Tony Bennett Live At Event Center, The Borgata, Atlantic City, NJ, November 30, 2013

The passing of the legendary Tony Bennett at age 96 was announced this morning. Most websites will post a traditional tribute to him with a detailed biography. Instead - in order to contribute something a little different - I'm simply re-posting a concert review that first ran here on my wife's birthday, December 2, 2013. It was a very big one for her and going to this concert at the Borgata in Atlantic City was how we celebrated. I believe Bennett was the last of the great jazz and pop vocalists that began their careers in the pre-rock era. I'm unable to think of another one who is still living.
________________________________

You should always think twice if someone asks you to spend your hard earned cash to see an 87 year old singer in concert – unless, of course, that singer is Tony Bennett. The famous jazz legend performed a very good set Saturday evening, entertaining an Atlantic City casino crowd of over 3,000 for an hour and fifteen minutes.

It's true that Bennett's voice is not quite as smooth as it was during his heyday. It's just a little bit grainy at times and his delivery isn't as effortless as it used to be. However, the star's vocal chords are still very much intact and men half his age still can't sing as well as he can. Bennett isn't just living off of his past glories and wasting our time because the man still has the goods.

The set list was huge considering the brevity of the show. The proceedings moved quickly because Bennett frequently didn't sing every verse of his songs.

Bennett regaled us with a lot of hits and other selections from his back catalog. "For Once In My Life," "The Way You Look Tonight," "I Got Rhythm," "The Best Is Yet To Come," "I Left My Heart In San Francisco," and more helped fulfill everybody's evening.

Bennett also sang "That Old Black Magic," a track from his newly released CD, Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962 recorded more than half a century ago with Dave Brubeck's famous quartet. The tapes were believed to be gone forever but they were recently discovered after Brubeck's passing and released earlier in 2013.

Bennett used neither a large orchestra nor a big band to hide behind. Instead, his excellent jazz quartet included Lee Musiker on grand piano and electric guitarist Gray Sargent. Marshall Wood assisted on acoustic bass, and Harold Jones, formerly of the Count Basie band, played drums. Each one was allowed some room to stretch out and show off their considerable chops.

When Bennett spoke his always naturally pleasant demeanor and class shined through. He was genuinely happy to be performing.

The evening opened with a twenty minute set featuring jazz tunes from the star's daughter, Antonia Bennett, who should not be singing professionally. It's a true case of nepotism and when Daddy's career finally comes to an end the odds are hers will too.

Comments

  1. William Kates4:28 PM, December 04, 2013

    I think that Tony has never been better than he's been in the last ten years. Glad you enjoyed it.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

WHAT'S HOT TODAY!

Slower Than Slow: 16 RPM Records

Image
Have you ever heard of a long forgotten vinyl format, the 16 2/3 RPM record? They were half the speed of the 33 1/3 RPM albums that were the traditional standard for recorded music. Most record players in the 1950s and 1960s came with a speed setting to play these long forgotten discs that were considered novelties even during the years they were available. Because most, but not all, 16s had big holes and were 7" in diameter many of them were mistaken for 45 RPMs and at that size the speed allowed for up to 20 minutes of playing time per side. However, there was no true standard size and they were also manufactured to be 9, 10, or 12 inches in diameter, and these larger records played even longer. Just like the other speeds and formats 16s could be played one record at a time or stacked on a changer for continuous play. Radio stations often used the discs for pre-recorded radio shows containing interviews, dramas, and documentaries. More frequen...
Read more

The Band - Christmas Must Be Tonight (1977)

Image
In 2006 Hall and Oates released Home For Christmas , their one and only holiday album, an extremely good set of music that immediately became one of my favorite seasonal listens. I wrote then that I was stunned at how many overtly religious songs the famous duo put on the the disc considering the very politically correct climate of the new millennium. One of them was a cover version of a song that alluded me for almost thirty years, "Christmas Must Be Tonight." I liked the new, upbeat track sung by Daryl Hall and it made me go out and search for Robbie Robertson's never-to-be classic. Sung by Rick Danko, it appears on the great American band's last album, Islands (1977). It's a surprise that a group whose members were not known to have any specific or powerfully strong religious beliefs would release a song that tackled the subject of Jesus's birth as blatantly as our most loved Christmas carols. It's not about a reckless reinde...
Read more

Chicago: An Album By Album Analysis Of The Terry Kath Era (1969 - 1977)

Image
The original lineup of Chicago has always been one of my all time favorite bands. My affection for this great horn band is such that I want to discuss all of the albums they recorded before Terry Kath's unfortunate and accidental passing. Their debut album is now forty years old, and it's followup is not far behind, yet their music endures to this day. * * * * * Everyone Must Own * * * * Excellent * * * Good * * Fair * Poor * * * * * Chicago Transit Authority (1969) - Whether they were playing screaming psychedelic hard rock, jazz, blues, or love songs, everyone in the band proved they were worthy of the huge mass success that followed CTA 's release. The band's ability to play anything and play it well is the hallmark of their debut album. The stars are Robert Lamm, Terry Kath, and the horns, and even Peter Cetera demonstrates he can be a rock and roll animal when he wants to be. The standout tracks are Lamm's "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It...
Read more

The Beatles - Christmas Messages (1963 - 1969)

Image
For seven straight years beginning in 1963 - even before they were famous in America - The Beatles recorded annual Christmas messages exclusively for their fan club members as a holiday thank you. They were issued on seven-inch, vinyl records that were very thin, very bendable, and easily damaged. These flexi-discs, as they were called, could not be stacked on record changers. Over the years the tracks have been bootlegged in countless ways, and until a few years ago the only legal release was sent to fan club members in 1970 on 33 RPM vinyl records after the boys from Liverpool went their separate ways. The LP cover shown here is from that album. Finally, in 2017, a limited edition box set  on colored vinyl was released and is now an expensive collector's item. Many Beatles fans managed to hear these records over the years, and with the Internet being what it is, there are several websites where anyone can easily listen to all of them.  Archive.org ...
Read more

The Chieftains With Jackson Browne - The Rebel Jesus (1991)

Image
"The Rebel Jesus" is a Christmas song composed by Jackson Browne and performed with The Chieftains, the eclectic, veteran Irish folk band on  The Bells of Dublin,  their 1991 holiday album. Browne wrote the song specifically for his guest appearance on this record. The singer-songwriter, who is deservedly in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, can be a bit preachy when he wants to be, and he is again here, but no one can dispute what the man is saying.  The last two verses are the key to the song. Browne points out that people often feel more generous at Christmas so they'll give to those who were less fortunate than themselves during the holidays. But, if anyone tries to dig deeper and root out the poverty that envelops the downtrodden they are often scorned like Jesus was. This message is coming from a man who is admittedly a "heathen and a pagan," but on this occasion he is "on the side of the rebel Jesus." At the same time Browne doesn't want to sp...
Read more