The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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

The song of the day for Sunday, November 9, 2014 is “I’ve Got Just About Everything.”

About This Song

Today’s song, “I’ve Got Just About Everything,” was written by jazz pianist and composer Bob Dorough.

About This Version

Tony Bennett has only recorded this song once — for the 1962 album When Lights Are Low. This album features the Ralph Sharon Trio, with Sharon on piano, Billy Exiner on drums and Hal Gaylord on bass. This song is so much fun … I cannot help but feel happy and full of joy every time I hear it.

About Today

I’ve been kind of feeling this way since I saw Tony Bennett in concert last Wednesday. Thought I’d share it a little.

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 the album When Lights Are Low, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Speak Low

The song of the day for Saturday, November 1, 2014 is “Speak Low.”

About This Song

“Speak Low” was written in 1943 for the musical One Touch of Venus, with music by Kurt Weill and lyrics by Ogden Nash. It is a popular jazz vocal standard; in addition to the several fine recordings by Tony Bennett, it has been recorded by Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Lena Horne, among others.

The first line of the lyric comes from William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, when Don Pedro gives young Hero some advice on courtship:

Speak low, if you speak love.

About This Version

Tony Bennett has recorded “Speak Low” several times. We have live recordings from his 1962 Carnegie Hall concert and from his 1994 MTV Unplugged concert. The first recording came in 1959 and appeared on To My Wonderful One. He recorded it again 1962 for On The Glory Road, but that album was pulled at the last minute. More recently, he recorded it in 1989 for Astoria: Portrait of the Artist and again in 2011 with Norah Jones for Duets II.

Today’s version, however, is from 1964 from When Lights Are Low. For this album, he is accompanied by the Ralph Sharon Trio, with Hal Gaylord on bass and Billy Exiner on drums. The tempo is slightly faster than other recordings he’s made and, with the light touch of Sharon on piano, it’s a real treat.

Speak Low

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


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

And for our Saturday viewing pleasure, here is Tony Bennett’s duet with Norah Jones of today’s song, from Duets II.

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Song of the Day: It Had To Be You

The song of the day for Saturday, September 6, 2014 is “It Had To Be You.”

About This Song

“It Had To Be You” was composed in 1924 by Isham Jones with lyrics by 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. In spite of this song being 90 years old, it speaks to just about everyone who has ever been in love.

About This Version

Tony Bennett first recorded “It Had To Be You” in 1956 for his second album, Tony. Today’s version, though, is from 1964 for When Lights Are Low, with the Ralph Sharon Trio featuring Hal Gaylord on bass and Billy Exiner on drums.

It Had To Be You

Listen to It Had To Be You on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1964

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

Here’s Tony Bennett singing today’s song from his legendary 1994 MTV Unplugged concert, with Ralph Sharon on piano.

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

The song of the day for Tuesday, August 26, 2014 is “I’ve Got Just About Everything.”

About This Song

Written by the marvelous jazz pianist and composer Bob Dorough, this song is a true joy 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.”

In addition to Bennett’s recording, Bob Dorough has also recorded the song as have the duo Tuck and Patti, Natalie Cole and Ann Hampton Calloway.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded today’s song in 1964 for the album When Lights Are Low. For all of this album, it’s Bennett with the Ralph Sharon Trio, featuring Hal Gaylord on bass and Billy Exiner on drums. This is the way I love Tony Bennett: the voice singing with a jazz combo. The album was produced by Ernie Altschuler.

About Today

I woke up this morning to an email from the great people at DownBeat Magazine with a link to an interview with the composer of today’s song, Bob Dorough. You can read that interview here. He’s the essence of hip.

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 the album 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 Thursday, August 7, 2014 is “The Rules of the Road.”

About This Song

“The Rules of the Road” was written in 1961 by Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh. While the pair is best-known for their scores for Broadway musicals, such as Little Me and Wildcat, “The Rules of the Road” was not written for a show. 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.

But I think that Tony Bennett completely owns this song and always will.

About This Version

Today’s version of “The Rules of the Road” is from Bennett’s 1964 album When Lights Are Low. Bennett is accompanied on this album by the Ralph Sharon Trio, with Hal Gaylord on bass and Billy Exiner on drums.

I’ve been listening to When Lights Are Low all week and especially to “The Rules of the Road.” Regular readers know that this song is a favorite of mine; I choose it often. He’s made several different recordings of this song and each has its own distinct take. I really do love this version, though. I hope you do too.

http://open.spotify.com/track/3Ym1D0K9Qk4PTK2Iw2Z6It
“The Rules of the Road,” as well as the remastered album When Lights Are Low, is available from iTunes.