The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: The Most Beautiful Girl in the World

The song of the day for Monday, October 14, 2013 is “The Most Beautiful Girl In The World.”

About This Song

“The Most Beautiful Girl in the World” was written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart in 1935 for the Broadway spectacular Jumbo. It’s one of the songwriting team’s most popular love songs, with recordings by Frank Sinatra and Perry Como, in addition to Bennett’s very fine recording.

About This Version

Today’s version is from Bennett’s 1976 album Tony Bennett Sings More Great Rodgers and Hart, also released with the songs on Tony Bennett Sings 10 Rodgers and Hart Songs on Tony Bennett Sings the Rodgers and Hart Songbook.

Tony Bennett recorded these songs with the Ruby Braff / George Barnes Quartet, with Braff on cornet, Barnes and Wayne Wright on guitar and John Guiffrida on bass. No drums; no piano: just cornet, guitars and bass. The results were extraordinary. I find these recordings superb; it’s an intimate and focused treatment of these wonderful songs by Rodgers and Hart. And Bennett is in perfect voice for this song as well as all the songs on the album.

http://open.spotify.com/track/3XTwokibF9IHDzl7lumC2u
“The Most Beautiful Girl in the World,” as well as The Complete Improv Recordings, is available from iTunes and Amazon.

Tony Bennett Sings the Rodgers and Hart Songbook is available from Amazon.

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Song of the Day: I Could Write a Book

The song of the day for Tuesday, August 27, 2013 is “I Could Write a Book.”

About This Song

Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart wrote “I Could Write a Book” for the 1940 Broadway musical Pal Joey. Based on the novel by John O’Hara, Pal Joey was one of the first musicals with an anti-hero. Joey is a charming, but is manipulative and ambitious.

About This Version

“I Could Write a Book” is from Tony Bennett’s sublime Improv recordings of the Rodgers and Hart songbook in 1973. Originally released on two separate albums, all 26 songs are available on a combined set: Tony Bennett Sings the Rodgers and Hart Songbook.

For all of these songs, Bennett sings with the Ruby Braff – George Barnes Quartet, with Barnes and Wayne Wright on guitar, Ruby Braff on cornet and John Guiffrida on bass. The quartet and Bennett’s voice are perfect. A brilliant collection of songs, Bennett in very fine voice and the unusual, but very effective quartet add up to a splendid set.

http://open.spotify.com/track/7MxaMByk7vzys1FjVGGSo7
“I Could Write a Book,” as well as the Tony Bennett Rodgers & Hart Songbook, is available from iTunes and Amazon.com.

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Song of the Day: I Could Write A Book

The song of the day for Wednesday, January 30, 2012 is I Could Write A Book.

About I Could Write A Book

Composed by Richard Rodgers with lyrics by Lorenz Hart, I Could Write A Book is one of the hit songs from the 1940 musical Pal Joey (the other being Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered). Rodgers and Hart had a magnificent career and worked together from 1919 until Hart’s death in 1943. They wrote two more musicals after Pal Joey: By Jupiter and A Connecticut Yankee. After Hart’s death, Rodgers partnered with Oscar Hammerstein II.

The contribution of Rodgers and Hart to the American Songbook cannot be underestimated. Mountain Greenery, Thou Swell, Blue Moon, This Can’t Be Love and many, many more are some of the songs that were popular when written and remain popular today with jazz and cabaret singers.

10RodgersHart

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded two Rodgers and Hart albums for his Improv label: Tony Bennett Sings 10 Rodgers and Hart Songs and Tony Bennett Sings More Great Rodgers and Hart, both released in 1973.

Bennett is an excellent interpreter of the songs of Rodgers and Hart. The albums are also remarkable for the musicians he recorded the albums with. Bennett was a big fan of the cornet player Ruby Braff. Together, they created a wonderful sound with Braff’s cornet, George Barnes and Wayne Wright on guitar, and John Guiffrida on bass. No drums, no piano: just cornet, two guitars and bass. It’s a warm, inviting and very intimate sound that Bennett’s voice fits beautifully with.

I Could Write A Book originally appeared on Tony Bennett Sings 10 Rodgers & Hart Songs.

I Could Write A Book

Listen to I Could Write A Book on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1973

I Could Write A Book, as well as the full Tony Bennett Sings Rodgers and Hart, is available from iTunes.