The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: The Rules of the Road

The song of the day for Monday, December 11, 2017 is “The Rules of the Road.”

About This Song

Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh wrote “The Rules of the Road” in 1961. Tony Bennett has recorded this song several times. Other notable recordings include those by Lena Horne, Shirley Horne, Nat King Cole and Rosemary Clooney.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this version of “The Rules of the Road” in 1964 for the album When Lights Are Low. Unlike his first version, recorded in 1961, this recording is a slower and more contemplative. Ralph Sharon did the arrangement and led the Ralph Sharon Trio, with Hal Gaylord on bass and Billy Exiner on drums.

The Rules Of The Road

Listen to The Rules Of The Road on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1964


“The Rules of the Road,” as well as When Lights Are Low, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Speak Low

The song of the day for Thursday, September 21, 2017 is “Speak Low.”

About This Song

“Speak Low” was written for the 1943 musical One Touch of Venus by Kurt Weill and Ogden Nash, where it was introduced by Mary Martin and Kenny Baker. In addition to several very fine Tony Bennett recordings, “Speak Low” has been widely recorded by jazz and popular performers, including Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Lena Horne.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Speak Low” in 1964 with The Ralph Sharon Trio for the album When Lights Are Low.

Speak Low

Listen to Speak Low on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1964


“Speak Low,” as well as When Lights Are Low, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: I’ve Got Just About Everything

The song of the day for Wednesday, September 20, 2017 is “I’ve Got Just About Everything.”

About This Song

Written by the marvelous jazz pianist and composer Bob Dorough, this song is a lot of fun to listen to. In his liner notes for Forty/Fifty Years: The Artistry of Tony Bennett, Bennett says that “this one explains how a singer feels when he sings a song everyone likes.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “I’ve Got Just About Everything” in 1964, with The Ralph Sharon Trio, for the album When Lights Are Low. Ralph Sharon’s arrangement is a joy and, as pianist, Sharon seems to be having a great time with this song.

I"ve Got Just About Everything

Listen to I"ve Got Just About Everything on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1964


“I’ve Got Just About Everything,” as well as When Lights Are Low, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: The Rules of the Road

The song of the day for Tuesday, September 19, 2017 is “Rules of the Road.”

About This Song

Today’s song, “The Rules of the Road,” was written in 1961 by Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh. In addition to several recordings by Tony Bennett, the song has also been recorded by Lena Horne, Shirley Horne, Nat King Cole and Rosemary Clooney.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this version of “The Rules of the Road” in 1964 with The Ralph Sharon Trio for the album When Lights Are Low.

The Rules Of The Road

Listen to The Rules Of The Road on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1964


“The Rules of the Road,” as well as When Lights Are Low, is available from iTunes.

Tony Bennett has recorded several versions of “The Rules of the Road,” but this one is by far my favourite. It comes across to me as a cautionary tale–the story of a person who has been burned a bit by those rules.

About Today

Today is your author’s birthday and “The Rules of the Road” is my present to myself. I know I play this song a lot, but it’s my favorite. I hope you’ll forgive this indulgence.

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Song of the Day: Nobody Else But Me

The song of the day for Monday, September 19, 2017 is “Nobody Else But Me.”

About This Song

“Nobody Else But Me” was written by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein for the 1946 Broadway revival of Show Boat, replacing a reprise of “Why Do I Love You?” near the end of Act Two. It was the last song that Jerome Kern wrote; he died shortly before the 1946 production opened. This song has been used in other revivals of Show Boat as well.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Nobody Else But Me” in 1964 for the album When Lights Are Low. The album features Bennett with the Ralph Sharon Trio, with Sharon on piano, Hal Gaylord on bass and Billy Exiner on drums. Sharon wrote all the arrangements for this album.

Nobody Else But Me

Listen to Nobody Else But Me on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1964


“Nobody Else But Me,” as well as When Lights Are Low, is available from iTunes.

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