Tony Bennett - Duets: An American Classic (2006)

Well, if Sinatra gets a Phil Ramone-produced duets album, why not Tony, too? This is pleasant enough, but there's a lot here that leaves me scratching my head, especially in regard to repertoire and pairings (some folks just don't have the voice tonal qualities compatible with duetting). But it sold well and won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album so what do I know? For what it's worth, that's exactly how I felt upon hearing the Sinatra duets album, too.

Rolling Stone, November 2, 2006, pp. 72, 74

Question: to what is the titular term "an American classic" referring? The duet form? Bennett himself? The Great American Songbook?

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #3

Tracks: Although all arrangements and band performances are top notch, the only tunes grabbing me today are these:

• Rags to Riches (with Elton John)
• The Best Is Yet To Come (Diana Krall)
• For Once In My Life (Stevie Wonder) - includes sublime harmonica solo
• Because of You (k.d. lang & Chris Botti) - I guess it's a trio not a duet, but with that talent let's not nitpick.
• Just In Time (Michael Buble)

There's also 4 bonus tracks recorded 1963 (with Judy Garland), 1988 (Sinatra), 2000 (Buble), and 2006 (Krall). Most were recorded live; all are quite good but Sinatra and Bennett absolutely tear the house down with The Lady Is A Tramp - easily the highlight of the whole CD.

Noticeably absent from this disc: Harry Connick, Jr., Jane Monheit, and Michael Feinstein.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Snowfall: The Christmas Album (1994)