Let's be real here. The guy is in his 90s. I hope I still can sing well by the time I get to 60. He's given us a lifetime, his lifetime, of entertainment. I saw him last year in Bethlehem and it was a great show. The first two sones were definitely a warm up, but after that he was killing it all night. It breaks my heart to hear just a year later these things you are writing. Hopefully it was an off night for him.
Oh no, not again! I absolutely detest those awful duets albums. Never bought any of those. What a waste of what could have been "vintage Tony". Instead we get "commercial Bennett" as usual. "Thanks" to Danny Bennett... For Nothing!!!
But, just like Frank did, I am glad that Tony is out there, giving younger folks a chance to say they saw a legend, and inspiring new fans to explore his great catalog.
If it is in fact from the vaults circa early 2000's it will be more flattering to Tony. If it is a recent recording there is no doubt in my mind that some work will have been done to "sweeten" his voice.
Yes, brings back memories of last Summer at the Hollywood Bowl when Tony faced near-disaster while performing but his then-Musical director Billy Stritch was able to avoid complete train-wrecks on both nights. (My review of that weekend is somewhere above in this thread). It is at the point where Tony is "catch-as-catch-can" now. No doubt, I am THRILLED to have seen him so many times in person since 1972. I shall cherish those last two nights at the Bowl forever along with the others. But I think my days of going to see him "live" are a thing of the past.
Album announced today (on Tony’s 92nd birthday), and picked up in this thread: Tony Bennett and Diana Krall duet album due in September 2018
I asked this question in a separate thread, so I hope it gets a little more exposure here. Tony's two MGM albums (The Good Things In Life; Listen Easy) in the boxed set are marred by excessive noise reduction which is a shame. Oddly, Greatest Hits Vol 7 is not! Are the two MGM albums or its songs available anywhere else digitally?
The above post begs the question from me why was that album called greatest hits volume 7?? peace and love✌Dave
Hi Folks, Tony sounds surprisingly good on the new album! I only wished it would have been a solo album. But with that damn Diana Krall as duet partner it's hard for me to sit through the whole album. It's a shame that even a legend like Tony is forced to release these "commercial" duet albums. Just as though he had no right to do albums in his own right. But then again, why does he do that? I mean, he has enough money to record music for music's sake.
I don't get why one would curse an artist like Ms. Krall. I can understand that someone might not like her music, but not the cursing.
Because she's no artist at all in my opinion. She stands for everything I hate about this business. Not more talent than any hotel bar pianist/singer, but still a worldwide career, heaven knows why....
SONY has been about nothing but "The Benjamins" for years. Compounding that is the change of staff at SONY calling the shots for what will be released and how. It has changed (so I am told by a reputable person) and sadly not for the better. Years ago Tony sold the rights to his catalog to SONY and SONY calls the shots. Add to this a team of people around Tony that also is looking for the $$$$ and wants only to produce something that will $ell. He is (sadly) out of control of what he will or will not do now. He is being praised on high from within that what he is doing is great and that he should keep on going. The double-edged sword here is that the 2 new albums will do well...the Gaga one will probably do very well. So, if it's working they ain't gonna change a thing, baby! I say it once a gain this mantra of mine. "I just pray that he does not embarrass himself by staying around too long." Please God!!!
Another picture book is coming out and Tony and Diana Krall will perform in the Rainbow Room with tickets at $2,000 and $1,000 per person.
Sold out quickly from what I've been told. And the promo autographed material was gone immediately after posting.
Tony sounds so good (for a ninety year old) on the new album. That way he may make albums for another ten years!!! He may be auto-tuned, but the great phrasing and his beautiful voice is there, and you can't auto-tune that! And by the way (without any cursing whatsoever, just a fact) Krall's voice sounds much more autotuned than his!
I would go out on a limb and bet the farm that his vocals have been "sweetened" on these next 2 albums. No harm. No foul. Just sayin'.
You can bet! Somebody from Verve told me they had to autotune him. But then, everybody is autotuned today.
I am always amazed by people who sing out loud to other people, and respect them - from the amateur bar singer to the kid in the school choir who barely moves his mouth. I also know that every person who sings, and I mean every person, is someone else's favorite singer in the whole world - even if it is their mother, their brother, their daughter or their lover. Every one who sings has at least one great song in themselves, one song that they sing heart and soul with great feeling that cannot be denied. They may keep it private, but they have that one song that makes them sing.
While on tour in Vancouver, British Columbia, recently, jazz pianist and singer Diana Krall took a break to speak with The Wall Street Journal about “Love Is Here to Stay” (Verve/Columbia), her new duet album with Tony Bennett, due Sept. 14. Here are excerpts from the interview: Tony’s voice made me feel like Cher in “Moonstruck.” He’s evocative, cinematic, elegant, professional and knows what he wants. He also has a good sense of humor, which put me at ease. What was different this time from past duets with him? Tony and I recorded individual songs for his duet albums in 2001 and 2006. Recording an entire album gave me a chance to really listen to him work. On songs, I’d let his vibe happen and then I’d put my vibe on there. In places, you appear to sing notes while exhaling. Is that hard to do? I don’t know. I think I still sound like the same 16-year-old kid (laughs). It’s a conversational approach, for sure. I don’t hold notes for very long. I typically sing and play piano, which requires a different vocal approach. I wish I had a voice like Rosemary Clooney or Nancy Wilson or Dinah Washington. They could hold notes. Tony Bennett and Diana Krall performing on their 'Two for the Road' tour in 2000. Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images What was the biggest challenge on this album? To avoid being self-involved or trying to do what the icon was doing. My goal was to be myself and let Tony be himself. You can’t step into his dream, so I just listened to him sing and enjoyed what he was doing. I tried to keep it all swinging and feeling good. What surprised you most about Mr. Bennett? His high notes. He hits them perfectly and hangs on them. His phrasing also is perfect. His voice is so powerful, it’s scary. He cares so deeply about a song and sings it as if it’s the first time. Who were you thinking of while singing? Rosemary Clooney. She was a mentor and one of my biggest influences. When Tony and I were recording, I felt Rosemary around me more than any time in life. She was a major force for me, musically and personally. I loved her singing. I miss her. What did you learn about yourself? That less is more. Instead of trying to match Tony line for line, I’d take a step back. For example, at the very end of “I’ve Got a Crush on You,” I made an intuitive, artistic choice to let Tony finish the song. While we both sang the last line in unison—“I have got a crush, my baby…” Then I stepped back and let Tony sing the last two words—“on you.” No one closes a song like Tony. At the end, you can hear him laugh. What does your family think about the new album? I sat down at home with my husband Elvis [Costello] a week ago to listen to it for the first time. Elvis is my biggest cheerleader. We listened and both of us cried. It’s overwhelming to hear Tony’s voice sing, followed by your own. Everything he’s lived is in that voice.
