September 30, 2006 - I must admit when I first heard of this project (Tony Bennett Duets - An American Classic,)
I questioned whether or not doing duets with today’s biggest stars was the best idea. After all with all of those extremely accomplished musicians in the same studio one had to wonder if they would overshadow even the legendary Tony Bennett, however I can tell you with the strongest of confidence that no star shines brighter on this project than Mr. Bennett’s. After 50 years in the music industry Tony Bennett proves once again that age is merely a number and that even at 80 years old he can still swing and croon with the best of them.

Tony Bennett

Compiling a guest list that resembled a Who’s Who listing of the entertainment industry including, Barbara Streisand, Bono, James Taylor, Elton John, Billy Joel, Celine Dion, Stevie Wonder, Diana Krall, K.D. Lang, and more. He along with his Grammy award winning team of musicians and producers assembled what is to be a technically flawless album. Opening the album was the hit Lullaby of Broadway (with the Dixie Chicks). This song took you back to a simpler time in music where strings and theatrics were more prevalent and the artist was actually required to have vocal abilities rather than the pro tools standard. On this album he includes all of the hits that we have heard time and time again such as Smile (with Barbara Streisand), The Very Thought of You (with Paul McCartney) The Good Life (with Billy Joel), and The Boulevard of Broken Dreams (with Sting). Having the second person duet really did add a whole other dimension to the songs and gave them a new sense of life and structure.

The song placement on the album was equally outstanding. Never a dull moment, it’s at about the time when you get settled into this “laid back sipping on a cup of coffee on a lazy morning” kind of momentum that he brings it up a notch with a “foot tapping, want to get up and swing dance” sort of vibe. This roller coaster of momentum makes the album go back quickly and you forget that with 19 tracks it’s rather lengthy according to contemporary standards. I can honestly say it’s refreshing to hear an artist take the time to really build all levels of a song instead of rushing through the first verse to get to the hook in 30 seconds or less.

What I found the most intriguing was the choice of song to close out the album. With this song Mr. Bennett poses the question “How do you keep the music playing (with George Michael)” With his extensive experience in the music industry this song seems to hold a much more profound statement than merely song number 19. How do we keep the music playing? How do we help these classics, which really are the foundation for all genres of today’s music, from fading too fast? The answer is simple and Mr. Bennett said it best himself ‘if we can try with every day to make it better as it grows, with any luck then I suppose, the music never ends”

Tony Bennett is an Emmy and Grammy award winning recording artist and tours on a regular basis. He has appeared on David Letterman, The Simpsons and many other programs. Tony Bennett was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame in 1997 and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. For more artist information visit the official Tony Bennett Website.

CD Review By Melissa Deskovic – Copyright © 2006 Florida Entertainment Scene – All Rights Reserved.