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The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

September 11, 2022 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: From This Moment On

The song of the day for Monday, September 12, 2022, is “From This Moment On.”

About This Song

“From This Moment On” was written by Cole Porter in 1950. Porter originally wrote this song for his musical Out Of This World, but it was dropped from that show in previews. It was included in the wonderful 1953 film Kiss Me KateKiss Me Kate. Doris Day recorded this song as a single in 1950; the Frank Sinatra 1957 recording for his A Swingin’ Affair! was instrumental in the popularity of this song. It has also been recorded by Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne, and Susannah McCorkle.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “From This Moment On” on April 8, 1964, at Bennett’s performance for the opening of The Sahara Hotel. The recording was made available in 2011 as Tony Bennett Live at the Sahara: From This Moment On in the Complete Collection box set.

“From This Moment On,” as well as Live at The Sahara – Las Vegas, 1964 is available on Apple Music.

Here’s this song and dance from the 1953 film Kiss Me Kate. I think it’s one of the best film dances ever created. It’s wonderful to see the young Bob Fosse and Tommy Rall’s entrance (1:34) is breaktaking.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Cole Porter, Kiss Me Kate, Tony Bennett, Tony Bennett Live at the Sahara: From This Moment On

March 24, 2021 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Keep Smiling at Trouble

The song of the day for Thursday, March 25, 2021, is “Keep Smiling at Trouble.”

About This Song

“Keep Smiling at Trouble” was written in 1924 by Lewis Gensler, with lyrics from Buddy DeSylva and Al Jolson. The song was first recorded by Fred Waring’s Pennsylvanians in 1924, with vocals by his brother, Tom Waring. Other noted recordings were by Jolson, Ruby Braff, Tommy Dorsey, Della Reese, and Bobby Hackett.

About This Version

Tony Bennett performed “Keep Smiling at Trouble” live at the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas on April 8, 1964. The show was recorded, but the album Tony Bennett Live at the Sahara: From This Moment On was released until 2011 as part of the Complete Collection box set.

Keep Smiling at Trouble (Trouble"s a Bubble) - Live at the Sahara Hotel, Las Vegas, NV - April 1964

Listen to Keep Smiling at Trouble (Trouble"s a Bubble) - Live at the Sahara Hotel, Las Vegas, NV - April 1964 on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1964.

“Keep Smiling at Trouble,” as well as Tony Bennett Live at the Sahara: From This Moment On, is available from Apple Music.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Al Jolson, Buddy DeSylva, Lewis Gensler, Tony Bennett, Tony Bennett Live at the Sahara: From This Moment On

December 26, 2015 By Suzanne 1 Comment

Song of the Day: Time After Time

The song of the day for Sunday, December 27, 2015 is “Time After Time.”

About This Song

“Time After Time” was written in 1947 by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn for the movie It Happened in Brooklyn. The song was introduced by Frank Sinatra and was a major hit for him. This song has been widely recorded by many artists. In his fine book The Jazz Standards, Al Gioia quotes Jule Styne as saying “It’s a man’s song — ‘Time After Time.’ When a woman sings it, it is drained of all its power, so to speak. The girls can’t do it.” Well, tell that to Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Carmen McRae, Anita O’Day and Cyndi Lauper.

About This Version

Tony Bennett has recorded this song several times; today’s version is from Bennett’s live 1964 concert at The Sahara. It was arranged by Ralph Sharon.

Time After Time - Live at the Sahara Hotel, Las Vegas, NV - April 1964

Listen to Time After Time - Live at the Sahara Hotel, Las Vegas, NV - April 1964 on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1964.


“Time After Time,” as well as Tony Bennett Live at the Sahara: From This Moment On, is available from iTunes.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Jule Styne, Sammy Cahn, Tony Bennett Live at the Sahara: From This Moment On

October 18, 2015 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Firefly

The song of the day for Sunday, October 18, 2015 is “Firefly.”

About This Song

“Firefly” was written in 1958 by Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh. It was written as an audition piece for the musical Gypsy; this was after Ethel Merman rejected the producer’s choice of a relatively young Stephen Sondheim to write the music and lyrics. The composing duties went to the great Jule Styne, who did insist on Sondheim for the lyrics.

About Today

It’s Sunday and hopefully most of us have a little extra time to listen to more than one recording today.

About These Versions

This song must be a favorite of Bennett’s as he’s recorded it six times, from 1958 to 2014!

There are two recordings from 1958: first as a single arranged by Ray Ellis and later that year with Count Basie, which is probably my favorite version of them all. Next up are two live recordings: 1962 at Carnegie Hall and 1964 at The Sahara. Finally are our two duet versions: 1998 with Kermit The Frog and 2014 with Lady Gaga. There’s a lot to choose from today!

1958-1

Firefly

Listen to Firefly on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 2011.


“Firefly,” as well as The Columbia Singles, Vol. 5, is available from iTunes.

1958-2

Tony Bennett – Firefly

“Firefly,” as well as In Person!, is available from iTunes.

1962

Firefly - Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY - June 1962

Listen to Firefly - Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY - June 1962 on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1962.


“Firefly,” as well as Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall, is available from iTunes.

1964

Firefly - Live at the Sahara Hotel, Las Vegas, NV - April 1964

Listen to Firefly - Live at the Sahara Hotel, Las Vegas, NV - April 1964 on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1964.


“Firefly,” as well as Tony Bennett Live at The Sahara: From This Moment On, is available from iTunes.

1998

Firefly

Listen to Firefly on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1998.


“Firefly,” as well as The Playground, is available from iTunes.

2014

Firefly

Listen to Firefly on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 2014.


“Firefly,” as well as Cheek To Cheek, is available from iTunes.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Carolyn Leigh, Cheek to Cheek, Count Basie, Cy Coleman, In Person!, Kermit the Frog, Lady Gaga, The Playground, Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall, Tony Bennett Live at the Sahara: From This Moment On

September 20, 2015 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: The Rules of the Road

The song of the day for Sunday, September 20, 2015 is “The Rules of the Road.”

About Today

Today is Sunday, which means that we take a look at one of Tony Bennett’s songs that he’s recorded several times and listen to and examine them all. And, as it’s my birthday, we are looking at what is probably my favorite Tony Bennett song: “The Rules of the Road.” And yes, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve featured it here.

About This Song

“The Rules of the Road” was written in 1960 by Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh. Andy Propst, in his recent biography of Coleman, You Fascinate Me So, writes that Coleman was suffering from writer’s block during that period, when Carolyn Leigh was wanting to work on “The Rules of the Road.” When he did find his away around that block, the result was “The Rules of the Road.”

About These Versions

Today we have four recordings of our song. The first is a studio recording from 1961, followed by a live recording from 1962. Then we have two recordings from 1964, one studio and one live, recorded just a month apart. The contrast between the earlier versions and the 1964 versions have always fascinated me.

The first recording was made on April 6, 1961 and was arranged by Ralph Burns. It has the distinctive big band opening that Burns did so well. There are some great musicians from this session: Milt Hinton, Bernie Glow, Urbie Green, and Eddie Costa. Bennett’s voice is big and solid and the song swings nicely. This recording was released on the 1962 Grammy Award winning album I Left My Heart In San Francisco.

The next recording is from his show at Carnegie Hall on June 9, 1962 and was arranged by Ralph Sharon. It has a big, brassy opening that I love. Bennett is just a bit more reserved than the first version, but only a little bit. It was released on Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall, also in 1962.

In March and April 1964, Bennett and Ralph Sharon were in Las Vegas, preparing for a big live show at The Sahara. While there, Tony Bennett recorded When Lights Are Low with the Ralph Sharon Trio, with Hal Gaylord on bass and Billy Exiner on drums. “The Rules of the Road” was recorded on March 26, 1964 and could not be more different from the versions from 1961 and 1962. From the opening bar, we hear a man who knows full well what those rules are and not just from being told–you can hear the emotion and some regret … just in the opening with “… and suddenly this.” One can almost detect a broken heart in there somewhere. This is, far and way, my favorite recording of this song.

Our final recording is the live performance on April 8, 1964, just a couple of weeks after the recording session for When Lights Are Low, at The Sahara. In spite of the bigger orchestra and the Vegas aspect, this version is also introspective as well. At the very end when Bennett sings “… you live and you learn,” I take the singer at his word. The rules of the road. Tony Bennett Live at the Sahara: From This Moment On was not released until 2011 in the Complete Collection and is now available for download from iTunes.

1961

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.

1962

The Rules Of The Road - Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY - June 1962

Listen to The Rules Of The Road - Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY - June 1962 on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1962.


“The Rules of the Road,” as well as Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall, is available from iTunes.

1964-1

The Rules Of The Road

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


“The Rules of the Road,” as well as When Lights Are Low, is available from iTunes.

1964-2

The Rules Of The Road - Live at the Sahara Hotel, Las Vegas, NV - April 1964

Listen to The Rules Of The Road - Live at the Sahara Hotel, Las Vegas, NV - April 1964 on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1964.


“The Rules of the Road,” as well as Tony Bennett Live at the Sahara: From This Moment On, is available from iTunes.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Carolyn Leigh, Cy Coleman, I Left My Heart in San Francisco, Ralph Burns, Ralph Sharon Trio, Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall, Tony Bennett Live at the Sahara: From This Moment On, When Lights Are Low

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