Tony Bennett RAH,Birm.,Itunes Fest.Reviews
Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2010 1:44 pm
Tony Bennett – Birmingham Symphony Hall, review
Monday 5th July 2010, 11:30AM BST.
Tony Bennett concert review
Birmingham Symphony Hall
The good life came to Birmingham’s Symphony Hall on Saturday night with a memorable performance by legendary crooner Tony Bennett.
Legend is a phrase too often used these days, yet here is an artist who has been selling records by the million for over 60 years, and he’s still going strong at almost 84 years of age.
†I guess you’ll have noticed that I prefer old songs,†he said after 90 minutes of classics from his Great American Songbook album.
“That’s because they’re better than the new ones.†No one was arguing with that .
The Symphony Hall was built for performers of this stature and with his voice and phrasing as immaculate as ever. From the opening Watch What Happens, Bennett and his quartet of excellent musicians kept the night moving along apace with I Got Rhythm and Steppin’ Out, thrilling the audience with some nifty footwork and graceful spins.
He remains the consummate entertainer, his face beaming and arms outstretched to an adoring crowd at the end of each song. Highlights included a lovely rendition of The Way You Look Tonight, duetting only with Gray Sargent’s beautiful guitar. There was also Just In Time, and of course, I Left My Heart In San Francisco.
The night was punctuated with anecdotes from a lifetime in showbusiness – how Bob Hope gave him the name Tony Bennett because his real Italian name of Anthony Dominick Benedetto was to long to fit across the theatre’s marquee and how he and Rosemary Clooney were the first American Idols — and the thrill he got after receiving a letter from Charlie Chaplin, thanking him for reviving his song Smile.
After a couple more of his classics, a standing ovation, a shake of a few fans hands and, picking up the flowers an adoring fan had given to him earlier, he strolled from the stage.
By John Hackney
Tony Bennett at the Royal Albert Hall, review
The Vegas survivor proved he still has chutzpah in spades at this Royal Albert Hall show. Rating: * * * *
By Paul Clements
Published: 10:35AM BST 05 Jul 2010
If one man can lay claim to the great American songbook, it is Tony Bennett. Truly, they don’t make them like that any more – and that applies equally to the singer, in the spotlight now for 60 years, as well as his songs.
Billed as a celebration of 20th-century standards, Bennett’s two-night residency at the Royal Albert Hall – part of a UK tour to promote his new album – is chock full of songs in the key of badda-bing that pack their punch in little more than two minutes flat.
The pace set by his four-piece band is whip-smart, which explains how the
83-year-old troubadour can arrive well after 8pm, rattle through two-dozen numbers, offer a handful of showbiz asides about Frank, Liza and – incongruously – Lady Gaga (“a wonderful singer, by the wayâ€), and still have the audience on their way before it’s quite dark outside.
Performing intimate dinner jazz in the cavernous Royal Albert Hall takes chutzpah, which of course this Vegas survivor – immaculate in dark suit and tie with a dramatic red pocket-square – has in spades. Almost every number is an old-school toe-tapper, with many given a bossa nova sheen. (“I’m just back from Rio!â€) None outstay their welcome. I Got Rhythm becomes a high-tempo, double bass-driven thing, finished off with a scat-sung portion of Jingle Bells.
The loveliest ballads, such as the Burke/Van Heusen-penned But Beautiful and Just The Way You Look Tonight, are pared down so that Bennett has only the occasional pluck of Gray Sargent’s dreamy guitar for support.
As big a joy to watch as to listen to, Bennett offers an eyebrow-salute or heel spin with every song. There are delighted whoops when he and his cutely cotton-voiced chanteuse daughter Antonia break off for a sappy tap routine midway through Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends. After a belting (I Left My Heart In) San Francisco, he glad-hands his way triumphantly along the front row.
Even more magical is when Bennett asks for his mic to be turned off so he can offer Fly Me To The Moon a capella. There’s a touch of the flamenco cantor in his urgent, squinting delivery of the vessel-busting high notes, but a point has been gloriously proved. Whattaguy.
Crowd 'boos' Amy tribute song
Published on Mon Jul 05 11:16:58 BST 2010
Amy Winehouse attracted boos from the audience when Tony Bennett dedicated a song to her at the iTunes Festival.
The 83-year-old crooner performed a string of his classic hits to an audience both young and old at Camden's Roundhouse in London on Friday evening, where Amy and her father Mitch watched from the centre of the front row of the circle.
Tony paused in the middle of serenading his audience with The Good Life and said "Ladies and Gentleman, I want to dedicate this song to Miss Amy Winehouse."
The 26-year-old Rehab singer - dressed in a little black dress and with her famous towering beehive - stood-up and applauded and wolf-whistled Tony for the rest of the song, blowing kisses and wiping away tears at the end.
But on hearing her name the reaction from the audience was a mixture of both applause and boos.
Tony, who has been singing for 60 years, received a warm reception from the festival crowd who clapped along to several of his tunes and cheered "Tony, Tony, Tony" between songs.
The iTunes festival continues all month with other headline acts including Ozzy Osbourne, N-Dubz, Faithless and Pixie Lott.
Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2010, All Rights Reserved
Monday 5th July 2010, 11:30AM BST.
Tony Bennett concert review
Birmingham Symphony Hall
The good life came to Birmingham’s Symphony Hall on Saturday night with a memorable performance by legendary crooner Tony Bennett.
Legend is a phrase too often used these days, yet here is an artist who has been selling records by the million for over 60 years, and he’s still going strong at almost 84 years of age.
†I guess you’ll have noticed that I prefer old songs,†he said after 90 minutes of classics from his Great American Songbook album.
“That’s because they’re better than the new ones.†No one was arguing with that .
The Symphony Hall was built for performers of this stature and with his voice and phrasing as immaculate as ever. From the opening Watch What Happens, Bennett and his quartet of excellent musicians kept the night moving along apace with I Got Rhythm and Steppin’ Out, thrilling the audience with some nifty footwork and graceful spins.
He remains the consummate entertainer, his face beaming and arms outstretched to an adoring crowd at the end of each song. Highlights included a lovely rendition of The Way You Look Tonight, duetting only with Gray Sargent’s beautiful guitar. There was also Just In Time, and of course, I Left My Heart In San Francisco.
The night was punctuated with anecdotes from a lifetime in showbusiness – how Bob Hope gave him the name Tony Bennett because his real Italian name of Anthony Dominick Benedetto was to long to fit across the theatre’s marquee and how he and Rosemary Clooney were the first American Idols — and the thrill he got after receiving a letter from Charlie Chaplin, thanking him for reviving his song Smile.
After a couple more of his classics, a standing ovation, a shake of a few fans hands and, picking up the flowers an adoring fan had given to him earlier, he strolled from the stage.
By John Hackney
Tony Bennett at the Royal Albert Hall, review
The Vegas survivor proved he still has chutzpah in spades at this Royal Albert Hall show. Rating: * * * *
By Paul Clements
Published: 10:35AM BST 05 Jul 2010
If one man can lay claim to the great American songbook, it is Tony Bennett. Truly, they don’t make them like that any more – and that applies equally to the singer, in the spotlight now for 60 years, as well as his songs.
Billed as a celebration of 20th-century standards, Bennett’s two-night residency at the Royal Albert Hall – part of a UK tour to promote his new album – is chock full of songs in the key of badda-bing that pack their punch in little more than two minutes flat.
The pace set by his four-piece band is whip-smart, which explains how the
83-year-old troubadour can arrive well after 8pm, rattle through two-dozen numbers, offer a handful of showbiz asides about Frank, Liza and – incongruously – Lady Gaga (“a wonderful singer, by the wayâ€), and still have the audience on their way before it’s quite dark outside.
Performing intimate dinner jazz in the cavernous Royal Albert Hall takes chutzpah, which of course this Vegas survivor – immaculate in dark suit and tie with a dramatic red pocket-square – has in spades. Almost every number is an old-school toe-tapper, with many given a bossa nova sheen. (“I’m just back from Rio!â€) None outstay their welcome. I Got Rhythm becomes a high-tempo, double bass-driven thing, finished off with a scat-sung portion of Jingle Bells.
The loveliest ballads, such as the Burke/Van Heusen-penned But Beautiful and Just The Way You Look Tonight, are pared down so that Bennett has only the occasional pluck of Gray Sargent’s dreamy guitar for support.
As big a joy to watch as to listen to, Bennett offers an eyebrow-salute or heel spin with every song. There are delighted whoops when he and his cutely cotton-voiced chanteuse daughter Antonia break off for a sappy tap routine midway through Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends. After a belting (I Left My Heart In) San Francisco, he glad-hands his way triumphantly along the front row.
Even more magical is when Bennett asks for his mic to be turned off so he can offer Fly Me To The Moon a capella. There’s a touch of the flamenco cantor in his urgent, squinting delivery of the vessel-busting high notes, but a point has been gloriously proved. Whattaguy.
Crowd 'boos' Amy tribute song
Published on Mon Jul 05 11:16:58 BST 2010
Amy Winehouse attracted boos from the audience when Tony Bennett dedicated a song to her at the iTunes Festival.
The 83-year-old crooner performed a string of his classic hits to an audience both young and old at Camden's Roundhouse in London on Friday evening, where Amy and her father Mitch watched from the centre of the front row of the circle.
Tony paused in the middle of serenading his audience with The Good Life and said "Ladies and Gentleman, I want to dedicate this song to Miss Amy Winehouse."
The 26-year-old Rehab singer - dressed in a little black dress and with her famous towering beehive - stood-up and applauded and wolf-whistled Tony for the rest of the song, blowing kisses and wiping away tears at the end.
But on hearing her name the reaction from the audience was a mixture of both applause and boos.
Tony, who has been singing for 60 years, received a warm reception from the festival crowd who clapped along to several of his tunes and cheered "Tony, Tony, Tony" between songs.
The iTunes festival continues all month with other headline acts including Ozzy Osbourne, N-Dubz, Faithless and Pixie Lott.
Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2010, All Rights Reserved
