Tony Bennett Gets Re-Boxed, Prepares New CD

Columbia/Legacy just released Fifty Years: The Artistry Of Tony Bennett, a five-disc look at the long career of the smilin’ singer who left his heart in San Francisco. The set is an expanded version of Forty Years: The Artistry of Tony Bennett, released in 1991. Bennett will also have a new studio recording in stores November 9.

The new box set includes highlights from Bennett’s work of the last 13 years, adding 23 new songs and a liner note essay by Anthony DeCurtis that sits alongside those written for the Forty Years set by Ralph Sharon, Leonard Feather and Will Friedwald.

The original set’s booklet also included Bennett’s own words in a section called “Relfections,” where the singer made comments on the songs included in the collection, and he has done the same for the songs added to the set for Fifty Years

The collection was produced by Didier Deutsch, who worked with Bennett to pick definitive versions of each song on both the old and new box. Fifty Years sees the addition of one old song, a 1970 version of Hank Williams’ “Cold, Cold Heart,” and 22 songs from nine new Columbia albums Bennett recorded between 1992 and 2002. (A full track list is available below)

Bennett’s forthcoming studio effort, The Art of Romance, was produced by Phil Ramone and includes new versions of Harold Arlen’s “Don’t Like Goodbyes” and Stephen Sondheim’s “Being Alive.” The album, to be released by RPM/Columbia on Nov. 9, features Bennett’s current touring quartet comprised of pianist Lee Musiker, bassist Paul Langosch, drummer Clayton Cameron and guitarist Gray Sargent, plus a 60-piece orchestra. Saxophonist Phil Woods and conga player Candido Camero make special guest appearances on the album. Johnny Mandel and Jorge Calandrelli are responsible for the album’s arrangements.

The Art of Romance track list:

1 Close Enough For Love

2 All In Fun

3 Where Do You Start

4 Little Did I Dream

5 I Remember You

6 Time To Smile

7 All For You

8 The Best Man

9 Don’t Like Goodbyes

10 Being Alive

11 Gone With The Wind

For more information on Bennett, visit www.tonybennett.net.

Fifty Years: The Artistry Of Tony Bennett track list:

Disc 1

1 The Boulevard Of Broken Dreams

2 Because Of You

3 Cold, Cold Heart

4 Blue Velvet

5 Rags To Riches

6 Stranger In Paradise

7 While The Music Plays On

8 May I Never Love Again

9 Sing You Sinners

10 Just In Time

11 Lazy Afternoon

12 Ca, C’Est L’Amour

13 I Get A Kick Out Of You

14 It Amazes Me

15 Penthouse Serenade (When We’re Alone)

16 Lost In The Stars

17 Lullaby Of Broadway

18 Firefly

19 A Sleepin’ Bee

20 The Man That Got Away

21 Skylark

22 September Song

23 Till

Disc 2

1 Begin The Beguine

2 Put On A Happy Face

3 The Best Is Yet To Come

4 This Time The Dream’s On Me

5 Close Your Eyes

6 Toot, Toot, Tootsie! (Good-Bye)

7 Dancing In The Dark

8 Stella By Starlight

9 Tender Is The Night

10 Once Upon A Time

11 I Left My Heart In San Francisco

12 Until I Met You

13 If I Love Again

14 I Wanna Be Around

15 The Good Life

16 It Was Me

17 Spring In Manhattan

18 The Moment Of Truth

19 This Is All I Ask

20 A Taste Of Honey

21 When Joanna Loved Me

22 I’ll Be Around

Disc 3

1 Nobody Else But Me

2 It Had To Be You

3 I’ve Got Just About Everything

4 Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)

5 Waltz For Debby

6 I Walk A Little Faster

7 Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams (And Dream Your Troubles Away)

8 If I Ruled The World

9 Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words)

10 Love Scene

11 Sweet Lorraine

12 The Shadow Of Your Smile

13 I’ll Only Miss Her When I Think Of Her

14 Baby, Dream Your Dream

15 Smile

16 Song From “The Oscar” (Maybe September)

17 Emily

18 The Very Thought Of You

19 A Time For Love

20 Country Girl

21 Days Of Love

Disc 4

1 Keep Smiling At Trouble (Trouble’s A Bubble)

2 For Once In My Life

3 Who Cares (So Long As You Care For Me)

4 Hi-Ho

5 Baby Don’t You Quit Now

6 Something

7 Cold, Cold Heart

8 I Do Not Know A Day I Did Not Love You

9 Old Devil Moon

10 Remind Me

11 Maybe This Time

12 Some Other Time

13 My Foolish Heart

14 But Beautiful

15 How Do You Keep The Music Playing

16 What Are You Afraid Of

17 Why Do People Fall In Love?/People

18 I Got Lost In Her Arms

19 When I Lost You

20 Shakin’ The Blues Away

21 Antonia

22 When Do The Bells Ring For Me

Disc 5

1 East Of The Sun (West Of The Moon)

2 New York, New York

3 Steppin’ Out With My Baby

4 They All Laughed

5 They Can’t Take That Away From Me

6 Speak Low

7 Solitude

8 I Wished On The Moon

9 When A Woman Loves A Man

10 That Ole Devil Called Love

11 The Way You Look Tonight

12 AC-Cen-T-Chu-Ate The Positive

13 Bein’ Green

14 Mood Indigo

15 Day Dream

16 Azure

17 Sophisticated Lady

18 Alright, Okay, You Win

19 Let The Good Times Roll

20 Evenin’

21 La Vie En Rose

22 What A Wonderful World

Originally Published October 18, 2004