The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Autumn in New York

The song of the day for Tuesday, October 6, 2026, is “Autumn in New York.”

About This Song

“Autumn in New York” was written in 1934 by Vernon Duke. Duke offered the song to producer Murray Anderson for his musical Thumbs Up! The song was not published until 1949. Noted recordings include those by Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, Bing Crosby, Jo Stafford, and Diana Krall.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Autumn In New York” on June 4, 1992, with The Ralph Sharon Trio (Sharon: piano, Paul Langosch: bass, and Joe LaBarbera: drums). The recording was an outtake from Bennett’s 1992 album Perfectly Frank.

“Autumn in New York,” as well as Rarities, Outtakes and Other Delights Vol 2, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Taking a Chance on Love

The song of the day for Friday, September 11, 2026, is “Taking a Chance on Love.”

About This Song

“Taking a Chance on Love” was composed by Vernon Duke, with lyrics by John LaTouche and Ted Fetter, for the 1940 Broadway musical Cabin in the Sky, where it was introduced by Ethel Waters.

About This Version

Tony Bennett made his first recording of “Taking a Chance on Love” 70 years ago on September 11, 1956, for his 1957 album Tony. Ray Conniff wrote the arrangement and conducted the orchestra.

“Taking a Chance on Love,” as well as Tony, is available on Apple Music.

We have an excellent recording of Ethel Waters singing “Taking a Chance on Love” from the 1943 Cabin In The Sky soundtrack.

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Song of the Day: Taking A Chance On Love

The song of the day for Monday, March 23, 2026, is “Taking A Chance On Love.”

About This Song

“Taking A Chance On Love” was written by Vernon Duke, with lyrics by John LaTouche and Ted Fetter, for the 1940 musical Cabin in the Sky, where it was introduced by the great Ethel Waters and Dooley Wilson. The song works well for both jazz singers and instrumentalists, with significant recordings by Benny Goodman, Dave Brubeck, and Ella Fitzgerald.

About This Version

Tony Bennett, with Count Basie and His Orchestra, recorded “Taking A Chance On Love” on December 30, 1958, for his 1959 album In Person! Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement.

“Taking A Chance On Love,” as well as In Person! is available on Apple Music.

We have a nice video of “Taking A Chance On Love” from the 1943 film of Cabin In The Sky, with Ethel Waters and Eddie Anderson:

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Song of the Day: Autumn In New York

The song of the day for Monday, September 22, 2025, is “Autumn In New York.”

About This Song

“Autumn In New York” was written by Vernon Duke for the 1934 Broadway musical Thumbs Up! The song has proved quite popular over the years, with recordings by Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker, Sarah Vaughan and many, many more.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Autumn In New York” on June 24, 1992. This recording was a previously unreleased outtake from Perfectly Frank.

“Autumn In New York,” as well as Rarities, Outtakes & Other Delights Vol. 2, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Taking a Chance on Love

The song of the day for Monday, February 10, 2025, is “Taking a Chance on Love.”

About This Song

“Taking a Chance on Love” was composed by Vernon Duke, with lyrics by John La Touche and Ted Fetter, for the 1940 musical Cabin in the Sky, where it was introduced by the great Ethel Waters and Dooley Wilson. The song works well for both jazz singers and instrumentalists, with significant recordings by Dave Brubeck, Tony Bennett, Judy Garland, and Dizzy Gillespie.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Taking a Chance on Love” on December 30, 1958, with Count Basie and His Orchestra for their 1959 album In Person!. The album was planned as a live album and was recorded in a club with the Count Basie Orchestra. However, the tape from the concert had poor quality and couldn’t be used. They re-recorded all of the songs in the studio.

“Taking a Chance on Love,” as well as In Person! is available on Apple Music.