Tony Bennett, 1926-2023

[BFrank]

The scene today at the Tony Bennett statue in front of the Fairmont Hotel, SF

[medjuck]

5 hours ago, JSngry said:

Nope!

https://www.discogs.com/release/10164486-Tony-Bennett-The-Complete-Collection

The box set I have is far from complete. Mainly Columbia material but does have some Bill Evans material. 

5 hours ago, JSngry said:

Nope!

https://www.discogs.com/release/10164486-Tony-Bennett-The-Complete-Collection

The box set I have is far from complete. Mainly Columbia material but does have some Bill Evans material. 

[Teasing the Korean]

7 hours ago, medjuck said:

The box set I have is far from complete. Mainly Columbia material but does have some Bill Evans material. 

A Tony Bennett completist published a list of missing material from that box set.  Even lots of stray Columbia-era tracks are missing.

11 hours ago, Justin V said:

I saw Tony Bennett maybe 10 years ago on a lark and really enjoyed it.  If I remember correctly, he performed 'Fly Me to the Moon' without a microphone and I could hear him clear as a bell from the cheap seats.  Thank you for the music, Mr. Bennett, and rest in peace.

We saw him live maybe 15 years ago, and he did the same.  That was kind of schtick for him, but it was also very effective.

[JSngry]

58 minutes ago, Teasing the Korean said:

A Tony Bennett completist published a list of missing material from that box set.  Even lots of stray Columbia-era tracks are missing. 

Some guy on Amazon posted their list of missing items. Stray Columbia tracks does indeed sum it up. Mostly... 

But the set does include both albums with Evans as released, all of the Improv albums l  and all of the Verve albums.

It's befuddling why/how such a massive effort was undertaken without getting it 100% right. 

Per that Amazon review"

There is not much to add to the previous review in terms of praise for the content of this stunning box set. This is one of recorded music's greatest legacies in one convenient package. However, a star is knocked off as the title is misleading - this simply is NOT a complete collection. At least 57 (yes, that's FIFTY SEVEN) previously released recordings are missing from this set. These include the removal from history of some tracks that Tony Bennett has decided he doesn't want to be remembered for, single sides such as "Our Lady of Fatima" and "Madonna Madonna", while the album "The Good Things In Life" is missing one of its original tracks, "O Sole Mio", again removed at Mr Bennett's insistence. Does Mr Bennett really think that his legacy would have been damaged one jot by the inclusion of these admittedly less than stellar recordings?

In addition while some previously released bonus cuts from the 2006 velvet box set are retained, others are missing; all three bonus cuts from "When The Lights Are Low" have been dropped. Other strangeness abounds with "Christmas In Hearld Square" turning up as an additional track on "The Playground" album instead of on one of the four Christmas albums included in the box. And so it continues. The end result being, that this collection is a half baked version of what it should have been, namely, a TRULY Complete Collection. Another three or four CDs could have easily collected together all of the missing tracks.

Below is a list of what is not included in the box set and the original sources of the missing tracks (credit to Simon Morely):

# / TITLE / REC DATE / PREVIOUSLY AVAILABLE SOURCE

1 Let's Make Love 17-Apr-50 VINYL
2 Our Lady of Fatima 14-Jul-50 PROPERBOX 121 CD
3 Kiss You 23-Aug-50 PROPERBOX 121 CD
4 Beautiful Madness 17-Jan-51 PROPERBOX 121 CD
5 Madonna, Madonna 11-May-54 PROPERBOX 121 CD
6 Friend's Blues (Ralph Sharon; Tony only scat sings) 3-Jun-58 VINYL (also on an expensive Japanese CD)
7 How Long Has This Been Going On? 26-Feb-64 VELVET BOX CD OF WHEN LIGHTS ARE LOW (SONY 69699 85807 2)
8 All Of You 26-Feb-64 VELVET BOX CD OF WHEN LIGHTS ARE LOW (SONY 69699 85807 2)
9 We'll Be Together Again 26-Feb-64 VELVET BOX CD OF WHEN LIGHTS ARE LOW (SONY 69699 85807 2)
10 You Can't Love `Em All 26-Feb-64 GREAT AMERICAN COMPOSERS: VAN HEUSEN CD (COLUMBIA 2CS2 8164
11 What Child Is This 1-Sep-67 NEW CD CLASSIC CHRISTMAS COLLECTION (SONY)
12 I, Yes Me, That's Who! 20-Jan-70 GREAT AMERICAN COMPOSERS: SAMMY CAHN CD (COLUMBIA 2CS2 8165
13 Fred 25-Jan-71 GREAT AMERICAN COMPOSERS: SAMMY CAHN CD (COLUMBIA 2CS2 8165
14 All That Love Went To Waste (Phillips) Nov 1973 VINYL
15 Some of these Days (Phillips) Nov 1973 VINYL
16 I'm Just A Lucky So and So (Concord Records) 15-Apr-77 TRIBUTE TO DUKE CD (CONCORD CCD-4050)
17 Prelude to a Kiss (Concord Records) 15-Apr-77 TRIBUTE TO DUKE CD (CONCORD CCD-4050)
18 Capitol City (from SIMPSONS CD) Nov 1990 SONGS IN THE KEY OF SPRINGFIELD CD (Rhino CD: 8122-72723-2 )
19 I Let A Song Go Out of My Heart May 1999 HOT & COOL BONUS CD (CSK 46304)
20 Something To Live For May 1999 HOT & COOL BONUS CD (CSK 46304)
21 Love Me Tender 1994 ELVIS, IT'S NOW OR NEVER (MERCURY CD)
22 Young at Heart - duet with Shawn Colvin 1994 IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU SOUNDTRACK CD (COLUMBIA CK 66184)
23 Always 1994 IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU SOUNDTRACK CD (COLUMBIA CK 66184)
24 What a Difference a Day Made 1996 ONE FINE DAY SOUNDTRACK CD (COLUMBIA CD CK 67916)
25 I Get Along Without You Very Well Sep 2001 STARDUST CD (BLUE NOTE)
26 If Yesterday Could Only Be Tomorrow 2002 DIVINE SECRETS OF YA-YA SISTERHOOD soundtrack (COLUMBIA CD: 5089592)
27 Colors of My Life 2002 IT STARTED WITH A SONG (CY COLEMAN CD Sony Music CD: SK 89138)
28 I Can't Get Started (with Doc Severinson Band) 1991 ONCE MORE WITH FEELING, DOC SEVERINSON (AMHERST CD)
29. O Sole Mio 9/11/72 from GOOD THINGS IN LIFE (Curb CD: D2-77447 -- BEST OF TONY BENNETT)
30. Lovers After All rec. 2004 recorded for ART OF ROMANCE, issued on Sony Music CD: 5187092000 -- The Art Of Romance [Import version]
31. The Lady Sings The Blues - 1977 from Jazz Arc LP 12': 19795 -- The Songs Of Alec Wilder VINYL
32. Jingle Bells (2008) (Bloomingdale's Exclusive Version), ALSO ON JAPANESE VERSION OF CD SWINGIN' CHRISTMAS
33. Christmas In Herald Square (1995 Version/ different arrangement) (released on Christmas With The Stars Columbia CD originally sold through Avon)
34. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer (2001) Soundtrack CD: Rudolph & The Island of Misfit Toys
35. Sing You Sinners (rec. 7/20/50) new box lists this recording as being on disc #3, track #5. However, it is really the 12/15/55 recording, which is repeated again on the new box as disc #6, track #8. Original 1950 version is available on PROPERBOX 121 CD
36. Christmas Song (1992) with Manhattan Transfer from MANHATTAN TRANSFER A CHRISTMAS ALBUM (Sony CD 0074645296821)
37. If I Could Go Back (rec. 9/20/72) for LISTEN EASY, only source is original vinyl

MISSING DUETS
1. The Lady Is A Tramp (1987) -with Frank Sinatra *A bonus live duet from Bally's that was issued by Columbia on the Target-exclusive edition of the first Bennett Duets CD.
2. I Left My Heart In San Francisco-with Judy Garland *A bonus live duet from Judy's TV show that was issued by Columbia on the Target-exclusive edition of the first Bennett Duets CD.
3. Steppin' Out (duet with Delta Goodrum) rec. 2/2006 and released on Australian CD version of DUETS)
4. If I Ruled the World (duet with Wang Hom Lee) rec 2006 and released on Singapore version of DUETS)
5. "I've Got the World on a String" (2006)- duet with Diana Krall was issued by Columbia on the Target-exclusive edition of the first Bennett Duets CD
6. "Steppin' Out with My Baby" - (2006) duet with Michael Bublé was issued by Columbia on the Target-exclusive edition of the first Bennett Duets CD
7. When You Wish Upon A Star-with Jackie Evancho (Target exclusive from Duets II)
8. They Can't Take That Away From Me-with Brad Paisley (Target exclusive from Duets II)
9. New York, New York (2011) live duet with Andrea Bocelli from Bocelli's CONCERTO, ONE NIGHT IN CENTRAL PARK CD, issued on Decca/Universal
10. New York State of Mind (2008) live duet with Billy Joel from Joel's LIVE AT SHEA STADIUM, Sony Columbia/Legacy CD 88697 85424 2

MISSING ALTERNATE TAKES
1. The Man That Got Away rec. 1959 from SINGS FOR TWO, alt issued on the FORTY YEARS: ARTISTRY box set
2. Everybody Has The Blues,
3. How Do you Keep The Music Playing
4. The Day You Leave Me
#2-4 recorded for THE ART OF EXCELLENCE (1986) all alternate takes issued on the "Velvet Box" COLLECTION version of that album in 2006
5. A Child Is Born (take #2)
6. You Don't Know What Love Is (take #16)
7. Maybe September (take #8)
8. You Must Believe In Spring (take #1)
9. Who Can I Turn To (take #6)
#5-9 alternate takes from second Bill Evans album, TOGETHER AGAIN, issued on CD COMPLETE BILL EVANS RECORDINGS (Concord FAN-31281)
10. The Rules of the Road with Ralph Sharon Trio, alternate take rec. February 26, 1964, different from version finally issued on WHEN LIGHTS ARE LOW, alt take can be found on ESSENTIAL TONY BENNETT CD Columbia/Legacy 86634

[Teasing the Korean]

4 minutes ago, JSngry said:

Some guy on Amazon posted their list of missing items. Stray Columbia tracks does indeed sum it up. Mostly... 

But the set does include both albums with Evans as released, all of the Improv albums l  and all of the Verve albums.

It's befuddling why/how such a massive effort was undertaken without getting it 100% right. 

Yeah, you wonder who is consulted for these kinds of things.  I can see a few things being pulled at Tony's request, but the rest?

[Teasing the Korean]

Among singers, Tony was really the last living link to the Great American Songbook era, wasn't he?  Johnny Mathis and Jack Jones are still with us, and much as I love both of them for different reasons, neither is in quite the same class as Tony Bennett, for me, at least.

[Larry Kart]

Ted Giola compiles a list of Tony's greatest jazz collaborations and somehow fails to mention Tony's sublime collaborations with Ruby Braff! WTF?

[rostasi]

...because it's Ted Gioia - I really don't understand the interest in him.

[Teasing the Korean]

20 minutes ago, Larry Kart said:

Ted Goia compiles a list if Tony's greatest jazz collaborations and somehow fails to mention Tony's sublime collaborations with Ruby Braff! WTF?

Here it is.  

https://www.honest-broker.com/p/tony-bennetts-greatest-jazz-collaborations

11 minutes ago, rostasi said:

...because it's Ted Gioia - I really don't understand the interest in him.

His West Coast Jazz book is very worthwhile.  I don't really know much about him beyond that.

Edited July 22, 2023 by Teasing the Korean

[rostasi]

These tracks that Bennett didn't approve of...weren't most of those at the request of Mitch Miller?

[Teasing the Korean]

1 minute ago, rostasi said:

These tracks that Bennett didn't approve of...weren't most of those at the request of Mitch Miller?

Some yes, some no. 

[JSngry]

What is this "2006 velvet box"?

[medjuck]

11 hours ago, JSngry said:

Some guy on Amazon posted their list of missing items. Stray Columbia tracks does indeed sum it up. Mostly... 

But the set does include both albums with Evans as released, all of the Improv albums l  and all of the Verve albums.

It's befuddling why/how such a massive effort was undertaken without getting it 100% right. 

Per that Amazon review"

There is not much to add to the previous review in terms of praise for the content of this stunning box set. This is one of recorded music's greatest legacies in one convenient package. However, a star is knocked off as the title is misleading - this simply is NOT a complete collection. At least 57 (yes, that's FIFTY SEVEN) previously released recordings are missing from this set. These include the removal from history of some tracks that Tony Bennett has decided he doesn't want to be remembered for, single sides such as "Our Lady of Fatima" and "Madonna Madonna", while the album "The Good Things In Life" is missing one of its original tracks, "O Sole Mio", again removed at Mr Bennett's insistence. Does Mr Bennett really think that his legacy would have been damaged one jot by the inclusion of these admittedly less than stellar recordings?

In addition while some previously released bonus cuts from the 2006 velvet box set are retained, others are missing; all three bonus cuts from "When The Lights Are Low" have been dropped. Other strangeness abounds with "Christmas In Hearld Square" turning up as an additional track on "The Playground" album instead of on one of the four Christmas albums included in the box. And so it continues. The end result being, that this collection is a half baked version of what it should have been, namely, a TRULY Complete Collection. Another three or four CDs could have easily collected together all of the missing tracks.

Below is a list of what is not included in the box set and the original sources of the missing tracks (credit to Simon Morely):

# / TITLE / REC DATE / PREVIOUSLY AVAILABLE SOURCE

1 Let's Make Love 17-Apr-50 VINYL
2 Our Lady of Fatima 14-Jul-50 PROPERBOX 121 CD
3 Kiss You 23-Aug-50 PROPERBOX 121 CD
4 Beautiful Madness 17-Jan-51 PROPERBOX 121 CD
5 Madonna, Madonna 11-May-54 PROPERBOX 121 CD
6 Friend's Blues (Ralph Sharon; Tony only scat sings) 3-Jun-58 VINYL (also on an expensive Japanese CD)
7 How Long Has This Been Going On? 26-Feb-64 VELVET BOX CD OF WHEN LIGHTS ARE LOW (SONY 69699 85807 2)
8 All Of You 26-Feb-64 VELVET BOX CD OF WHEN LIGHTS ARE LOW (SONY 69699 85807 2)
9 We'll Be Together Again 26-Feb-64 VELVET BOX CD OF WHEN LIGHTS ARE LOW (SONY 69699 85807 2)
10 You Can't Love `Em All 26-Feb-64 GREAT AMERICAN COMPOSERS: VAN HEUSEN CD (COLUMBIA 2CS2 8164
11 What Child Is This 1-Sep-67 NEW CD CLASSIC CHRISTMAS COLLECTION (SONY)
12 I, Yes Me, That's Who! 20-Jan-70 GREAT AMERICAN COMPOSERS: SAMMY CAHN CD (COLUMBIA 2CS2 8165
13 Fred 25-Jan-71 GREAT AMERICAN COMPOSERS: SAMMY CAHN CD (COLUMBIA 2CS2 8165
14 All That Love Went To Waste (Phillips) Nov 1973 VINYL
15 Some of these Days (Phillips) Nov 1973 VINYL
16 I'm Just A Lucky So and So (Concord Records) 15-Apr-77 TRIBUTE TO DUKE CD (CONCORD CCD-4050)
17 Prelude to a Kiss (Concord Records) 15-Apr-77 TRIBUTE TO DUKE CD (CONCORD CCD-4050)
18 Capitol City (from SIMPSONS CD) Nov 1990 SONGS IN THE KEY OF SPRINGFIELD CD (Rhino CD: 8122-72723-2 )
19 I Let A Song Go Out of My Heart May 1999 HOT & COOL BONUS CD (CSK 46304)
20 Something To Live For May 1999 HOT & COOL BONUS CD (CSK 46304)
21 Love Me Tender 1994 ELVIS, IT'S NOW OR NEVER (MERCURY CD)
22 Young at Heart - duet with Shawn Colvin 1994 IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU SOUNDTRACK CD (COLUMBIA CK 66184)
23 Always 1994 IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU SOUNDTRACK CD (COLUMBIA CK 66184)
24 What a Difference a Day Made 1996 ONE FINE DAY SOUNDTRACK CD (COLUMBIA CD CK 67916)
25 I Get Along Without You Very Well Sep 2001 STARDUST CD (BLUE NOTE)
26 If Yesterday Could Only Be Tomorrow 2002 DIVINE SECRETS OF YA-YA SISTERHOOD soundtrack (COLUMBIA CD: 5089592)
27 Colors of My Life 2002 IT STARTED WITH A SONG (CY COLEMAN CD Sony Music CD: SK 89138)
28 I Can't Get Started (with Doc Severinson Band) 1991 ONCE MORE WITH FEELING, DOC SEVERINSON (AMHERST CD)
29. O Sole Mio 9/11/72 from GOOD THINGS IN LIFE (Curb CD: D2-77447 -- BEST OF TONY BENNETT)
30. Lovers After All rec. 2004 recorded for ART OF ROMANCE, issued on Sony Music CD: 5187092000 -- The Art Of Romance [Import version]
31. The Lady Sings The Blues - 1977 from Jazz Arc LP 12': 19795 -- The Songs Of Alec Wilder VINYL
32. Jingle Bells (2008) (Bloomingdale's Exclusive Version), ALSO ON JAPANESE VERSION OF CD SWINGIN' CHRISTMAS
33. Christmas In Herald Square (1995 Version/ different arrangement) (released on Christmas With The Stars Columbia CD originally sold through Avon)
34. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer (2001) Soundtrack CD: Rudolph & The Island of Misfit Toys
35. Sing You Sinners (rec. 7/20/50) new box lists this recording as being on disc #3, track #5. However, it is really the 12/15/55 recording, which is repeated again on the new box as disc #6, track #8. Original 1950 version is available on PROPERBOX 121 CD
36. Christmas Song (1992) with Manhattan Transfer from MANHATTAN TRANSFER A CHRISTMAS ALBUM (Sony CD 0074645296821)
37. If I Could Go Back (rec. 9/20/72) for LISTEN EASY, only source is original vinyl

MISSING DUETS
1. The Lady Is A Tramp (1987) -with Frank Sinatra *A bonus live duet from Bally's that was issued by Columbia on the Target-exclusive edition of the first Bennett Duets CD.
2. I Left My Heart In San Francisco-with Judy Garland *A bonus live duet from Judy's TV show that was issued by Columbia on the Target-exclusive edition of the first Bennett Duets CD.
3. Steppin' Out (duet with Delta Goodrum) rec. 2/2006 and released on Australian CD version of DUETS)
4. If I Ruled the World (duet with Wang Hom Lee) rec 2006 and released on Singapore version of DUETS)
5. "I've Got the World on a String" (2006)- duet with Diana Krall was issued by Columbia on the Target-exclusive edition of the first Bennett Duets CD
6. "Steppin' Out with My Baby" - (2006) duet with Michael Bublé was issued by Columbia on the Target-exclusive edition of the first Bennett Duets CD
7. When You Wish Upon A Star-with Jackie Evancho (Target exclusive from Duets II)
8. They Can't Take That Away From Me-with Brad Paisley (Target exclusive from Duets II)
9. New York, New York (2011) live duet with Andrea Bocelli from Bocelli's CONCERTO, ONE NIGHT IN CENTRAL PARK CD, issued on Decca/Universal
10. New York State of Mind (2008) live duet with Billy Joel from Joel's LIVE AT SHEA STADIUM, Sony Columbia/Legacy CD 88697 85424 2

MISSING ALTERNATE TAKES
1. The Man That Got Away rec. 1959 from SINGS FOR TWO, alt issued on the FORTY YEARS: ARTISTRY box set
2. Everybody Has The Blues,
3. How Do you Keep The Music Playing
4. The Day You Leave Me
#2-4 recorded for THE ART OF EXCELLENCE (1986) all alternate takes issued on the "Velvet Box" COLLECTION version of that album in 2006
5. A Child Is Born (take #2)
6. You Don't Know What Love Is (take #16)
7. Maybe September (take #8)
8. You Must Believe In Spring (take #1)
9. Who Can I Turn To (take #6)
#5-9 alternate takes from second Bill Evans album, TOGETHER AGAIN, issued on CD COMPLETE BILL EVANS RECORDINGS (Concord FAN-31281)
10. The Rules of the Road with Ralph Sharon Trio, alternate take rec. February 26, 1964, different from version finally issued on WHEN LIGHTS ARE LOW, alt take can be found on ESSENTIAL TONY BENNETT CD Columbia/Legacy 86634

Something to Live For and I Let a Song...  were the only 2 tracks on a bonus cd that came with the Ellington album  so I can understand missing them. 

12 hours ago, Teasing the Korean said:

A Tony Bennett completist published a list of missing material from that box set.  Even lots of stray Columbia-era tracks are missing.

My box set is called "40 Years" and only has 87 tracks but 3 of them are from the Fantasy Bill Evans record. 

Edited July 23, 2023 by medjuck

[Chuck Nessa]

My old friend Lois Gilbert (JazzCorner, etc) posted this on FB last night -

"Around 1983 or '84, I was hanging out at the club, Lush Life. One night, Tony Bennett walked in, and I went over to him saying, "Don't I know you from SCTV?" (Tony had recently appeared on the tv show, as himself). He chuckled and complimented me on the clever introduction. He asked me my name and asked what I did. I told him, I had been on the air at WRVR and currently in-between jobs. He then took my hand, led me over to the bar at Lush Life and said, "Lois Gilbert meet Jim Lowe, program director of WNEW-AM. Jim, Lois would make an ideal addition to the station." I started on-air the following week.

Fast forward to 2012 (about 30 years later), and I'm in the green room at the United Nations working for them conducting interviews for International Jazz Day (thanks to the Hancock Institute). I went over to Tony and said, "I'm sure you don't remember, but I want to thank you for getting me a job at WNEW-AM." To which he replied, "I didn't get you the job, you got it yourself by being talented, smart and witty. Don't let anyone take credit for who you are."

Even so, I say thank you once more, Tony, with love and gratitude."

[BFrank]

2 hours ago, Chuck Nessa said:

My old friend Lois Gilbert (JazzCorner, etc) posted this on FB last night -

"Around 1983 or '84, I was hanging out at the club, Lush Life. One night, Tony Bennett walked in, and I went over to him saying, "Don't I know you from SCTV?" (Tony had recently appeared on the tv show, as himself). He chuckled and complimented me on the clever introduction. He asked me my name and asked what I did. I told him, I had been on the air at WRVR and currently in-between jobs. He then took my hand, led me over to the bar at Lush Life and said, "Lois Gilbert meet Jim Lowe, program director of WNEW-AM. Jim, Lois would make an ideal addition to the station." I started on-air the following week.

Fast forward to 2012 (about 30 years later), and I'm in the green room at the United Nations working for them conducting interviews for International Jazz Day (thanks to the Hancock Institute). I went over to Tony and said, "I'm sure you don't remember, but I want to thank you for getting me a job at WNEW-AM." To which he replied, "I didn't get you the job, you got it yourself by being talented, smart and witty. Don't let anyone take credit for who you are."

Even so, I say thank you once more, Tony, with love and gratitude."

Nice

[jazzbo]

6 hours ago, Chuck Nessa said:

My old friend Lois Gilbert (JazzCorner, etc) posted this on FB last night -

"Around 1983 or '84, I was hanging out at the club, Lush Life. One night, Tony Bennett walked in, and I went over to him saying, "Don't I know you from SCTV?" (Tony had recently appeared on the tv show, as himself). He chuckled and complimented me on the clever introduction. He asked me my name and asked what I did. I told him, I had been on the air at WRVR and currently in-between jobs. He then took my hand, led me over to the bar at Lush Life and said, "Lois Gilbert meet Jim Lowe, program director of WNEW-AM. Jim, Lois would make an ideal addition to the station." I started on-air the following week.

Fast forward to 2012 (about 30 years later), and I'm in the green room at the United Nations working for them conducting interviews for International Jazz Day (thanks to the Hancock Institute). I went over to Tony and said, "I'm sure you don't remember, but I want to thank you for getting me a job at WNEW-AM." To which he replied, "I didn't get you the job, you got it yourself by being talented, smart and witty. Don't let anyone take credit for who you are."

Even so, I say thank you once more, Tony, with love and gratitude."

Amazing. That's the kind of guy I imagine he was, nice to have the testimony to match.

I'll say that when I decided to really investigate Tony was when I saw his painting of Ella at the Smithsonian about 20 years ago. It stopped me in my tracks.

Edited July 23, 2023 by jazzbo

[clifford_thornton]

Amazing story. Seems like a great guy.

[Teasing the Korean]

12 hours ago, Chuck Nessa said:

My old friend Lois Gilbert (JazzCorner, etc) posted this on FB last night...

Great story!

[Larry Kart]

My Tony Bennett story: I had reviewed Tony several time for the Chicago Tribune with much enthusiasm, impressed above all by the emotional immediacy off his singing, I remember in particular early on he was singing "Sophisticated Lady," a song where the title words don't appear for a good while, and the performance was so spontaneously immediate that I thought for a crazy moment "Is he making this up?" Likewise, like  Errol Garner perhaps, he'd often begin a song out of tempo and in a wandering rubato manner and only launch into the song proper after a while. I asked his bassist of the time, it might have been John Beal, how the rhythm section knew when to come in, and he said, "Man, it's an adventure  every time."

So after that roster of great reviews Tony became quite friendly and we even had dinner a few times. Then there was a performance in Chicago at the DruryrLane Water Tower Place. Tony seemed quite lost -- musically and otherwise -- it was horrible. All I could do was record what I'd heard without being nasty, but still I felt terrible. I get into work the next day and I have a message to call Tony Bennett at the Ritz. Tony answers the phone and says, "Hey Larry, I don't think I was that bad, but you had to write what you did."  Clearly he was concerned about my well being. I'm thinking he's either the great guy I already thought he was or a sublime con artist, leaning toward the former. Eventually I found out what had gone on. Tony's pianist conductor Torrie Zito was going through a terrible divorce and was having a nervous breakdown that night. Tony who liked to take a toke or two before performing took way too many that night in an attempt to calm down and deal with Torrie's trauma, and by the time he began to sing he hardly knew where he was. Thus the performance I heard. 

[Teasing the Korean]

1 hour ago, Larry Kart said:

My Tony Bennett story...

Wow!

[sgcim]

5 hours ago, Larry Kart said:

My Tony Bennett story: I had reviewed Tony several time for the Chicago Tribune with much enthusiasm, impressed above all by the emotional immediacy off his singing, I remember in particular early on he was singing "Sophisticated Lady," a song where the title words don't appear for a good while, and the performance was so spontaneously immediate that I thought for a crazy moment "Is he making this up?" Likewise, like  Errol Garner perhaps, he'd often begin a song out of tempo and in a wandering rubato manner and only launch into the song proper after a while. I asked his bassist of the time, it might have been John Beal, how the rhythm section knew when to come in, and he said, "Man, it's an adventure  every time."

So after that roster of great reviews Tony became quite friendly and we even had dinner a few times. Then there was a performance in Chicago at the DruryrLane Water Tower Place. Tony seemed quite lost -- musically and otherwise -- it was horrible. All I could do was record what I'd heard without being nasty, but still I felt terrible. I get into work the next day and I have a message to call Tony Bennett at the Ritz. Tony answers the phone and says, "Hey Larry, I don't think I was that bad, but you had to write what you did."  Clearly he was concerned about my well being. I'm thinking he's either the great guy I already thought he was or a sublime con artist, leaning toward the former. Eventually I found out what had gone on. Tony's pianist conductor Torrie Zito was going through a terrible divorce and was having a nervous breakdown that night. Tony who liked to take a toke or two before performing took way too many that night in an attempt to calm down and deal with Torrie's trauma, and by the time he began to sing he hardly knew where he was. Thus the performance I heard. 

Some story!  I thought he was a great guy and all, but I'm beginning to get the impression that you had to see him live to really get the emotional impact of his singing. I never caught him live, so I've always preferred Sinatra, even though I never saw him live either.

Torrie Zito was a great guy. At the St. Peter's service for my friend Lenny Sciniscalci, the great alto player/arranger, he was nice enough to gather a big band and play Lenny's arrangements for what seemed like hours. It felt like all of NYC was at his memorial service; they ran out of folding chairs, and we had to stand up!

[Teasing the Korean]

56 minutes ago, sgcim said:

Some story!  I thought he was a great guy and all, but I'm beginning to get the impression that you had to see him live to really get the emotional impact of his singing. I never caught him live, so I've always preferred Sinatra, even though I never saw him live either.

I think the big difference between Sinatra and many of his contemporaries is that Sinatra really understood how to create an album and sustain a consistent mood.  All of Sinatra's Capitol albums, and his Reprise albums through maybe the mid-1960s, were very well conceived and organized.

Sinatra's contemporaries often included strange choices on otherwise strong albums.  Whether that is the fault of the particular singer or the A&R guy, we don't know, but the end results are the same either way.

 

Edited July 23, 2023 by Teasing the Korean

[sgcim]

I even liked Ol' Blue Eyes is Back, and there wasn't any swing or standards on it. He did sustain a consistent mood on that record. I don't know who found those songs for him, but he sang the hell out of them. And the arrangements as always were part of what made him so great.

[Larry Kart]

I didn't really get how great Tony was until I saw him live. The unforced immediacy was something else. Wish I had my old Tribune reviews of him. My vague recollection is that he inspired me to say some good things in  a good way.

[JSngry]

14 minutes ago, Larry Kart said:

The unforced immediacy was something else.

My impression is that this is something that he grew into or more fully embraced or whatever after he kind of bottomed out, so to speak, once he got the "show-biz"  out of his blood once and for all and finally went all in on just singing the songs. 

As far as "nice guy" or "con man", why not both? Learning about his personal history of destructive coke use and serial womanizing, surely he had good con chops, and, yes, that does not in any way rule out being a genuinely nice guy at the same time.

I do wish I could have seen him live, especially in the later years.