The Complete Tony Bennett-Bill Evans Recordings

[Durium]

TONY BENNETT - BILL EVANS

The Complete Tony Bennett - Bill Evans Recordings have been reissued recently as a double album on the Fantasy label ( FAN-31281).

When this session was scheduled, they planned to make a vocal album with two piano players: Bill Evans and John Bunch, but the latter skipped the appointment because he felt, that Bill was not in his league. The June 1975 sessions, which filled the first record, were the best of the two. They were recorded without any preparations or rehearsals. They agreed about the selections and recorded it.

The Complete Tony Bennett- Bill Evans Recordings

Keep swinging

Durium

[Cliff Englewood]

Oddly enough I was just listening to their first album for the first time last night. I really didn't like it, not really enough variety and everything seemed a bit over the top emotion wise, IMHO of course.

[Alexander]

Oddly enough I was just listening to their first album for the first time last night. I really didn't like it, not really enough variety and everything seemed a bit over the top emotion wise, IMHO of course.

Wow. My reaction couldn't possibly have been more different. I LOVE that album. My favorite cut is "When In Rome."

[JSngry]

TONY BENNETT - BILL EVANS

When this session was scheduled, they planned to make a vocal album with two piano players: Bill Evans and John Bunch, but the latter skipped the appointment because he felt, that Bill was not in his league.

I had never heard that before...is that a misprint?

I mean, ok, I'm not the biggest Bill Evans fan in the world, but I sure as hell respect him. And John bunch too, albeit for different reasons. In the end though, props is props & Bunch not having props for Evans is kinda...

Is that a misprint?

[jazzbo]

I don't know. Bunch might have had one heckuva an ego. . . but. . . is that a misprint?

I'm with Alexander. Great album. Amazing stuff.

[JSngry]

Maybe "he felt, that Bill was not in his league" means that Bunch thought that Evans was in a "higher" league?

Not sure that I'd agree with that either, at least not for this date.

Durium, can you elaborate on this (to some) mystery?

[Cliff Englewood]

Oddly enough I was just listening to their first album for the first time last night. I really didn't like it, not really enough variety and everything seemed a bit over the top emotion wise, IMHO of course.

Wow. My reaction couldn't possibly have been more different. I LOVE that album. My favorite cut is "When In Rome."

Yea don't know what it was, maybe I was just used to hearing Bennett with more "padding" around him, he seemed to be over doing it a bit. I liked the lyrics to "When In Rome" though.

[ghost of miles]

Oddly enough I was just listening to their first album for the first time last night. I really didn't like it, not really enough variety and everything seemed a bit over the top emotion wise, IMHO of course.

Cliff, I think Marc Myers over at Jazzwax is of the same mind as you on this one.

[Durium]

TONY BENNETT - BILL EVANS

When this session was scheduled, they planned to make a vocal album with two piano players: Bill Evans and John Bunch, but the latter skipped the appointment because he felt, that Bill was not in his league.

I had never heard that before...is that a misprint?

I mean, ok, I'm not the biggest Bill Evans fan in the world, but I sure as hell respect him. And John bunch too, albeit for different reasons. In the end though, props is props & Bunch not having props for Evans is kinda...

Is that a misprint?

Maybe, my English makes this a bit confused; mind that English is not my mother tongue. The booklet reads: Tony got the idea that he would like to do an album with with me and Bill Evans together playing behind him. Well, I didn't feel that I was in a class with Bill Evans, and frankly, I tried like hell to discourage him from that ( John Bunch)

[JSngry]

Oh, ok. Bunch felt "outclassed" by Evans. That makes sense. Thanks!

(and no need to apologize for your English, believe me. It's my native tongue and I still mangle it daily, hourly, sometime even more often.)

Edited May 23, 2009 by JSngry

[Larry Kart]

TONY BENNETT - BILL EVANS

When this session was scheduled, they planned to make a vocal album with two piano players: Bill Evans and John Bunch, but the latter skipped the appointment because he felt, that Bill was not in his league.

I had never heard that before...is that a misprint?

I mean, ok, I'm not the biggest Bill Evans fan in the world, but I sure as hell respect him. And John bunch too, albeit for different reasons. In the end though, props is props & Bunch not having props for Evans is kinda...

Is that a misprint?

Maybe, my English makes this a bit confused; mind that English is not my mother tongue. The booklet reads: Tony got the idea that he would like to do an album with with me and Bill Evans together playing behind him. Well, I didn't feel that I was in a class with Bill Evans, and frankly, I tried like hell to discourage him from that ( John Bunch)

That clears it up. Bunch thought that Evans was in a higher class than he was, and therefore the two of them (Evans and Bunch) playing together behind Bennett wouldn't sound right.

[Cliff Englewood]

Oddly enough I was just listening to their first album for the first time last night. I really didn't like it, not really enough variety and everything seemed a bit over the top emotion wise, IMHO of course.

Cliff, I think Marc Myers over at Jazzwax is of the same mind as you on this one.

That is wild, thanks for that ghost, I think he sums up his feelings about the album better than I do though. :cool: However, he seems to change his tune at the end;

"in all, the Complete Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Recordings is a highly worthwhile set for fans of the Bennett-Evans collaboration—even if you've never cared for the original recordings or you already own them. It's an important entry because it fully documents what has been up until now a highly puzzling session. What's more, you finally get to hear the alternate takes. They demonstrate just how good this pairing could have been with the right producer in the booth. To paraphrase Evans, it's on these tracks where truth met beauty."

Which makes me think I should check this out again but on the other hand, it must be rare/weird for a session's alternate takes to get a better reveiw than what was released. :unsure:

Edited May 23, 2009 by Cliff Englewood

[Teasing the Korean]

I love Tony Bennett, and I love Bill Evans, but this album doesn't do it for me. Evans's playing is gorgeous, but Tony's not in his best voice, IMHO, and he tends to overdo it on a couple of numbers. I think that at a different point in his career this could have been a better record. There are a couple of good tracks, though, including "When in Rome."

I can't stand Gene Lees's lyrics for "Waltz for Debbie." Frankly, I don't care for Lees as either a critic or a lyricist.

I never heard the second Bennett Evans album.

[jeffcrom]

I have the first album, and while I would never argue that it's either guy's best work, I like it for what it is: two masters in good form, creating a relaxed set of standards rather than a masterpiece.

[mr jazz]

I have the first album, and while I would never argue that it's either guy's best work, I like it for what it is: two masters in good form, creating a relaxed set of standards rather than a masterpiece.

I saw TB close Friday jazz fest in New Orleans a few weeks ago. He was in wonderful form and looked fabulous with his yellow blazer. I got rhythm and in a mellotone were a wonderful twosome. I never saw Sinatra but dare I say I've seen his equal?

As far as his work with Bill Evans, I have both of the older releases and enjoy them. Was this new twofer remastered?

Edited May 23, 2009 by mr jazz

[Durium]

As far as his work with Bill Evans, I have both of the older releases and enjoy them. Was this new twofer remastered?

Sure: 24-bit remastering by George Horn and Seth Presant

The Complete Tony Bennett-Bill Evans Recordings

Keep swinging

Durium