MTV Unplugged

Performer: Tony Bennett
Artist: K.D. Lang; Elvis Costello; Ralph Sharon Trio
Producer: David Kahne
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: Personnel: Tony Bennett, K.D. Lang, Elvis Costello (vocals); Ralph Sharon (piano); Doug Richeson (bass); Clayton Cameron (drums). Engineers: Mitch Maketansky, John Harris. Recorded live at Sony Studios, New York, New York on April 12, 1994. MTV UNPLUGGED won 1995 Grammy Awards for Album Of The Year and Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance. "Moonglow" was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Collaboration. This is a Super Audio CD playable only on Super Audio CD players. Personnel: Tony Bennett, K.D. Lang, Elvis Costello (vocals); Ralph Sharon (piano); Doug Richeson (bass); Clayton Cameron (drums). Engineers: Mitch Maketansky, John Harris. Recorded live at Sony Studios, New York, New York on April 12, 1994. MTV UNPLUGGED won 1995 Grammy Awards for Album Of The Year and Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance. "Moonglow" was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Collaboration. Personnel: Tony Bennett; Ralph Sharon, Ralph Sharon Trio, Clayton Cameron. Sometimes, if you live long enough, and remain true to your artistic principles, people catch up with what you're doing. Not that singer Tony Bennett has been withering away in the weeds. When popular song stylists the likes of Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby place you at the top of Olympus, well...you the man. MTV UNPLUGGED reprises the greatest moments in Bennett's concert repertoire, songs he's been refining for 40 years. The only difference is that thanks to enthusiastic fans like Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, a young audience is ready to embrace the classic Tin Pan Alley song forms, and swinging jazz trio approach that has long distinguished Bennett's stylized presentation. Bennett has a dramatic, understated way of personalizing the narrative elements of a song. "Fill my heart with song, let me sing forevermore," he pleads on "Fly Me To The Moon," a tune he's probably done 10,000 times, yet it sounds like he's grasping the meaning for the very first time. The effect is stunning, and even on tunes where his pitch wavers, his way of getting back in tune is just so hip and swinging. On a dreamy "Moonglow" and a coy "They Can't Take That Away From Me" he shares the mic with k.d. lang and Elvis Costello respectively, and the manner in which the old pro's generosity of spirit draws the youngsters into his orbit is indicative of Tony Bennett's enduring grace and charm.

Rolling Stone (8/25, p.90) - Stars - Excellent - "...the best presents this album's proper star: the music itself, whose wit, depth and polish this master embodies..." Entertainment Weekly (6/24/94 - 7/1/94, p.102) - 7/1/94, p.102) - "...This document of MTV's June 1 telecast isn't one of Bennett's most subtle records, but the young crowd's enthusiasm does make him soar to new heights of adorable Tony-ness..." - Rating: A- Q (10/94, p.106) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...About a million times better than Frank Sinatra's much-praised, huge-selling album..."

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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