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"Old Fogey" lights 'em up! Nov 02, 2008
Like I said in my review of Mel Tormé Swings Shubert Alley, Tony Bennett, like Mel Torme, is one of those guys I knew about and had heard about but I wasn't really familiar with his music. Recently having discovered the likes of Torme, Helen Merrill, and Sheila Jordan, among others, I always welcome the chance to pick up vocal jazz recordings which will allow me to discover a singer I'm not familiar with. And, while I don't remember how I ran across this recording, when I did, what I saw was a list of a lot of vocal jazz standards and a ton of five-star reviews, and a price of one cent. I know Tony Bennett did an album with Bill Evans, putting him decidedly in the jazz realm, so I figured if he'd been around that long and was still showing up on MTV, I had nothing to lose. And man, I was right. Tony is in great voice on this recording and all the songs he lets it rip on are fun, interesting, and classic. I won't list tracks individually, because they are all of the same high quality, including the duets with K. D. Lang and Elvis Costello. The Ralph Sharon trio is the best jazz backing band you've never heard of, reliably supporting Tony while letting him go his way and take his liberties with the phrasing and rhythm. Seriously, Tony doesn't miss a single note on this entire recording, and the song selection is just wonderfully diverse. It sounds like it took a little while for the crowd to get into the session, but once they did, (say long about track three or four), the recording (and Tony) just took off! This CD moved quickly and easily into my regular play rotation, and in fact, it hasn't been out of my CD player since I put it in over a week ago. I highly recommend this CD! I'm pretty sure there are still a couple out there for a penny (or at least less than a buck) plus shipping, and if you pick this one up, I'm equally sure you'll agree: Tony Bennett Unplugged for less than three bucks is the epitome of music collection cost performance.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
"Time Is So Old And Love So Brief . . . Love Is Pure Gold And Time A Thief" Feb 13, 2008
"We're late, darling, we're late
The curtain descends
Everything ends too soon
Too soon." ~ Speak Low ~ Words & Music by Ogden Nash and Kurt Weill
Tony Bennett's "MTV Unplugged" is one of my earliest Tony Bennett recordings from my collection. I truly enjoyed Tony Bennett's live performances, which bring out the best in him. I've also watched this concert aired on MTV. Mr. Bennett, whose voice is one of the most distinguishable and remarkable voices in the music world, is a living musical legend. He has reached the pinnacle of his career and is one of the few who made it to the top echelon and maintained his musical status all these years.
This CD won two major well-deserved awards at the 1994 Annual Grammy Awards for "Album of the Year" and "Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance." In these recordings of twenty-two noteworthy songs, he was ably backed-up by Ralph Sharon Trio: Ralph Sharon on piano, Doug Richeson on bass and Clayton Cameron on drums. All the tracks were arranged by the singer himself and some by the trio. With his exceptional performances, Mr. Bennett proved that he has that ability to command respect from his audience. There was a very good rapport between the singer and the live audience. They were very responsive and so appreciative and Mr. Bennett can't stop saying to them . . . "You are beautiful!" He was in his late sixties when this album was recorded but there wasn't a bit change in the quality of his voice. Still so impressive!
One of my very favorites is his duet with k.d. lang, "Moonglow," which was performed in a subtle and relaxed manner.
"Heavenly songs seem to come from everywhere
And now when there's moonglow way up in the blue
I always remember that moonglow gave me you."
Three Gershwin gems made it to the repertoire of timeless standards, the duet with Elvis Costello "They Can't Take That Away From Me," "The Girl I Love" and "A Foggy Day."
Before the intro of "It Had To Be You," Mr. Bennett told the audience that he once asked Johnny Mercer from Savannah, Georgia (one of my favorite lyricists) what his favorite popular song of all-time was and he replied "a wonderful song written by a colleague of mine, Gus Kahn of Chicago - It Had To Be You." It's also one of my favorite standards.
"With all your faults I love you still
It had to be you, wonderful you
It had to be you."
Other stand outs are "Fly Me To The Moon," Irving Berlin's "I Love A Piano" (a fine-toned baby grand, a lovely Steinway), "Body And Soul" and "Speak Low," where there was an audience participation - you could hear their fingers snapping and enjoying the rhythm as Mr. Bennett sings awesomely.
Get this CD and enjoy listening to the live performances of a great singer. He's certainly a musical icon, a multi-Grammy awardee and a living legend. His music is timeless, and so is he.
Wholeheartedly recommended!
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