Today's song for the day was considered one of the pianist Bill Evans' most endearing compositions "Waltz for Debby." Originally wordless and recorded on his Riverside 1956 release "New Jazz Conceptions," the song was purportedly written for his then three year old niece.
The song was given Swedish lyrics by poet Beppe Wolgers for vocalist Monica Zetturland, who sung it under its Swedish title "Monica Vals" with Evans on an album titled "Waltz for Debby: Monica Zetturland Bill Evans" and released in 1963.
Canadian journalist and lyricist Gene Lees wrote English lyrics for the song for vocalist Tony Bennett for his popular 1964 album "Who Can I Turn To." Evans and Bennett would eventually collaborate on their seminal duo album "The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album" from 1975, and it is on this first collaboration that the two would play this memorable waltz with such conviction and feeling. Although Evans played this song many times as part of his repertoire throughout his career, this recording marks the only time the pianist would record the song with lyrics ever again. Maybe these two created something that was too good to be improved.