Other sources indicate these recordings were made, not at a synagogue, but at "the church" (CBS Records 30th Street studio); and there were just eight songs, not a full LP's worth. From @Chris Phasey's post Unreleased Tony Bennett earlier in this thread, these are the songs in addition to "The Glory of Love" recorded January 15 and 18, 1968, with Torrie Zito arrangements: Easy Street I’m Confessing (That I Love You) I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing Just a Gigolo Old Folks When It’s Sleepy Time Down South
Thanks to all re: answers about the Latin Casino and Greek Theater shows. My reason for asking was because I remembered reading somewhere a while back that the full Greek Theater show was in the hands of collectors but they would not let go of it easily...must be remembering wrong! I have another question now, I read through this thread and saw mentions that there were rumors that Tony was stockpiling albums for post-humous release. Has this been confirmed? If so, does anyone have any idea whats waiting in the vaults for us? Or anything upcoming? I know there might be: -Another Gaga album (yay...?) -Guitar/vocal album with Gray Sargent...which I am SO excited to hopefully hear one day....Sammy's album with Laurindo Almeida is a favorite of mine and it would be amazing to hear Tony try that out.... Anything else? Also, can we hope for a new album this year? He seems to have put one out each year since 2013...if you want to count Tony 90 as an "album" haha.
It has been mentioned here and there that Danny is stockpiling solo recordings of his father to continually sell posthumously. None of that has been confirmed. Tony has alluded to it in past interviews but there is no real concrete evidence that it has been occurring. (One must take anything Tony has said in interviews that past 5-8 years or so with a grain of salt). If there is anything new while Tony walks among us it will be another dreaded album with Gaga. Sales of his last solo effort did nothing to dazzle the penny-pinchers at Sony to keep shelling out solo Tony Bennett albums.
The Duets album phenomenon is one of the worst trends in recording history. Sure there are gems, but mostly it is lost opportunities
When I think of all the great solo albums Tony could have done in the last ten or fifteen years.... Instead we were treated to needless duets album that I didn't even buy! What a waste of his talent. Also it's a shame that an artist like Tony who used to claim to be uncommercial has now become the most commercial of all classic singers! He was the one who used to comdemn other singers for being too commercial.
I get your point, but I do feel that you take it too far. This album alone is more than almost any other 89 year old artist has ever released, or just about anybody over 80, for that matter. Be grateful for the small things in life.
Right, but that's exactly what I mean! We could have had ten of those instead of countless duets album. That's what's bothering me. He could have used his time and talent for quality albums like this.
Extremely few artists of any age are releasing a new album every year these days (over the past 20+ years this has been the industry pattern) the way they had in the 1960's and 1970's. Most much younger artists issue something only every three years or even more. And (of course) very few artists over 75 are releasing anything at all, even if they are active as performing artists. With two major studio albums since his 77th birthday (The Art of Romance being the other - plus a studio Christmas album being a third release), I think at the very best there might have been only one other possible studio album after age 80...and that still would be highly unusual for an artist over 80 years old. I would consider the five various duets albums to be a bonus. At least they kept the attention on Tony and helped introduce him to younger generations. I believe it will help Tony's legacy live on for decades, and not fade away like so many of his contemporaries and those of the previous generation. My mother is a year older than Tony. She has not had the strength to go out of my house in two years. Believe me, Tony is using his time and talent the best he can manage.
He's been in way too good of a voice to be limited to what's been released as "solo" records since 2000. I sure hope there are posthumous releases in the vault, as he still has chops at his age!
It may be that Tony is now beyond the ability to learn new songs. Decades TV showing best of Ed Sullivan compilations. Today Tony sang with the Basie band. "Sunny Side Of The Street" and "San Francisco/I Wanna Be Around" medley. Sullivan introduced Bennett as "The #1 singer in the country".
That's not really true. Have you cared for a person over 90? My father decided to stop eating, and that is not uncommon for people over 90. They still make choices.
@Ronald Sarbo If you did not read my review of Tony's 2 nights at the Hollywood Bowl in July, I mentioned that he had difficulty singing with a full Symphony Orchestra and on the night Lady Gaga made a cameo appearance and sang with him, Tony completely botched the lyrics when it was his turn to duet...even though he was clearly reading from a floor monitor. It brought terrible memories back of watching Mr. S struggle even though the monitors he used had fonts so large you could clearly read them if you were seated stage-side and up several levels. I've said it before, I fear Tony is being told by his closest inner circle (with an agenda) how wonderful he is and how ageless he is and how he can keep going on and on and on...and he believes it. Yes, it is great that he is still performing at 91 and (when well-within his element) making it seem that he is ageless. But I really, truly wish he would retire from the concert scene before it really becomes an embarrassment.
Yes, you are correct. And when they are constantly fed over heaping praise of how wonderful they still are and how they can do anything and still tour the world like they are 35 years old they WILL believe it.
But Astoria was in a complete different league!!! Art of excellence and Astoria are two of his true gems. At that time he really cared for his albums and they were true concept albums with a thought and creativity. What followed was an seemingly endless string of Songbook albums. And although they were still good and enjoyable, the Songbook concept itself is rather boring. Just as the newest Jerome Kern album. Songbook albums are the easy way of putting an album together.
Just too much negativity about a great artist for me. Sinatra made pretty much only one studio album after the age of 65 (LA is My Lady). Most great singers end up pretty much the same. You can point to the few singers who are active to about 80 (like Maxine Sullivan or Alberta Hunter), but Tony has done more than almost anyone else in popular and jazz vocal history.
Don't get me wrong! I love Tony. I travelled for years all over Europe to see him perform and saw him 13(!) times in concert. I'm a big big fan. But I am not blind to the shortcomings in the last twenty years. And let me add, the terrible duets albums are pure junk. And it hurts to see him doing a freak show with Lady Gaga.
