The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Mountain Greenery

The song of the day for Thursday, February 10, 2022, is “Mountain Greenery.”

About This Song

Richard Rodgers and Larry Hart wrote “Mountain Greenery” in 1926 for one of their earliest musicals, The Garrick Gaieties, where it was introduced by Sterling Holloway. It had two recordings in 1926: one by Roger Wolfe Kahn and the other by Frank Crumit. In later years, this song was recorded by Bing Crosby, Mel Tormé, Ella Fitzgerald, and Tony Bennett.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Mountain Greenery” in 1973 with The Ruby Braff-George Barnes Quartet, featuring Braff on cornet, Barnes and Wayne Wright on guitar, and John Guiffrida on bass. Two albums with this quartet were released in 1977: Tony Bennett Sings 10 Rodgers & Hart Songs and Tony Bennett Sings More Great Rodgers and Hart. These were combined later on Tony Bennett Sings the Rodgers & Hart Songbook.

I love the recordings that Bennett did with the quartet; it’s a lovely sound for these Rodgers and Hart songs and I find that I don’t miss piano and drums.

“Mountain Greenery,” as well as Tony Bennett Sings the Rodgers & Hart Songbook is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Thou Swell

The song of the day for Friday, January 14, 2022, is “Thou Swell.”

About This Song

“Thou Swell” was written by Richard Rodgers and Larry Hart for the 1927 musical A Connecticut Yankee, based on the Mark Twain novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. “Thou Swell” is one of the more charming songs from the musical, as the lyrics feature a combination of modern and medieval language: “thine eyes are cute too” and “I’d feel so rich in a hut for two.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Thou Swell” in 1973 with the Ruby Braff-George Barnes Quartet, with Braff on cornet, Barnes and Wayne Wright on guitar, and John Guiffrida on bass. This quartet, without piano or drums, is a wonderful sound these Rodgers and Hart songs. “Thou Swell” was released in 1977 on Tony Bennett Sings More Great Rodgers and Hart on Bennett’s Improv label.

“Thou Swell,” as well as The Complete Improv Recordings is available on Apple Music.

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Playlist of the Week: Tony Loves Rodgers and Hart

The Playlist of the Week for June 2, 2019, is Tony Loves Rodgers and Hart.

The Lady is a Tramp from Duets II, with Lady Gaga
Bewitched from Tony Sings For Two
This Can’t Be Love from Tony Bennett Sings 10 Rodgers & Hart Songs
Thou Swell from Tony Bennett Sings More Great Rodgers and Hart
Falling In Love With Love from If I Ruled The World: Songs for the Jet Set
I Wish I Were In Love Again from Tony Bennett Sings More Great Rodgers and Hart
There’s a Small Hotel from Tony Bennett Sings More Great Rodgers and Hart

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Song of the Day: Thou Swell

The song of the day for Wednesday, February 8, 2017 is “Thou Swell.”

About This Song

“Thou Swell” was written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart for the 1927 musical A Connecticut Yankee, based on the Mark Twain novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. “Thou Swell” is one of more charming songs from the musical, as the lyrics feature a combination of modern and medieval language: “thine eyes are cute too” and “I’d feel so rich in a hut for two.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Thou Swell” in 1973 for his album Tony Bennett Sings More Great Rodgers & Hart, released in 1977. He is accompanied by the fantastic Ruby Braff-George Barnes Quartet, featuring Braff on cornet, Barnes and Wayne Wright on guitar, and John Guiffrida on bass. The combination of Tony Bennett and this quartet is really remarkable.

Thou Swell

Listen to Thou Swell on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 2004


“Thou Swell,” as well as The Complete Improv Recordings, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: I Wish I Were In Love Again

The song of the day for Wednesday, July 16, 2014 is “I Wish I Were In Love Again.”

About This Song

Today’s song, “I Wish I Were In Love Again,” was written for the 1937 Broadway musical Babes In Arms (not to be confused with the Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland film of the same name, released in 1939; however, Rooney and Garland did sing today’s song in the 1948 film Words and Music). Significant recordings include those by Judy Garland (1946), Ella Fitzgerald (1955), and Frank Sinatra(1957). It’s one of the several songs from Babes in Arms that became standards: “My Funny Valentine,” “Where Or When,” “Johnny One Note” and “The Lady Is A Tramp” were also premiered in that musical. Wow.

About This Version

On this day in July, 1973, Tony Bennett and The Ruby Braff/George Barnes Quartet were in a recording studio in New York recording the Rodgers and Hart songs for two Improv records: Tony Bennett Sings 10 Rodgers & Hart Songs and Tony Bennett Sings … More Great Rodger & Hart. You can read more about this session on our sister site, The Interactive Tony Bennett Discography.

For this reason, I’m happy to present a song from that session as the song of the day, though regular readers of this blog will know that I need little excuse to play a Rodgers and Hart song sung by Tony Bennett. Not only are the songs themselves some of the best songs written for the American songbook, these particular recordings are quite extraordinary. The Ruby Braff/George Barnes Quartet consisted of a cornet (Braff), two guitars (Barnes and Wayne Wright) and bass (John Guiffrida). I’ve always found it remarkable that a group with no piano or drums could be so wonderful, but they are; every song on both of these albums is wonderful. Including this one.

http://open.spotify.com/track/4Qytn2uiRVOpuWHmmo1OMt
“I Wish I Were In Love Again,” as well as The Complete Improv Recordings, is available from iTunes.