1.Life Is A Song
2.I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plans
3.Jeepers Creepers
4.With Plenty Of Money And You
5.Chicago
6.I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face
7.Poor Little Rich Girl
8.Lester leaps in
9.Anything Goes
10.Are You Havin' Any Fun
11.Growing Pains
12.Jive At Five

Though Bennett's greatest successes came from his relaxed delivery of pop songs, he has more than just an affinity for jazz singing, as his the Jazz Masters has so ably demonstrated. This reissue captures a meetings between Bennett and Basie, at a time when the pianist's band was at a peak, with a fantastic rhythm section, tight and powerful brass, silky reeds, and skillful arrangers like Neal Hefti, who could make the most of those resources. The Basie band was recording with a variety of singers in the period, from Sammy Davis Jr. to Billy Eckstine, but Bennett may have brought the most enthusiasm to the meeting. A great band singer, he mates perfectly with the horn sections on the up-tempo numbers, whether it's the standard "Chicago" or some obscure show tune. He can make a classic ballad, such as "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face," sound fresh, and like the Basie band, Bennett can swing at any tempo. --Stuart Broomer

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01 - Strike Up The Band		play
02 - I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plans
03 - Chicago
04 - With Plenty Of Money And You
05 - Anything Goes
06 - Life Is A Song
07 - I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face
08 - Jeepers Creepers		play
09 - Growing Pains
10 - Poor Little Rich Girl
11 - Are You Havin' Any Fun

Personnel:
    Tony Bennett - vocals
    Ralph Sharon - piano

The Count Basie Orchestra:
    Count Basie - pianist, leader
    Thad Jones, Snooky Young, Wendell Culley, Joe Newman - trumpet
    Charlie Fowlkes - baritone saxophone
    Frank Foster, Billy Mitchell - tenor saxophone
    Frank Wess, Marshall Royal - alto saxophone
    Benny Powell, Henry Coker, Al Grey - trombone
    Freddie Green - guitar
    Eddie Jones - bass
    Sonny Payne - drums

Tony Bennett recorded two albums with Count Basie and His Orchestra under a contractual agreement giving one of the records to Bennett's label, Columbia, and the other to Basie's, Roulette. The Columbia album, In Person!, was released once, while the Roulette album, initially issued under the title Strike Up The Band, has been re-released by various labels under various titles endlessly. This is one of those reissues, and while one may deplore the duplicitous marketing scheme, the pairing between Bennett and Basie remains impressive. The band raves through tunes like "With Plenty Of Money And You," and Bennett matches them, drawing strength from the bravura arrangements, while band and singer achieve a knowing tenderness on "Growing Pains." This is an album well worth owning; just make sure you don't buy it twice. ---William Ruhlmann, AMG

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1. Lullaby of Broadway (duet z Dixie Chicks) 		
2. Smile (duet z Barbrą Streisand) 		
3. Put On A Happy Face (duet z Jamesem Taylorem) 		
4. The Very Thought Of You (duet z Paulem McCartney'em) 		
5. The Shadow of Your Smile (duet z Juanesem) 		
6. Rags To Riches (duet z Eltonem Johnem)						play 		
7. The Good Life (duet z Billy'm Joelem) 		
8. Cold, Cold Heart (duet z Timem McGrawem) 		
9. If I Ruled the World (duet z Celine Dion) 		
10. The Best Is Yet To Come (duet z Dianą Krall) 		
11. For Once In My Life (duet ze Steviem Wonderem) 		
12. Are You Havin' Any Fun? (duet z Elvisem Costello) 		
13. Because Of You (duet z K.D. Lang i Chrisem Bottim) 		
14. Just In Time (duet z Michaelem Buble) 		
15. Boulevard Of Broken Dreams (duet ze Stingiem) 		
16. I Wanna Be Around (duet z Bono) 		
17. Sing You Sinners (duet z Johnem Legendem)					play 		
18. I Left My Heart In San Francisco (album version) 		
19. How Do you Keep The Music Playing (duet z George Michaelem)

Personnel: 
Tony Bennett (vocals); 
Diana Krall, Dixie Chicks, Elton John, George Michael, James Taylor , John Legend, Juanes, K.D. Lang, Michael Bublé, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Sting,
 Tim McGraw, Elvis Costello, Barbra Streisand, Billy Joel, Bono , Celine Dion (vocals).
Lee Musiker: piano; 
Paul Langosh: bass; 
Harold Jones: drums; 
Gray Sargent: guitar; 
Jorge Calandrelli: orchestrations.

Tony Bennett, a Queens-born singer, celebrates his 80th with his voice sounding as great as it has been for years; on Duets, he revisits some of his classics with a group of friends and admirers.

Some of the guest appearances on these tracks are not really surprising, like Barbra Streisand's on "Smile." Celine Dion is one of those singers who suffers from bad choices in her own repertoire, but when given the opportunity to tackle a great song, she does it with gusto, as on "If I Ruled The World."

The surprises come through performers who do not usually take on this kind of music. You barely recognize Paul McCartney's voice on "The Very Thought Of You." He just gives himself entirely to the song, shedding his pop sensibilities to perform the tune. Bassist Richard Bona has mentioned John Legend's incredible talent (Legend did a guest spot on Bona's recently released Decca CD, Tiki), but I was not ready for this—Legend almost steals the song away from Bennett. Juanes also makes a stellar turn on a bilingual version of "The Shadow of Your Smile."

George Michael has seen a considerable turn in his fortunes in recent years, which is quite a contrast from his superstardom during the '90s. At last year's Live 8 Festival, he was relegated to singing harmony vocals with Paul McCartney, and his career has been marred by tabloid scrutiny of his private life. We are reminded that Michael is a great singer in his own right on "How Do You Keep The Music Playing?" This is not the first time he has taken on jazz songs. A couple of years ago he released and album of standards, and he made "Desafinado" a hit again with his 1996 duet with Astrud Gilberto.

Hank Williams' "Cold, Cold Heart," a crossover country hit for Bennett, has since been remade by several artists. He revisits the tune with Tim McGraw, who sounds incredibly comfortable without his country-rock electric apparatus.

Bono appeared on Frank Sinatra's 1993 Duets album, and he appears here on "I Wanna Be Around." While he sounded like a rocker doing standards on his performance with Sinatra, this time he sounds more subdued and is able to better explore his vocal range. Sting sings beautifully on "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," and Stevie Wonder revisits "For Once In My Life," delivering a beautiful rendition (reportedly in one take).

The incredible thing about this record is that Bennett actually sang with his guests by his side—something that's become quite unusual in the era of MP3s and telephone linkups. You can feel the rapport in the studio—Bennett encourages James Taylor during "Put on a Happy Face," reacts emotionally to Stevie Wonder's improvisations, and flirts playfully with Streisand. This was possibly motivated by his own contribution to Sinatra's album, which was done from a distance. An American Classic is a wonderful album, and it sounds great even after repeated spins. ---Ernest Barteldes, allaboutjazz.com

Tony Bennett has so many adoring celebrity fans it should come as no surprise that when a major duets album is planned, he's able to draw a roster of the biggest recording stars from the rock and vocal worlds, plus a pair of country music wildcards. (This despite the fact that he recorded an album with several duets in 2001, and a full-album collaboration one year later with k.d. lang.) One surprise is how well producer Phil Ramone paired Bennett with both duet partners and fitting standards -- among them Barbra Streisand on the optimist's anthem "Smile," Dixie Chicks for the flapper standard "Lullaby of Broadway," Bono on the wickedly spiteful "I Wanna Be Around," Tim McGraw on "Cold, Cold Heart" (the Hank Williams song that was Bennett's biggest country crossover hit), Stevie Wonder on his own "For Once in My Life," Juanes for "The Shadow of Your Smile" (which was a hit first for the Brazilian Astrud Gilberto), and Sting on the torch song "Boulevard of Broken Dreams." (Even the title of "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?" seems fit for George Michael to sing.) Each performance was recorded with Bennett and his duet partner live in the studio -- it could be no different for such an old-school vocalist -- and the setup allows for maximum warmth and congeniality. Yet, aside from the novelty of the billings, Duets: An American Classic doesn't thrill like Bennett's solo recordings of the previous ten years. The arrangements of Jorge Calandrelli are heavy on serene strings that wrap the melodies in layers of soft gauze, and few concessions are made to the needs of the material; virtually every song is either a soft vocal pop number or a finger-snapping swinger. As befits an all-star affair, every edge is polished to a fine sheen and, more than a few times, the feelings his duet partners attempt to summon sound quite superficial. Of course, every vocal interpreter in the business sounds a little forced when compared to Tony Bennett. ---John Bush, All Music Guide

Radość wspólnego śpiewania. To właśnie słychać na tej płycie. Nagrany przed pięcioma laty przy okazji osiemdziesiątych urodzin Tony’ego Bennetta album stanowi zbiór standardów amerykańskiej rozrywki, evergreenów pokroju „Smile”, „If I Ruled The World”, czy „The Best Is Yet To Come”. Do ich nagrania zacny jubilat zaprosił takich artystów, jak choćby Paul McCartney, Bono, George Michael, Sting, Michael Buble, Stevie Wonder czy Elton John. Wśród gości dominują wokaliści. Ale nie zabrakło też pań. Pojawiają się więc Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Diana Krall, czy Dixie Chicks. Świetne aranżacje, zabawa muzyką, optymizm. Mam wrażenie, że nagrywaniu tej płyty towarzyszyła niesamowicie pozytywna atmosfera. I to w jakiś sposób przekłada się na przyjemność słuchania. Tony Bennett, który ma za sobą z górą sześć dekad estradowego doświadczenia, nie musi już niczego nikomu udowadniać. Wciąż brzmi świetnie. Ciągle słychać, że muzykowanie sprawia mu ogromną frajdę. Choćby za to należy mu się szacunek. Nie mniej interesująco zapowiada się „Duets II”, którego premierę zaplanowano na jesień tego roku. Sama tylko lista wokalistek, które Bennett zaprosił do występu na kolejnej urodzinowej płycie robi wrażenie. A są to m.in. Lady Gaga, Aretha Franklin, Queen Latifah, Mariah Carey, Norah Jones, Natalie Cole, KD Lang i Amy Winehouse w swoim (niestety) ostatnim studyjnym nagraniu. Panowie tym razem w mniejszej reprezentacji, ale równie znakomici. ---Migootka, gomi.pinger.pl

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01. The Lady Is a Tramp (feat. Lady Gaga) 3:18
02. One for My Baby (feat. John Mayer) 2:56
03. Body and Soul (feat. Amy Winehouse) 3:21
04. Don't Get Around Much Anymore (feat. Michael Bublé) 2:39			play
05. Blue Velvet (feat. K.D. Lang ) 4:33
06. How Do You Keep the Music Playing (feat. Aretha Franklin) 5:26
07. The Girl I Love (feat. Sheryl Crow) 3:51
08. Sunny Side of the Street (feat. Willie Nelson) 2:55
09. Who Can I Turn To (feat. Queen Latifah) 3:51
10. Speak Low (feat. Norah Jones) 3:54
11. This Is All I Ask (feat. Josh Groban) 4:33
12. Watch What Happens (feat. Natalie Cole) 2:08
13. Stranger in Paradise (feat. Andrea Bocelli) 5:00
14. The Way You Look Tonight (feat. Faith Hill) 3:53
15. Yesterday I Heard the Rain (feat. Alejandro Sanz)3 :41				play
16. It Had to Be You (feat. Carrie Underwood) 3:49
17. When Do the Bells Ring for Me (feat. Mariah Carey) 2:53

DUETS II is the follow-up to Tony Bennett's multi-platinum CD, DUETS, which was released in conjunction with Tony's 80th birthday in 2006. DUETS won three Grammy Awards and was the singer's best selling album to date.

Now the legendary performer celebrates a milestone 85th birthday with the release of DUETS II. The singer has completed recording with Lady Gaga and Aretha Franklin, adding to a celebrated list of artists previously announced including Amy Winehouse, Michael Buble, Norah Jones, John Mayer, Queen Latifah, Carrie Underwood and many others. Lady Gaga joined Tony for a rendition of the Richard Rodgers song, "The Lady Is A Tramp" and Bennett and Franklin collaborated on the Alan and Marilyn Bergman classic, "How Do You Keep The Music Playing." --- Editorial Reviews

Tony Bennett’s first album of celebrity duets (2006's Duets: An American Classic) featured an impressive cast of superstars answering the call from the dean of pop vocalists, but the arrangements were overly safe -- virtually all of them ballads with soft strings or brassy finger-snappers. Duets II follows the first by five years and features, surprisingly, a cast just as star-laden, but also arrangements that are much more dynamic, and suitable for each song and its participants. (Marion Evans, a veteran whose career goes back nearly as far as Bennett's, handles the charts for a few of the best here.) Bennett, as ever in splendid voice and impeccable groove, laughs and trades lines with stars half his age (like John Mayer), or in the case of Lady Gaga, six decades younger, and clearly makes them so comfortable in this setting that it would be easy to believe that jazz vocals were their home. Standard fare yields standard results for the likes of Michael Bublé and Josh Groban, but all of these songs have something to contribute.

Bennett is especially tender and expressive with k.d. lang on "Blue Velvet" (the two had already collaborated on a full album), and he clearly enjoys his pairing with Willie Nelson for "On the Sunny Side of the Street." (Nelson takes a guitar solo, and shows some of the vocal shadings that during the '60s made him as expressive a vocalist as Bennett.) The album wisely covers all bases, including stars of country music (Carrie Underwood, Faith Hill), R&B (Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin, Amy Winehouse), and one-shots for rock & roll (Sheryl Crow), Latin music (Alejandro Sanz), and classical (Andrea Bocelli). Celebrity musical pairings rarely lead to innovation or excitement, but Duets II is an enjoyable celebration of what Tony Bennett has meant to pop music, and what he can bring out in any star vocalist he steps up to the microphone with. --- John Bush, allmusic.com

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01 – Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
02 – My Favorite Things
03 – Christmas Time Is Here
04 – Deck The Halls
05 – The First Noel (with Placido Domingo)						play
06 – The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)
07 – Silver Bells
08 – Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
09 – O Little Town Of Bethlehem
10 – I Love The Winter WeatherI’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
11 – I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm (with Antonia Bennett)
12 – Christmas In Herald Square
13 – I’ll Be Home For Christmas									play
14 – O Come All Ye Faithful
15 – What Child Is This [Previously Unreleased]
16 – Winter Wonderland
17 – Silent Night
18 – White Christmas

Tony Bennett's warm, inviting delivery would seem perfectly suited to seasonal music—and it is. You can hear the very best of his Christmas projects, from a seminal 1968 Yuletide release to this burst of holly-jolly projects in the 2000s, on this terrific new compilation.

Classic features five tracks from '68's Snowfall: The Tony Bennett Christmas Album, arranged and conducted with a sensitive joy by Robert Farnon—a frequent collaborator with Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Williams, among others. That might be highlight enough, if not for the inclusion of five more tracks from 2008's aptly titled A Swinging Christmas, the Grammy-nominated, Bill Holman-arranged effort featuring the Count Basie Big Band.

From the first record, we have a memorable take on Mel Torme's “The Christmas Song" as well as a note-perfect medley of “I Love the Winter Weather" and “I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm." As expected, the collaboration with the late Basie's old group turns into a romp—with upbeat renditions of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and “Christmas Time is Here," from the Charles Brown Christmas special. (Monty Alexander sits in, doing his best banging imitation of the Count.)

Bennett returned to work alongside Farnon for 2001's Hallmark Presents: Christmas with Tony Bennett, an sleekly urbane project featuring the London Symphony Orchestra—and four bedrock standards appear from those sessions, including “O Come All Ye Faithful" and “Silent Night." Bennett's longtime collaborative foil Ralph Sharon and his quartet are showcased on two cuts from 2001's Our Favorite Things, including a duet with tenor virtuoso Placido Domingo; as well as the tune “Christmas in Herald Square" from 1998's Playground.

Finally, there is a brand-new, previously unreleased track, “What Child Is This," arranged and conducted by Marion Evans. Arriving as it does alongside work from four decades before, the song can't help but reveal the inevitable vocal fraying, but Bennett (always game, always approachable) remains the last of the great interpretive singers—and as winning as ever. --- Nick DeRiso, somethingelsereviews.com

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1 	Something 	3:23
2 	(Where Do I Begin) Love Story 	3:56
3 	Maybe This Time 	4:08
4 	Just In Time 	2:37
5 	For Once In My Life 	3:07
6 	I Left My Heart In San Francisco 	2:54
7 	Because Of You 	3:02
8 	The Boulevard Of Broken Dreams 	2:34
9 	Stranger In Paradise 	3:07
10 	I Wanna Be Around 	2:11
11 	Firefly 	1:55
12 	The Shadow Of Your Smile 	2:42
13 	Put On A Happy Face 	2:40
14 	Love Look Away 	2:47
15 	Rags To Riches 	2:53
16 	A Time For Love 	3:22
17 	Who Can I Turn To (When Somebody Needs Me) 	2:59
18 	This Is All I Ask 	3:17
19 	Easy Listening 	3:36
20 	Sing You Sinners 	2:17

Tony Bennett – Vocals
Ray Charles - Vocals
Tommy Flanagan - Piano
Count Basie Orchestra
London Philharmonic Orchestra 	
Ralph Burns - Arranger, Conductor
Ray Conniff - Arranger, Conductor
Frank DeVol - Arranger, Conductor
Percy Faith - Arranger, Conductor
Robert Farnon - Arranger, Conductor
Johnny Mandel - Arranger, Conductor
Marty Manning - Arranger, Conductor
Peter Matz - Arranger, Conductor
Glenn Osser - Arranger, Conductor
George Siravo - Arranger, Conductor
Torrie Zito - Arranger, Conductor

Tony Bennett's departure from Columbia Records after 22 years in 1972 inspired the label to put together a one-volume hits compilation (originally released on two LPs) of 20 songs covering his entire Columbia output, from "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" and the early hits like "Because of You" and "Rags to Riches," through the early- to mid-'60s hit period of "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" and "I Wanna Be Around," to the more problematic late '60s and early '70s of "Something" and "Love Story." The selection sacrifices quality to achieve breadth; it represents all phases of Bennett's career up to this point, but doesn't really include his 20 best performances or even his 20 biggest hits. Nevertheless, it's a good place for the complete novice to start. (Note, however, that several selections are in fake stereo and several are re-recorded versions, not the original recordings.) ---William Ruhlmann, Rovi

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