Jazz Moods: Cool

Performer: Tony Bennett
Producer: Didier C. Deutsch (Compilation); Richard Seidel (Compilation)
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: Legacy's Jazz Moods: Cool collects 14 of the impeccable crooner's "coolest" cuts, including "Let's Begin," "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (And Dream Your Troubles Away)," "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)," and "That Old Black Magic." ~ James Christopher Monger Starting in the early 1950s, Tony Bennett crafted consummate jazz-pop that (thanks to the consistency of his style and the quality of his performances) survived the changing trends of the music industry. Bennett made some of his finest recordings for Columbia between 1956 and 1967, and it is from this era that the tracks on this volume of the JAZZ MOODS: COOL series are taken. By the late 1950s, Bennett was giving free reign to his fascination with jazz, and was recording inventive, impassioned versions of gems from the Great American Songbook. Bennett's interpretations of classics by Cole Porter, George Gershwin, and Duke Ellington, among others, feature superb support from Count Basie's band, the Ralph Sharon trio, and a host of top-drawer studio musicians. The arrangements lean toward big-band swing, yet they never distract from Bennett's singing. While the casual vocal-jazz fan may not feel the need for another disc containing renditions of "Caravan" and "That Old Black Magic," those familiar with Bennett's warm timbre, sensuous delivery, and improviser's flair for phrasing know that nearly everything he touches turns to gold.

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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