Sunday morning coming down

Tony Bennett and Bill Evans recorded two albums together in the 1970’s, during a lull in Bennett’s career. “You Must Believe In Spring” is from Together Again (1976), the second of the two albums. The song has music by Michel Legrand and English lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman. (The original French lyrics are by Jacques Demy.)

John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey recently raved about the Bennett/Evans version of the song on their syndicated Radio Deluxe show. Both Pizzarelli and Molaskey have great taste and something like working omniscience of popular music. The show’s archives are accessible online here; they played the song on their June 18 (Father’s Day) edition of the show.

Molaskey herself is a talented vocalist. When she talks about the music, I listen, She called the song “required listening for anyone who ever wants to get in front of an audience and decipher a song.” She said she finds the lyric “so beautiful.” Speaking of Bennett, Pizzarelli added: “And he delivers it so perfectly.” Not to mention Bill Evans’s accompaniment on piano.

A song about despair and renewal, it has been echoing in my mind over the past few weeks. It strikes a chord with me this morning. I thought some readers might enjoy it.

After playing the recording, Molaskey raved some more about it. “From a melodic standpoint, the intervals are difficult to negotiate,” she observed. “The way he lays that out, it’s just gorgeous.”

Admiring “the brilliance and simplicity” of the song, Pizzarelli responded, and not just in the interest of marital harmony: “You’ll get no argument from me.”

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