Last night, millions of Americans watched the San Francisco Giants submerge the Texas Rangers in game one of the World Series. They also saw Tony Bennett sing—of course—”I Left My Heart in San Francisco” and at the 7th inning stretch, “God Bless America.” If you missed it or if you are in a part of the world mystified by the United States’ baseball craziness at Series time, you may nonetheless enjoy Mr. Bennett’s performance of the Irving Berlin song that many musicians and many more ordinary citizens have suggested should be the US national anthem. If you have doubts about how his 84-year-old chops are holding up, listen to Bennett leap up an interval of a seventh to the concluding A.
Note added November 1: Major League Baseball has blocked the Bennett clip. To see a fan’s video from the stadium, go here. It’s the best we can do until MLB unblocks the quality version.—DR
Jazz maven and senior news producer Paul Conley at Capitol Public Radio in Sacramento sent the link to that clip. The Rifftides staff thanks Mr. Conley.
As a former San Franciscan, all I can add is, Go Giants!
