The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Isn’t It Romantic?

The song of the day for Tuesday, July 30, 2013 is “Isn’t It Romantic?”

About This Song

“isn’t It Romantic?” was written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart in 1932 for the film Love Me Tonight. It was introduced in the film by Jeanette MacDonald and Maurice Chevalier. In his book American Popular Song, Alec Wilder describes this song as perfect. And indeed it is.

About This Version

Today’s song is from Bennett’s first album on his Improv label: Tony Bennett Sings 10 Rodgers & Hart Songs, released in 1973. This album, along with Tony Bennett Sings More Great Rodgers & Hart is now available together Tony Bennett Sings The Rodgers & Hart Songbook.

I am big, big fan of these albums. Of course, I can never resist Rodgers and Hart — it’s some of the greatest music written in 20th century and their music is always a joy.

But equally impressive is Bennett’s choice of the Ruby Braff-George Barnes Quartet. In addition to Braff on cornet and Braff on guitar, the quartet rounds out with Wayne Wright on guitar and John Guiffrida on bass. No drums, no piano, no strings. Just this remarkable quartet and the results are outstanding.

Whitney Balliet, in a profile piece for The New Yorker magazine 1974 wrote:

The concert at Alice Tully the next evening was billed as “An Evening with Rodgers and Hart,” and it was a smooth and engaging success. The hall was sold out and the audience was hip. Bennett sang the verses of most of the songs, and by the time he got a note or two into the chorus there was the applause of recognition. He was in a dinner jacket, and stage manner was startingly old-fashioned: he used a hand make, and he whipped the cord around as though it was a lariat. … He sang twenty-one Rodger and Hart tunes, and many were memorable. … The ovation was long and standing.

I only wish I could have been there. But we have these exquisite recordings. Thankfully.

http://open.spotify.com/track/1ueC3LYUbZKlzkGf7rtnMb
“Isn’t It Romantic?” as well as the Tony Bennett Sings The Rodgers & Hart Songbook, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Wait Till You See Her

The song of the day for Friday, May 17, 2013 is Wait Till You See Her.

About This Song

Wait Till You See Her is a lovely waltz by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart in 1942 for the musical By Jupiter, which was their next-to-last collaboration. Over Hart’s objections, the song was cut from the show before the official opening. However, Mabel Mercer had fallen in love with the song and began to feature it in her cabaret shows. Alec Wilder, in American Popular Song, called it “…one of the loveliest songs Rodgers or any other theater writer has ever written.” Wilder first heard it sung by Mabel Mercer and credits her for the ongoing popularity of the song as standard.

About This Version

Today’s version is from Tony Bennett’s 1973 Improv album Tony Bennett Sings 10 Rodgers & Hart Songs. I have always been a big fan of the songs of Rodgers and Hart, but Bennett’s treatment of these songs is truly wonderful. In addition to his light and sensitive treatment of this waltz, the songs in this series are remarkable as well for the composition of the quartet that he used. The quartet was composed of Ruby Braff on cornet, George Barnes and Wayne Wright on guitar and John Guiffrida on bass. The arrangement for Wait Till You See Me is light and subtle. Listen for the very soft and very beautiful cornet work. And even though this song is very short at not quite a minute and a half, it says everything that needs to be said about this song.

http://open.spotify.com/track/4oEagl4qc4RY25lYvv5P1f
Wait Till You See Her, as well as the full Tony Bennett Sings The Rodgers & Hart Songbook, is available from iTunes.