The Essential Tony Bennett [Columbia/Legacy] [Digipak]

Performer: Tony Bennett
Artist: Count Basie & His Orchestra; Ralph Sharon; Jimmy Rowles; Al Cohn; Bobby Hackett; K.D. Lang
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: Personnel includes: Tony Bennett, k.d. Lang (vocals); Percy Faith, Ray Conniff, Frank DeVol, Ralph Burns, Marty Manning, Don Costa, Johnny Mandel, Torrie Zito, Robert Farnon (arranger, conduct); Al Cohn (tenor saxophone); Bobby Hackett (cornet); Jimmy Rowles, Tommy Flanagan (piano); Count Basie & His Orchestra; Ralph Sharon Trio. Producers include: Mitch Miller, Ernie Altschuler, Teo Macero, Danny Bennett, David Kahne. Compilation producers: Steve Berkowitz, Didier C. Deutsch. Recorded between 1951 & 2001. All tracks have been digitally remastered. Personnel: Tony Bennett (vocals); k.d. lang (vocals); Stan Getz (tenor saxophone); Bobby Hackett (cornet); Herbie Hancock, Ralph Sharon, Tommy Flanagan (piano); Paul Langosch, Doug Richeson, Ron Carter (upright bass); Elvin Jones, Joe La Barbera, Clayton Cameron (drums); Chico Hamilton, Count Basie & His Orchestra, The Will Bronson Chorus, Jimmy Rowles, Ralph Sharon Trio, Ray Charles Singers. Audio Remasterers: Mark Wilder; Seth Foster. Arrangers: Don Costa; George Siravo; Johnny Keating; Johnny Mandel; Marty Manning; Percy Faith; Ralph Burns; Torrie Zito. Like most entries in Sony/Legacy's Essential series, 2002's The Essential Tony Bennett is an excellent, exhaustive retrospective of a lengthy, hit-filled career at Columbia. Although Bennett spent time at other labels -- particularly in the '70s -- he made his best-known and greatest recordings for Columbia, from the late '50s through the '90s, which is what provides the bulk of the material here. Though this skips through the '70s material, it does provide what amounts to Bennett at his best, whether it's on "Rags to Riches" and "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" in the '60s, or on latter-day classics like "Steppin' out with My Baby." Bennett surely recorded more great material than can fit on a two-disc, 40-track collection, but this contains the cream of the crop and it's hard to imagine a collection like this being executed better than this. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine It's almost shocking to realize that before this collection's release, the career of musical legend Tony Bennett had been extensively anthologized only in box-set format and never by a career-spanning two-disc compilation. Upon inspection, it seems like the ultimate no-brainer--pick some of the mainly highlights from this vocal sensation's 50-year career, put them in chronological order, and let the magic happen. Happen it does, as we're treated to gems from every phase of Bennett's oeuvre. Casual listeners may be surprised to learn that the '50s found Tony successfully reinventing Hank Williams's "Cold Cold Heart" alongside more customary fare such as signature song "Rags to Riches." No one will be shocked at the very necessary inclusion of the '60s comeback smash "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," but those who think of Bennett as an artifact belonging only to Sinatra's time will be educated by the subsequent material included here. From the sinuously jazzy "Steppin' Out with My Baby" to a moving take on the Elllington evergreen "Mood Indigo" and an album-closing duet with K.D. Lang, the more contemporary material here makes just as convincing a case as the earlier work for Bennett as THE living master of the Great American Songbook.

One of the finest voices of 20th century American pop, Tony Bennett began his career in the '50s, under the watchful eye of producer Mitch Miller, recording huge hits such as "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," and "Because of You." In 1958, his album BASIE SWINGS-BENNETT SINGS was a precursor to later jazz-based work. That same year, "Firefly" was Bennett's last US Top 40 entry until 1962, when he made a major comeback with the Grammy-winning "I Left My Heart In San Francisco." In '93 and '94 he was awarded Grammys for his albums PERFECTLY FRANK and STEPPIN' OUT.

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