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 Wednesday, February 18, 2026, is “A Sleepin’ Bee.”

About This Song

“A Sleepin’ 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 and Ralph Sharon recorded “A Sleepin’ Bee” on October 28, 1959, for their album Tony Sings For Two, released in 1961. The album used just voice and piano; no other instruments were used. They came to the session with a briefcase of music; they’d pick a song, set the key, and record in just one or two takes. They recorded 16 songs at that session, 12 of which were released on Tony Sings For Two.

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

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Song of the Day: The Man That Got Away

The song of the day for Friday, February 6, 2026, is “The Man That Got Away.”

About Today

Tony Sings For Two was released 65 years ago on February 6, 1961. The tracks on the album were recorded a year and four months earlier. Why it took so long to release the album is anyone’s guess, but my money’s on Mitch Miller.

Bennett wrote in his autobiography, The Good Life.

I always wanted to be unpredictable, and so for my next project, I decided to go in the opposite direction from the big orchestral albums I’d been doing lately and cut an intimate piano-vocal album with Ralph Sharon. We booked time at the studio and pored through music books, trying one tune after another. The arrangements were spontaneous, and we finished each song in one or two takes. In one afternoon we laid down sixteen tunes—which must be some kind of record—twelve of which made it onto the album, which became 1961’s Tony Sings For Two. Mitch Miller showed up at the start of these sessions, furious that I was really going through with it. When he saw that 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 my finest records ever.

About This Song

“The Man That Got Away” was written by Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin for Judy Garland in the 1954 version of A Star Is Born, with James Mason. 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” on October 28, 1959, for his 1961 album Tony Sings For Two.

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

Here is Judy Garland singing “The Man That Got Away” from Tony Sings For Two.

Here are some links to two outtakes of “The Man That Got Away.”

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Song of the Day: Nobody’s Heart Belongs To Me

The song of the day for Tuesday, October 28, 2025, is “Nobody’s Heart Belongs To Me.”

About This Song

“Nobody’s Heart Belongs To Me” was written by Richard Rodgers and Larry Hart for the 1942 Broadway musical By Jupiter. Directed by Joshua Logan, it starred Ray Bolger, Vera-Ellen and Constance Moore. It was their last full-length work. In American Popular Music, Alec Wilder called this song “one of the loveliest songs Rodgers or any other theater writer has ever written. In the area of this form of music it is a masterpiece.”

About This Version

In 1959, Tony Bennett and Ralph Sharon decided to create an intimate piano-vocal album. Bennett relates:

We booked time in the studio and pored through music books, trying one tune after another. The arrangements were spontaneous, and we finished each song in one or two takes. In one afternoon we laid down sixteen tunes—which must be some kind of record—twelve of which made it onto the album, which became 1961’s Tony Sings for Two, Mitch Miller showed up at the start of these sessions, furious that I was really going through with it. When he saw that 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 my finest records ever.

One of those songs was “Nobody’s Heart Belongs To Me,” recorded 66 years ago on October 28, 1959. Tony Sings For Two was released in 1961. It was the last Tony Bennett album produced by Mitch Miller.

“Nobody’s Heart Belongs To Me,” as well as Tony Sings For Two, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Street of Dreams

The song of the day for Sunday, August 10, 2025, is “Street of Dreams.”

About This Song

“Street of Dreams” was written in 1932 by Victor Young and Sam M. Lewis. The song has a classic Depression-era sense, where love is one of the few things that may be impossible for those with money, but “no one is poor as long as love is sure.” Bing Crosby was the first singer to record “Street of Dreams”, though the Russ Columbo recording was also popular.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Ralph Sharon recorded “Street of Dreams” on October 28, 1959, for the album Tony Sings For Two, released in 1961.

Bennett wrote about making this album in The Good Life.

I always wanted to be unpredictable, and so for my next project, I decided to go in the opposite direction from the big orchestral albums I’d been doing lately and cut an intimate piano-vocal album with Ralph Sharon. We booked time in the studio and pored through music books, trying one tune after another. The arrangements were spontaneous, and we finished each song in one or two takes. In one afternoon we laid down sixteen tunes—which must be some kind of record—twelve of which made it onto the album, which became 1961’s Tony Sings for Two. Mitch Miller showed up at the start of these sessions, furious that I was really going through with it. When he saw that 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 my finest records ever.

“Street of Dreams,” as well as Tony Sings For Two, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Nobody’s Heart Belongs To Me

The song of the day for Sunday, April 18, 2025, is “Nobody’s Heart Belongs To Me.”

About This Song

“Nobody’s Heart Belongs To Me” was written by Richard Rodgers and Larry Hart for the musical By Jupiter in 1942. Directed by Joshua Logan, it starred Ray Bolger, Vera-Ellen and Constance Moore. It was their last full-length work. In American Popular Music, Alec Wilder called this song “one of the loveliest songs Rodgers or any other theater writer has ever written. In the area of this form of music it is a masterpiece.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Nobody’s Heart Belongs To Me” on October 28, 1959, for his album Tony Sings For Two, released in 1961. For this album, Bennett and Ralph Sharon booked the Columbia 30th Street Studio and, with only. Sharon accompanying him on piano, recorded sixteen songs, with twelve songs released on the album. There were no formal arrangements; they sat down and chose songs from music books and recorded them in one or two takes.

“Nobody’s Heart Belongs To Me,” as well as Tony Sings For Two, is available on Apple Music.