The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Thank You, Tony Bennett

The fact that I’ve started this blog means that I have a fair amount to say about Tony Bennett. I’ve said some of it already, and there’s a lot more to come.

But it comes down to this–thank you, Tony Bennett.

Thank you for making so many wonderful albums. Thank you for continuing to appear in concert. And for playing the West Coast often enough for me to see you in concert pretty often. Thank you for writing your books. Thank you for everything you mean to those of us who love your art and music.

Thank you for letting us share in that.

– Suzanne

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Central Park

Anthony Benedetto has three paintings hanging in the Smithsonian. His portraits of Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald hang in the National Portrait Gallery. This painting, Central Park, hangs at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in the Renwick Gallery.

A New Yorker at his core, Mr. Benedetto has created many lovely paintings of scenes from Central Park. This oil painting was created in 1998. You can read more about this painting here.

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The Best $5.99 You’ll Ever Spend

If you are a fan of Mr. Bennett’s live performances, I recommend that you download the iTunes Festival: London 2010 EP set of six songs, performed live in London. These recordings do not (as yet) exist on any released album. They are, without a doubt, on the top of my favorite cuts of his. Included on the set is:

  • The Best Is Yet To Come
  • Maybe This Time
  • Sing You Sinners
  • Smile
  • Who Care (So Long As You Care For Me)
  • For Once In My Life

If you’re not already a fan of his live performances, well, you’re missing something wonderful. Again, try this set for $5.99.
Mr. Bennett is accompanied by Lee Musiker (piano), Gray Sargent (guitar), Marshall Wood (bass) and Harold Jones (drums). The quartet is wonderful–on this EP set as well as in the live performances I’ve seen.

This link will take to you the proper location in ITunes. If you already have this, consider gifting it to a friend.

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The Way You Look Tonight

Mr. Bennett has recorded (to my knowledge) three versions of this song. All vastly different from each other.

Long Ago and Far Away 1958 with Frank DeVol and his Orchestra
Recorded in 1997 with the Ralph Sharon Trio. Appears on Rarities, Outtakes and Other Delights, Vol. 2 and
Tony Bennett Sings the Ultimate American Songbook 2007
Duets II 2011
Sung with Faith Hill. With Lee Musiker, Gray Sargent, Marshall Wood, and Harold Jones
Arranged and conducted by Jorge Calandrelli

It’s no secret that I tend to prefer the  recordings by Mr. Bennett with a smaller group and that I often prefer the later recordings over the earlier recordings. Therefore, it’s no surprise that of these three versions, I most love the 1997 version where he’s accompanied by the Ralph Sharon Trio.

The original version and the Duets II version with Faith Hill are lovely, sweet and optimistic. Tony’s optimism is one of my favorite things about his singing. In both of these versions, I feel that these lovers will always be together and that they will always remember the way you look tonight.

In the 1997 version, there is a deep and profound sadness and this sweet and happy song is turned into a ballad.  This version makes me feel that the singer knows that the relationship may be ending and that this very moment and they way she looks tonight may be the last and and most important memory that he will have. It’s sad and moving and full of love. But love, as we know, isn’t always happy.

The Way You Look Tonight

Listen to The Way You Look Tonight on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 2012.

The Way You Look Tonight

This song was originally written for 1936’s Swing Time and was sung (beautifully) by Fred Astaire. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Music: Jerome Kern
Lyrics: Dorothy Fields

Some day, when I’m awfully low,
When the world is cold,
I will feel a glow just thinking of you
And the way you look tonight.

Oh but  you’re lovely, with your smile so warm
And your cheeks so soft,
There is nothing for me but to love you,
And the way you look tonight.

With each word your tenderness grows,
Tearing my fear apart
And that laugh that wrinkles your nose,
Touches my foolish heart.

Lovely, never, never change.
Keep that breathless charm.
Won’t you please arrange it ?
Cause I love you, just the way you look tonight.
Just the way you look tonight.

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Tony Bennett: The Complete Collection

As soon as this collection was announced, I knew I had to have it. As a latecomer to the music of Tony Bennett, so many of his earlier albums had gone out print. And so I bought myself this wonderful collection for myself.

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The set contains music from Columbia, Verve, Improv (Tony’s label) and back again to Columbia. There are two CDs of “Rarities, Outtakes and Other Delights” which include a recording of Tony singing “St.  James Infirmary Blues” when he was a member of the 314th Army Special Services Band as World War II wound down. There are six CDs of the singles that he recorded for Columbia, including his first hit “The Boulevard of Broken Dreams”. The set contains 74(!) CDs and 3 DVDs.

As of this past weekend, I have added all 74 CDs to my iPod, where they join other CDs that I’d previously purchased, including the Complete Improv recordings, Jazz, and numerous others. Now the CDs are back to being safe and sound in that beautiful box. Just for kicks: iTunes shows 6.38 GB for Tony Bennett — 1289 items — 2.7 days of listening without repeats.

Album reviews to follow.

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