TONY BENNETT - Five Classic Albums (2 CDs)

AVID Jazz continues with its Five Classic album series with a re-mastered 2CD release by Tony Bennett complete with original artwork and liner notes.
”Cloud 7"; “The Beat Of My Heart”; “Hometown, My Town”, “Count Basie Swings, Tony Bennet Sings” and “In Person”
Sadly it’s not often we get to feature a musician who is still alive and performing and recording today and who actually fought in the second world war “a front row seat in hell” as he would later describe it. Born in 1926, Anthony Benedetto, would later become Tony Bennett, courtesy of a name change instigated by Bob Hope while Bennett was touring with him following a performance by Bennett that Bob had witnessed with Pearl Bailey who “discovered” him in 1949 and asked him to open for her in Greenwich Village. By age 10, Tony was already performing in public and he would go on to become somewhat of a pop star of his generation alongside another crooner of the era Frank Sinatra. We are focusing on the later years of the 1950s when Tony Bennett who had been signed as a pop singer to Columbia Records in 1950 by legendary producer and A&R man Mitch Miller, decided to make a musical adjustment towards a more jazz influenced style. In 1954, guitarist Chuck Wayne became his musical director which led to his first jazz album Cloud 7 being released in 1955 and pointed to the musical direction he would take for the next few years. By 1957 he had parted company with Mr. Wayne and pianist, composer and musical director Ralph Sharon had begun a very successful partnership with Tony Bennett. Sharon would encourage him even further in a jazzier direction and this would result in our featured albums Beat Of My Heart and the two collaborations with Count Basie Swings-Sings and In Person on which he would he would become the first male pop singer to sing with the Basie band. Taking a look at some of the fine musicians who appear on our albums will tell you what high regard Tony Bennett was held in the jazz community. Count Basie (of course), Kai Winding, Nat Adderley, Al Cohn, Jim Pisano, Bobby Jaspar, Art Blakey, Herbie Mann, Jo Jones, Al Cohn, Urbie Green, Freddie Green, Joe Newman, Candido, Milt Hinton, Thad Jones and Marshall Royal.
Check out:- Count Basie (AMSC946 & 1160); Big Joe Turner (AMSC1142); Ray Charles (AMSC1233 & 1276); Nat King Cole (AMSC1303); Billy Eckstine (AMSC1131); Jon Hendricks (AMSC1342); Lambert Hendricks & Ross (AMSC1320); Mel Torme (AMSC1317); Joe Williams (AMSC1389); Frank Sinatra (AMSC936); Anita O’Day (AMSC963, 1126, 1129 & 1136); Annie Ross (AMSC1015); Jimmy Rushing (AMSC1057);

CD1
1-10: ‘Cloud 7’
1. I Fall In Love Too Easily
2. My Baby Just Cares For Me
3. My Heart Tells Me (Should I Believe My Heart?)
4.Old Devil Moon
5. Love Letters
6. My Reverie
7. Give Me The Simple Life
8. While The Music Plays On
9. I Can’t Believe That You’re In Love With Me
10. Darn That Dream
11-22: ‘The Beat Of My Heart’
11. Let’s Begin
12. Lullaby Of Broadway
13. Let There Be Love
14. Love For Sale
15. Army Air Corps Song
16. Crazy Rhythm
17. The Beat Of My Heart
18. So Beats My Heart For You
19. Blues In The Night
20. Lazy Afternoon
21. Let’s Face The Music And Dance
22. Just One Of Those Things
23-25: ‘Hometown, My Town’
23.Skyscraper Blues
24. Penthouse Serenade (When We’re Alone)
25. All By Myself

CD2
1-3: ‘Hometown, My Town’
1. I Cover The Waterfront
2. Love Is Here To Stay
3. The Party’s Over
4-14: ‘Count Basie Swings, Tony Bennett Sings’
4. Life Is A Song
5. With Plenty Of Money And You
6. Jeepers Creepers
7. Are You Havin’ Any Fun
8. Anything Goes
9. Strike Up The Band
10. Chicago
11. I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face
12. Poor Little Rich Girl
13. Growing Pains
14. I Guess I’ll Have To Change My Plans
15-26: ‘In Person’
15. Just In Time
16. When I Fall In Love
17. Taking A Chance On Love
18. Without A Song
19. Fascinatin’ Rhythm
20. Solitude
21. Pennies From Heaven
22. Lost In The Stars
23. Firefly
24. There Will Never Be Another You
25. Lullaby Of Broadway
26. Ol’ Man River