.com/track/1CiaNBNMmszRQyyWETsAFa
“You Must Believe In Spring,” as well as The Complete Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Recordings, is available from iTunes.

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Make Someone Happy

The song of the day for Thursday, February 6, 2014 is “Make Someone Happy.”

About This Song

“Make Someone Happy” is from the 1960 musical Do Re Mi, by Jule Styne, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Do Re Mi concerns a guy, a bit of a loser and a con, who goes into the jukebox business with some gangster pals. ”Make Someone Happy” was introduced by John Reardon and Nancy Dussault.

About This Version

Today’s version of “Make Someone Happy” is from the second Tony Bennett and Bill Evans album “Together Again,” released in 1977 on Bennett’s Improv label. Like their first album, it was produced by Evans’ manager Helen Keane.

http://open.spotify.com/track/3YimtiKaG8qW9r4J9fSjAl
“Make Someone Happy,” as well as album Together Again, is available from iTunes. The Complete Tony Bennett / Bill Evans Recordings is also available from iTunes.

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: You Must Believe in Spring

The song of the day for Thursday, December 12, 2013 is “You Must Believe in Spring.”

About This Song

“You Must Believe in Spring” was written by Michel Legrand, with the English lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman (the French lyrics were by director Jacques Demy). The song was written for the 1967 French film Les Demoiselles de Rochefort, which starred Catherine Deneuve. “You Must Believe In Spring” has been widely recorded by artists including Sylvia Syms, Barbra Streisand and Bill Evans, in a posthumous release of an album with the same name, featuring sessions with Eddie Gomez and Eliot Zigmund.

About This Version

Last summer, someone on Twitter was posting about the Tony Bennett / Bill Evans albums and called them “bruised and beautiful.” I’ve never forgotten that phrase, as (for me, anyway) applies to many of the songs that Bennett and Evans recorded, none more so than “You Must Believe in Spring.” In other hands, this song would express a sense of sadness, tempered with hope. In the hands of Tony Bennett and Bill Evans, it’s a pleading song of loss and love and despair, with a small bit of hope coming through. Bruised and beautiful.

In her one-woman show a few years ago, Elaine Stritch remarked on singing Stephen Sondheim’s song “The Ladies Who Lunch” from Company as a three-act play. This recording is also a three-act play of amazing depth, pain, sensitivity and love and hope.

http://open.spotify.com/track/44S9DUM1T1vNN9jn8aOGeL
“You Must Believe in Spring,” as well as the album Together Again, is available from iTunes and Amazon.

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Make Someone Happy

The song of the day for Monday, November 25, 2013 is “Make Someone Happy.”

About This Song

“Make Someone Happy” was written by Jule Styne, with lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green for the 1960 Broadway musical Do Re Mi. “Make Someone Happy” was the hit song from the musical and has been widely recorded. In addition to Tony Bennett’s recordings (see below), it has been recorded by Jimmy Durante, Doris Day, Perry Como, Judy Garland and many more.

About This Version

The first recording that Tony Bennett singing “Make Someone Happy” was only recently uncovered; he sang it at the 1962 concert at the invitation of President Kennedy; a recording of this concert was recently released as Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962.

Today’s version is from the 1977 album Together Again, with Bill Evans. Originally written as happy song, this version is anything but; Evans and Bennett explore the darker side of trying to make someone happy. It seems it isn’t quite as easy as it sounds.

Make Someone Happy - Remastered 2003

Listen to Make Someone Happy - Remastered 2003 on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett, Bill Evans · 1977

I love the Jimmy Durante version so much, and so here it is.

Make Someone Happy

Jimmy Durante · As Time Goes By: The Best Of Jimmy Durante · Song · 1993