The Show Goes On For Tony Bennett On His 95th Birthday

Yes, Anthony Benedetto, better known as Tony Bennett, turns 95 today. For more than seventy years on stage he drew huge audiences to his annual full concert schedule of tunes from jazz, to Broadway, to the Great American Songbook. Earlier this year it was announced that he would no longer be touring due to the progressive Alzheimer's disease originally diagnosed in 2016. That's not stopping him from joining with Lady Gaga on stage tonight and Thursday at Radio City Music to celebrate his birthday and the upcoming release of their new album on Oct 1. Bennett also plans to appear in a half dozen select concerts across the country through the remainder of the year. 

Bennett in 2018

Bennett has been at the business so long he's had two careers, a fifteen-year affair with the Greatest Generation, and a now forty-year reinvention with new artists, music, and audiences following a brief lull during the rock and roll era. Bennett has also been in the forefront of introducing current generations to the Great American Songbook.

Bennett is an interesting blend of vocal talent and showmanship, a well-perfected entertainer with a not so perfect voice. You have to learn how to appreciate the value of a permanent vocal strain and a sound out of vaudeville. For me, it was a long learning process, but I've come to appreciate and enjoy the total Bennett experience. Here he is performing with the sensational jazz/pop vocalist, Diana Krall:

Lately the entertainer has reached deep into the past for material and produced a series of duet albums with vocalist young and old. In addition to Krall, Bennett recorded albums with Paul McCartney, Josh Groban, Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder, Norah Jones, and Marc Anthony. The man shows no sign of stopping either. I'm looking forward the second album with Lady Gaga  given this fine performance from their first album, Cheek to Cheek:

Thank you for the music, Tony. Here's wishing you a happy 95th birthday and many more to come.

If you like what you hear, buy the music and help keep jazz, swing, and the Great American Songbook alive and well. 

Sources

Photos and Illustrations:
public domain photo, Bob Elyea

Text:
Tony Bennett, Wikipedia.org
Tony Bennett, tonybennett.com