The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: I’m Just A Lucky So And So

The song of the day for Thursday, September 11, 2014 is “I’m Just A Lucky So And So.”

About This Song

Today’s song, “I’m Just A Lucky So and So,” was composed by Duke Ellington in 1945, with lyrics by Mack David.

About This Version

Today’s version of “I’m Just A Lucky So and So” is from Tony Bennett’s second full-length album, Tony, released in early 1957. The album was arranged and conducted by Ray Conniff and produced by Mitch Miller.

About Today

“I’m Just A Lucky So and So” was recorded 58 years ago today: September 11, 1956. Click on the date link to read about this recording session at our sister site, The Interactive Tony Bennett Discography.

I"m Just A Lucky So And So

Listen to I"m Just A Lucky So And So on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1957


“I’m Just A Lucky So And So,” as well as the album Tony, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: I Can’t Give You Anything But Love

The song of the day for Monday, June 30, 2014 is “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love.”

About This Song

“I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” was written for the 1928 show Lew Leslie’s Blackbird Review by Jimmy McHugh (music) and Dorothy Fields (lyrics). It’s been a popular jazz song since that time with many fine recordings, including those by Ukulele Ike, Louis Armstrong, Doris Day, Marlene Dietrich, Duke Ellington, Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald and many more.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” in 1956 for his second full-length album, Tony. All the songs on the album were arranged and conducted by Ray Conniff.

http://open.spotify.com/track/3sNVXE2W8TtHcL1otaUdxq
“I Can’t Give You Anything But Love,” as well as the album Tony, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Love Walked Right In

The song of the day for Thursday, January 16, 2014 is “Love Walked Right In.”

About This Song

George Gershwin wrote the music for “Love Walked Right In” in 1930, though Ira Gershwin’s lyric wasn’t written until 1937 for the movie The Goldwyn Follies, released in 1938. Louis Armstrong recorded it that same year and the song has stayed popular, with recordings by Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Artie Shaw and Sammy Kaye, among many others.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Love Walked Right In” in 1956 for his second full-length album Tony, released in 1957. It was arranged and conducted by Ray Conniff. Tony has always been an interesting album to me. On one hand, we hear the big dramatic sound that Bennett was known for early in his career. At the same, though, he’s singing songs in a more introspective manner, showing his impeccable phrasing, as in today’s song and “Lost in the Stars.”

http://open.spotify.com/track/12g7iTirVNLnBwSanuvi4o
“Love Walked In,” as well as the album Tony, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: I’m Just a Lucky So and So

The song of the day for Thursday, January 9, 2014 is “I’m Just a Lucky So and So.”

About This Song

Today’s song, “I’m Just a Lucky So and So,” was written in 1945 by Duke Ellington, with lyrics by Mack David. A favorite song of Tony Bennett, “I’m Just a Lucky So-and-So” has also been recorded by Billy Eckstine, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan.

About The Versions

Tony Bennett first recorded “I’m Just a Lucky So and So” for his 1957 album Tony and again in 1999 for his Ellington album Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool. The 1957 version was arranged and conducted by Ray Conniff; the 1999 version was arranged by the Ralph Burns, with some great guitar work from Gray Sargent.

http://open.spotify.com/track/57JyE854v6NJ4oR4yUslCb
“I’m Just a Lucky So and So,” as well as the album Tony, is available from iTunes.

http://open.spotify.com/track/1wn8QJ1lMmoR29w5w7qtZb
“I’m Just a Lucky So and So,” as well as the album Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool, is available from iTunes.

And, we might as well complete this cycle by including his performance from the 1962 Carnegie Hall Concert, arranged and conducted by Ralph Sharon:

http://open.spotify.com/track/2FyC6XufAfvbSsTZm9h2by
“I’m Just a Lucky So and So,” as well as Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: I’m Just a Lucky So-and-So

Our first song of the day for Duke Ellington Week at The Year of Tony Bennett, April 28, 2013, is I’m Just a Lucky So-and-So.

About This Song

This song was written in 1945 by Duke Ellington with lyrics by Mack David.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this song for his second album, Tony, released in 1957. This was the first Ellington song that Tony Bennett recorded. While not one of Ellington’s major pieces, it was a perfect song for Bennett at this stage of his career, I think.

http://open.spotify.com/track/57JyE854v6NJ4oR4yUslCb
I’m Just a Lucky So-and-So, as well as the full Tony album, is available from iTunes.