Remembering Tony Bennett

2023 thus far is a year in which the world is losing greats from the world of music right and left. The latest is Tony Bennett, arguably the last of the crooners (represented by Bing, Frank, Dino, Nat, Mel Tormé, Dick Haymes, etc.).



Tony, one of the greats of 20th century music, passed in NYC at 96 earlier today. Here's Tony and Bill Evans on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.





Since Tony waxed a gazillion recordings over his eight decades in music, can't post all of them. The 1962 Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall album is a good place to start. Tops with this music fan would be the two albums Tony waxed with pianist Bill Evans.



There is a connection between the two of them rarely equalled in popular music.



While Frank Sinatra concerts feature a duo on "One For My Baby and One For The Road" with pianist Bill Miller, and undoubtedly Tony Bennett performances, between swinging uptempo numbers, delivered incredible duos with his pianist/music director Ralph Sharon, on recordings, these Tony Bennett- Bill Evans albums can't be topped.

Tony told his life story, assisted by author and 20th century music expert Will Friedwald, in the excellent The Good Life: The Autobiography of Tony Bennett. Along with many of Tony's records, it gets our highest recommendation.

In closing, Mr. Bennett, of course, has also been intertwined with the city of my birth, San Francisco.



After a San Francisco Giants victory at Oracle Park, a serenade of "I Left My Heart In San Francisco" - usually from the p.a. system, but sometimes from Tony in person - inevitably would be heard, and always sounded beautiful.



Thanks for the music and memories, Tony!

On August 16th, The Maestro's Birthday - This Blog Remembers Bill Evans

"Just think truth and beauty." Bill Evans


Watching film noir gems has led this scribe to gems of jazz yet again - and, as fate would have it, jazz pianist and composer Bill Evans was born on this day in 1929.



As fellow pianists and geniuses Bud Powell and Art Tatum did, Bill Evans featured an original blend of protean elements from classical music and improvisational jazz. A cornerstone among many in the 20th century modern compositions of jazz giants and music innovators Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus and Cecil Taylor, this quality is especially notable with Bill's first trio, which featured bassist Scott LaFaro and percussionist Paul Motian.



Bill periodically worked with vocalists and his albums with Monica Zetterlund and Tony Bennett remain among the most memorable.











Bill usually recorded and performed with his trio, but also periodically expanded his group to quartets and quintets. Here's Bill with alto saxophonist Lee Konitz.



The concert Bill did with Stan Getz at the Montreux Jazz Festival is amazing as well.



Bill led several trios between the 1950s and his passing in 1980, each one of them musically different from the other. All feature an interplay between the upright bass and the piano which is frequently on a telepathic level.











In addition to Sir Duke, Bill Evans is right up there with those jazz composer-pianists (the aforementioned Art Tatum and Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, Lennie Tristano, Elmo Hope, Herbie Nichols, Andrew Hill) who can send this music aficionado over the moon and back.



Something indescribable about Evans' harmonies and melodies resonates with this listener on a deep and profound level. No matter how many times I hear "Waltz For Debby" and "Emily," the songs tear me up in their own sweet way.



Bill plays on the best selling and arguably the best known jazz record ever waxed, Kind Of Blue by Miles Davis and changed the Davis group's style and approach by his presence.



Almost 40 years after his death, the response to Bill Evans' name around the world remains LOVE - as it does when I listen to his appearance on the following exceptional episode of Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz.



In this particularly wonderful Piano Jazz show, the dynamic duo of pianists talk music and, when playing duets, express the "truth and beauty" Bill spoke of to Tony Bennett.

Photo: David Redfern/Redferns