Tony Bennett
(RPM-Columbia)
At 85 years young, Tony Bennett has indubitably earned the right to do and say what he wants.
A veteran of World War II who fought right in the heart of enemy territory as an infantryman in Germany, an active voice during the Civil Rights Movement and a man deemed a "Citizen of the World" by the United Nations for his worldwide humanitarian efforts, if this child of the Great Depression wants to go on Howard Stern and criticize how George Bush's blundering of American Foreign Policy caused the attacks on 9/11, the man was just simply expressing his viewpoint, and an incredibly educated and insightful one at that. Who the hell are those Tea Bagging idiots over at FOX News to criticize this genuine American hero and icon for saying what he believes? The funny thing is, the man is 15 years shy of a century old and he's more cognitively sharp than most of the very Neo-Con pundits who gave him grief over the whole thing!
In addition to levying his freedom of speech in the public discourse, living the good life as a spry octogenarian has also earned Mr. Bennett all-access carte blanche within the confines of the music industry complex as well, a business he has succeeded in time and again for over 60 years. And Duets II is part and parcel to those liberties.
Tony has been doing duets since getting down with Rosemary Clooney on the old CBS TV/Radio program Songs for Sale back in the summer of 1950. He's preformed in tandem with a mind-boggling array of artists from Frank Sinatra to Judy Garland to Ella Fitzgerald to Elvis Costello to Paul McCartney. And five years after commemorating his 80th birthday with the Grammy-winning 2006 title Duets: An American Classic and its subsequent Emmy-winning TV spinoff, the Rob Marshall-directed special Tony Bennett: An American Classic, the Astoria, Queens native aims to enamor a whole new generation of music fans with Duets II.
Produced by the great Phil Ramone with Tony's brother Daegal Bennett engineering, these new collaborations exhibit perhaps the widest swath of talent he's ever assembled on record yet, working with five generations of acts from all over the pop map. Tastemakers will naturally gravitate towards the likes of opening track, a gorgeous version of the 1930 standard "Body and Soul" recorded with Amy Winehouse four months prior to her tragic death by misadventure; the historic first time pairing of longtime label co-habitants Tony and Willie Nelson on Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields' "On The Sunny Side of the Street"; and a magnificent rendition of Kurt Weill's 1943 standard "Speak Low" with Norah Jones.
However, don't scoff at the collabs clearly geared towards the soccer mom set before hearing them first. Bennett harbors a magic about him that inspires you to become caught up in the beauty of his performance prowess regardless of what artist is playing second banana to him on the microphone, giving him or her automatic shine with his artistic credibility by virtue of association alone - be it Carrie Underwood or Lady Gaga or John Mayer or Mariah Carey. Never thought you'd voluntarily listen to such aunt-centric marquee stars as Andrea Bocelli, Faith Hill and Josh Groban? Check out how sublime they are on Duets II sidling up alongside the true master and you might find yourself turning in your tastemaker cred for a used copy of Romanza in no time.
But that's just how the man born Anthony Dominick Benedetto rolls; and at his age, he has most certainly earned the right to swagger with whomever he pleases and speak his mind on whatever he wants. Just wait until you're 85. You'll see.
DOWNLOAD: "Body and Soul", "On The Sunny Side of the Street", "Stranger in Paradise" RON HART
