Forget the media blitz, the MTV/ET hoopla, the slavishly belated critical affirmation and remember what my Pops always told me: Tony Bennett is one of the world’s best singers simply because he just is. Before ’90s breakthrough Astoria: Portrait of the Artist, Bennett’s greatness was too often overlooked. Thanks to a series of inspired tribute jammies (Ella, Judy, Sinatra, Astaire) and a coupla Grammys, Tony ain’t ‘underground’ no mo’. His latest release, Tony Bennett on Holiday, is perhaps his deepest yet. Dedicated to his greatest muse, Billie Holiday, this is a sweet, varied collection of songs (hits and the proverbial ‘B’-sides) associated with the original jazz diva. From the world-weary sass of “Crazy She Calls Me” to the jaunty tap dance of “All Of Me” to his poignant duet with Lady Day herself on “God Bless The Child,” Bennett and his longtime accompanist Ralph Sharon make the heavens open wide.
Tony Bennett: Tony Bennett On Holiday
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