TONY BENNETT ON BBC 4

[Sandra]

Friday the 16th of December sees a whole evening of Tony Bennett on BBC4.

9.00 p.m. Tony Bennett's 85th Birthday Concert.

10.00 p.m. Tony Bennett: an American Classic.

10.45 p.m. The Swing Thing.

Well done again to BBC4 sounds a great evenings entertainment

[Lena & Harry Smith]

Thanks Sandra, always good to see programmes like these.
There was a programme on last night on BBC 2, 100 Years of the Palladium, one that hadn't been shown before, bar one or Two parts that were familiar.

[karl]

I must record that, wish they would do the same for Jack Jones.

[paul jh]

I'm afraid he's losing his voice or maybe I don't like his "newer" style of broken singing. He appeared on an Andrea Bocelli concert and sang Theme From New York, New York with Andrea. I had to turn the channel. Then yesterday I listened to him sing a Christmas song from many years and how lovely it was to hear his smooth phrasing, like the best Italian crooners.

[mariana44]

I suppose it is natural that his voice is not going to be as it was many years ago--but i should think his fans would not really mind that !

[paul jh]

I suppose it is natural that his voice is not going to be as it was many years ago--but i should think his fans would not really mind that !

Perhaps, but if I were a fan, I'd say time to retire. I don't like it when singers continue and sound nothing like their heyday.

I saw legendary jazz singer Jon Hendricks a few weeks ago at the Kennedy Center with the Manhattan Transfer. An incredible concert! He's 90 and has the energy of a 29 year old. Yes, his voice is a bit weathered, but he still has his classic tone and he can scat just like he did back in the 60s. A real inspiration to the entire audience and to the jazz world.

[karl]

I watched part of Tony's Palladium concert last night, will watch the rest today.

I think for 85 he is gtiving a remarkable performance, he looks very welll and is still very lively, he also looks so pleased at the audience reaction. However the duet with Cleo did not work too well, a little more rehearsal would have been advisable!

[Lena & Harry Smith]

Well Cleo Laines duet song with Tony was certainly no worse than Leona Lewis's effort with Tony. "Who Can I Turn To " was way out of her depth, and although she looked stunningly beautiful, she lacked the power and pitch needed for a song such as this one.
Having said this, ...(and I never thought I would say this) but last week there was a video on Facebook of Tony duetting " The Lady Is A Tramp" with Lady Gaga. It is Fantastic. !!!! I didn't think anything could come close to Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald's duet with this song, but this one does.

[mariana44]

I have not had a chance to catch up on this yet---but I agree with you about Tony and Lady Gaga, on "The Lady is a tramp"-I did comment on it elsewhere--as I never ever thought I could like anything Lady Gaga sang-and I really love this one---I shall have to find it on Youtube later on.

[Josh]

Was a good evening of top quality entertainment, I agree about the Cleo Lane duet though.

[karl]

The duet with Leona wasn't as bad as I thought (from Lena & Harry) but sometimes a younger singer interprates them in a way we don't care for, the best version Ive heard of Who Can I Turn apart from Tony is from her album Ev'rything's Coming Up Dusty.

Anyway Tony Bennett was fantastic at the Palladium and gave a performance that people half his age would kill f, I am going to finalise the dvd and keep it but I still have the second show to watch.

Tony comes across as a really nice guy who is genuinely amazed at the applause he received, you can see how thrilled he is by his expressions and the standing ovation was well deserved, I did have reservations about his voice at 85 but he's still got it.

[ROBERT M.]

Here it is Marian

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPAmDULCVrU

[mariana44]

Loved it---thanks Robert.

[karl]

I did too what a fantastic video, Tony also praised Lady Gaga on his Palladium concert, she really does have a good voice.