The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Sometimes I’m Happy

The song of the day for Thursday, October 9, 2025, “Sometimes I’m Happy.”

About This Song

“Sometimes I’m Happy” was written by Vincent Youmans and Irving Caesar for the 1927 musical Hit The Deck. It found early favor as a popular song with numerous recordings in 1927. It has also proven a durable standard, with recordings by Tony Bennett, Dave Brubeck and Paul Desmond, Betty Carter, Bing Crosby, and Billie Holiday, among many others.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Sometimes I’m Happy” live at Carnegie Hall on June 9, 1962. The album Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall was released in August 1962. Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement and conducted the orchestra.

“Sometimes I’m Happy,” as well as Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall/em>, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: I’m Just A Lucky So-And-So

The song of the day for Thursday, July 3, 2025, is “I’m Just A Lucky So-And-So.”

About This Song

“I’m Just A Lucky So-And-So” was written by Duke Ellington and Mack David in 1945. This song has been widely recorded by artists including Billy Eckstine, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “I’m Just A Lucky So-And-So” live on June 294, 1962, at his Carnegie Hall concert. An abbreviated version of Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall was released on two LPs in August 24, 1962; a more complete version was released on CD in 1997.

“I’m Just A Lucky So-And-So,” as well as Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall, is available on Apple Music.

“I’m Just A Lucky So-And-So” was first recorded by Duke Ellington and Al Hibbler on November 24, 1945.

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Song of the Day: All The Things You Are

The song of the day for Monday, June 9, 2025, is “All The Things You Are.”

About Today

Sixty-three years ago today, on June 9, 2025, Tony Bennett performed at Carnegie Hall.

Carnegie Hall issued the invitation and Columbia Records backed him completely, including releasing a record of the concert. Tony Bennett asked his old Army buddy Arthur Penn, who had just finished filming The Miracle Worker, to help with the staging. Penn enlisted director Gene Saks to help.

Meanwhile, Bennett and Ralph Sharon were preparing for the concert. Sharon put the orchestra together and was busy writing arrangements for the two-act concert, with 40 songs. Bennett related in his book The Good Life:

Two weeks before the concert, I was in Chicago in a bistro on Rush Street called the Living Room. Ralph was rehearsing day and night in preparation for our Carnegie Hall show. The jazz vocal trio Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross were working across the street and Jon Hendricks and I ended up jamming in every joint on Rush Street. By the end of the two weeks I was ready for opening night

The concert was held on June 9, 1962. Backstage I had a healthy case of the butterflies and reflected on Sinatra’s advice about the jitters. From the minute I hit the stage all the nervousness disappeared, and I knew I was gonna nail it. I’m proud to say the concert was an absolute triumph.

My whole family was in the audience that night. I was particularly proud that my mother was there; that made me feel like a million bucks. It was the biggest night of my life. My mom couldn’t believe how far I’d come. She was sitting between Mary and Tom, and as the crowds were cheering for an encore, she kept turning to Mary and asking, “Why don’t they let Anthony go home and rest? He must be exhausted after two and a half hours of singing.” She was so precious, she meant everything to me.

The concert was, indeed, a triumph.

About This Song

“All The Things You Are” was written by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein for the 1939 musical Very Warm For May. In American Popular Song, Alec Wilder considers it to be one of Kern’s finest songs and with good reason. It’s a beautiful tune and Hammerstein’s lyrics are excellent.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “All The Things You Are” live at Carnegie Hall 63 years ago on June 9, 1962. A condensed version of the concert on a 2-LP set was released in August 1962 as Tony Bennett At Carnegie Hall. The complete concert was released on 2 CDs in 1997.

“All The Things You Are,” as well as Tony Bennett At Carnegie Hall, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: I’ve Got the World on a String

The song of the day for Wednesday, November 27, 2024, is “I’ve Got the World on a String.”

About This Song

“I’ve Got the World on a String” was written by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler for the 1932 Cotton Club Parade, where it was introduced by Cab Calloway and Bing Crosby. In American Popular Song, Alec Wilder considered it one of Arlen’s loveliest songs.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “I’ve Got the World on a String” live at Carnegie Hall on June 9, 1962. The recording was not included in the original LP release of Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall, but was released on the 1997 CD release, Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall.

“I’ve Got the World on a String,” as well as Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: What Good Does It Do

The song of the day for Saturday, November 9, 2024, is “What Good Does It Do.”

About This Song

“What Good Does It Do” was written by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg for the 1957 Broadway musical Jamaica, which starred Lena Horne and Ricardo Montálban; the principal dancer was Alvin Ailey. Yarburg had been blacklisted during the McCarthy period and was unable to work in film or TV from 1951 to 1962. Fortunately, producer David Merrick and Broadway welcomed Yarburg. Jamaica was nominated for major Tony Awards, including Best Musical, all the acting nominations and both scenic and costume design, though it lost to The Music Man.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “What Good Does It Do” live on June 9, 1962, at his concert at Carnegie Hall. An abbreviated recording on two LPs was released in August 1962 on Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall; a more complete version was released on 4 CDs was released in 1997.

“What Good Does It Do,” as well as Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall, is available on Apple Music.