The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: A Sleepin’ Bee

The song of the day for Saturday, February 20, 2021, is “A Sleeping’ Bee.”

About This Song

“A Sleeping’ Bee” was written by Harold Arlen and Truman Capote for the 1954 musical House of Flowers, based on the Truman Capote novella. Set in Haiti, the production featured a trio of steel drummers (more precisely known as pannists) from Trinidad.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “A Sleeping’ Bee” with Ralph Sharon in 1959 for their album Tony Sings For Two, released in 1961.

A Sleepin’ Bee – Remastered

Listen to A Sleepin’ Bee – Remastered on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1961.

“A Sleeping’ Bee,” as well as Tony Sings For Two, is available from Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Happiness is a Thing Called Joe

The song of the day for Wednesday, January 20, 2021, is “Happiness is a Thing Called Joe.”

We are pleased to present today’s song in honor of the inauguration of the 46th president of the United States, Joseph Robinette Biden Jr.

About This Song

“Happiness is a Thing Called Joe” was written in 1940 by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg. It’s from the 1940 Broadway musical Cabin in the Sky, starring Ethel Waters and Dooley Wilson. The song was introduced by Ethel Waters, sung to her husband Joe, played by Dooley Wilson. The 1943 film version of Cabin in the Sky also featured Miss Waters with the role of Joe played by Eddie Anderson.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Happiness is a Thing Called Joe” in 1959 with Ralph Sharon. The two booked the CBS 30th Street Studio to record. Sharon brought in a briefcase of sheet music and they chose a song, found a good key, and recorded the songs in one or two takes. In a single session, they recorded 16 songs. Twelve of those songs were released, finally, in the 1961 album Tony Sings For Two.

Bennett tells this story in his autobiography The Good Life:

Mitch Miller showed up at the start of these sessions, furious that I was really going through with it. When he saw there was no dissuading me, he turned to Frank Laico and said, ‘I’m leaving. I can’t support this.’ Tony Sings For Two turned out to be one of the my finest records ever.

Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe – Remastered

Listen to Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe – Remastered on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1961.

“Happiness is a Thing Called Joe,” as well as Tony Sings For Two, is available from Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: The Man That Got Away

The song of the day for Tuesday, December 29, 2020, is “The Man That Got Away.”

About This Song

“The Man That Got Away” was written by Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin for Judy Garland to sing in the 1954 version of A Star Is Born. Her performance of the song is legendary in film history, with 27 takes in three days, three separate sessions, and two different directors. The filmed scene is brilliant and made the song a huge hit for Garland, who sang it in most of her concerts.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “The Man That Got Away” in 1959 with just Ralph Sharon on piano. Bennett and Sharon booked the CBS 30th Street Studio for October 28, 1959, for the two of them to record songs for an album. Sharon brought along a briefcase of sheet music. They would pick a song and Sharon would work up a quick arrangement and they’d record the song, in just one or two takes. In that single session, they recorded 16 songs, 12 of which were on the album Tony Sings For Two, released in February 1961. It’s quite an extraordinary album.

The Man That Got Away – Remastered

Listen to The Man That Got Away – Remastered on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1961.

“The Man That Got Away,” as well as Tony Sings For Two, is available from Apple Music.

And because I love Judy Garland, here’s that scene from A Star Is Born:

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Song of the Day: The Man That Got Away

The song of the day for Thursday, September 17, 2020, is “The Man That Got Away.”

About Today

Today we are celebrating Ralph Sharon, on the anniversary of his birth on September 17, 1923. Sharon was born in London and emigrated to the United States in 1954. He served as Tony Bennett’s pianist and musical director for many years.

About This Song

“The Man That Got Away” was written by Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin for Judy Garland to sing in the 1954 film A Star Is Born. Her performance of the song is legendary in film history, with 27 takes in three days, three separate sessions, and two different directors. The filmed scene is brilliant and made the song a huge hit for Garland, who sang it in most of her concerts.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Ralph Sharon recorded “The Man That Got Away” in 1959. They booked the studio for the day. Sharon brought a briefcase of sheet music and they leafed through the music, picked songs that they liked, and recorded them in one or two takes. The result was the album Tony Sings For Two, released in 1961.

“The Man That Got Away,” as well as Tony Sings For Two, is available from Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered

The song of the day for Monday, September 7, 2020, is “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered.”

About This Song

“Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered,” written by Richard Rodgers and Larry (Lorenz) Hart, was one of the hit songs from the 1940 musical Pal Joey, where it was introduced by Vivienne Segal. Notable recordings are by Benny Goodman, Mel Tormé, Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatra. Alec Wilder admired the lyric and the verse, but found the song “notey.” In spite of being notey, it’s a cornerstone of the American Songbook.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered” in 1959 with Ralph Sharon in a remarkable recording session: just Bennett and Sharon with a briefcase full of sheet music. They would pull out a song and record in one or two takes. They recorded 16 songs that day, 12 of which were released on Tony Sings For Two. The album was released in 1961.

“Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered,” as well as Tony Sings For Two, is available from Apple Music.

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