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The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

August 2, 2016 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Tony at Starbucks

Glad to see Tony Bennett really enjoying his birthday!

Tony Bennett on Twitter

LIVE on #Periscope: Treating myself to a birthday cake pop and coffee @Starbucks. #Tony90 #TonyxStarbuckshttps://www.periscope.tv/w/am9zXjFlVmpZZG9yeUpkS0x8MXlwS2RQTlBiQW5LV5MD3hpNiJ29-7Wyvz_IDpgscescUmC-yuSurs6uwFi6 …

Filed Under: About Tony Bennett Tagged With: #tony90, Tony Bennett 90th Birthday Bash

July 31, 2016 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: The Rules of the Road

On the second day of the Tony Bennett 90th Birthday Bash, Monday, August 1, 2016 the song of the day is “The Rules of the Road.”

About This Song

“The Rules of the Road” was written in 1961 by our songwriter of the month, Cy Coleman, and Carolyn Leigh.

About This Version

It’s no secret that I absolutely adore this song. All the different versions too. Here’s the original: recorded in 1961 and included on Bennett’s Grammy-winning album I Left My Heart in San Francisco. The arrangement is by Ralph Burns. (Hint: we’ll be returning to this album before the birthday bash is over.)

Rules of the Road

Listen to Rules of the Road on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1962.


“The Rules of the Road,” as well as I Left My Heart in San Francisco, is available from iTunes.

And here’s the alternate version, which I love. This time, it’s a Ralph Sharon arrangement from When Lights Are Low.

The Rules Of The Road

Listen to The Rules Of The Road on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1964.

Listening to these recordings one after the other is master class in singing.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Carolyn Leigh, Cy Coleman, I Left My Heart in San Francisco, Ralph Burns, Ralph Sharon, Tony Bennett 90th Birthday Bash, When Lights Are Low

July 30, 2016 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Fly Me To The Moon

Today we kick off the first day of the Tony Bennett 90th Birthday Bash, Sunday, July 31, 2016 with “Fly Me To The Moon.”

About This Song

“Fly Me To The Moon” was originally titled “In Other Words,” and was written in 1954 by Bart Howard. With its original title the song was not doing that well, in spite of several recordings. In 1962, Howard renamed the song to “Fly Me To The Moon,” and the song began to catch on. Tony Bennett’s 1965 recording for If I Ruled The World was a big hit for Bennett. There have been many recordings of the song, including those by Frank Sinatra, Kaye Ballard and many more. However, Bart Howard told Bennett that his 1965 recording was “the definitive performance of this song.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Fly Me To The Moon” in 1965 for his album If I Ruled The World: Songs for the Jet Set. The arrangement is by Don Costa.

Fly Me To The Moon

Listen to Fly Me To The Moon on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1965.


“Fly Me To The Moon,” as well as If I Ruled The World: Songs for the Jet Set, is available from iTunes.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Bart Howard, Don Costa, If I Ruled The World: Songs For The Jet Set, Tony Bennett 90th Birthday Bash

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