The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: It Had To Be You

The song of the day for Saturday, August 12, 2017 is “It Had To Be You.”

About This Song

Today’s song, “It Had To Be You,” was written in 1924 by Isham Jones and Gus Kahn. It is a popular standard with many fine recordings, including those by Paul Whiteman, Cliff Edwards and Frank Sinatra. It has also be used in several films, such as Casablanca and Annie Hall.

About This Version

Tony Bennett has recorded “It Had To Be You” several times. Today I’ve chosen his 1964 recording from When Lights Are Low, featuring the Ralph Sharon Trio, with Sharon on piano, Hal Gaylord on bass and Billy Exiner on drums.

It Had To Be You

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“It Had To Be You,” as well as When Lights Are You, is available from iTunes.

About Today

It’s Saturday again and I have a lovely video for you. It’s Tony Bennett singing today’s song, accompanied by Ralph Sharon, on television for a Muscular Dystrophy Association fund-raising program. My guess is that this was recorded sometime in the early 1980s.

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Song of the Day: Speak Low

The song of the day for Thursday, May 18, 2017 is “Speak Low.”

About This Song

“Speak Low” was written for the 1943 musical One Touch of Venus, with music by Kurt Weill and lyrics by Ogden Nash. 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 this version of “Speak Low” in 1964 for his album When Lights Are Low. The album features the Ralph Sharon Trio, with Sharon on piano, Billy Exiner on drums and Hal Gaylord on bass.

I’ve always thought of When Lights Are Low as a kind of followup to what is probably my favorite Bennett album, Tony Sings For Two. It’s a return to the jazz standards with a solid jazz trio (instead of only Sharon on piano). It’s the Tony Bennett sound I love the most: a great jazz standard, a terrific arrangement, and a strong jazz combo.

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: Oh! You Crazy Moon

The song of the day for Friday, August 26, 2016 is “Oh! You Crazy Moon.”

About This Song

Written in 1939, “Oh! You Crazy Moon” was the first song that Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke wrote together in what would be a long and successful partnership. The bouncy, uptempo song gained immediate popularity and was widely recorded.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Oh! You Crazy Moon” in 1964 for his album When Lights Are Low, which featured the Ralph Sharon Trio, with Hal Gaylord on bass and Billy Exiner on drums.

Oh! You Crazy Moon

Listen to Oh! You Crazy Moon on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1964


“Oh! You Crazy Moon,” as well as When Lights Are Low, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: The Rules of the Road

On the second day of the Tony Bennett 90th Birthday Bash, Monday, August 1, 2016 the song of the day is “The Rules of the Road.”

About This Song

“The Rules of the Road” was written in 1961 by our songwriter of the month, Cy Coleman, and Carolyn Leigh.

About This Version

It’s no secret that I absolutely adore this song. All the different versions too. Here’s the original: recorded in 1961 and included on Bennett’s Grammy-winning album I Left My Heart in San Francisco. The arrangement is by Ralph Burns. (Hint: we’ll be returning to this album before the birthday bash is over.)

Rules of the Road

Tony Bennett · I Left My Heart In San Francisco · Song · 1962


“The Rules of the Road,” as well as I Left My Heart in San Francisco, is available from iTunes.

And here’s the alternate version, which I love. This time, it’s a Ralph Sharon arrangement from When Lights Are Low.

The Rules Of The Road

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

Listening to these recordings one after the other is master class in singing.

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

The song of the day for Friday, April 14, 2016 is “I’ve Got Just About Everything.”

About This Song

“I’ve Got Just About Everything” was written by the great jazz pianist and composer Bob Dorough. 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

I just realized that I keep returning to Tony’s 1964 album When Lights Are Low. And why not? It’s a terrific album, with the Ralph Sharon Trio as well as Bennett in top form! I just love listening to Tony Bennett singing 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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