Fifty Years: The Artistry of Tony Bennett
Fifty Years - The Artistry Of Tony Bennett
When the first version of this impressive box set was originally released in 1991 (as Forty Years: The Artistry of Tony Bennett , it put the capstone upon Tony Bennett s remarkable return to prominence by looking back at a legacy that had been overshadowed by that of the colossus Sinatra The collection methodically traced his career from his first Columbia record, "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," in 1950, through the hit singles and key or capriciously selected album tracks up until 1972. Then, after borrowing three tracks from Fantasy s 1975 Tony Bennett Bill Evans project (including an exquisite "Some Other Time" with a "Peace Piece" introduction from Evans , the box leapt ahead 11 years to contemplate Bennett s unlikely resurrection as an icon of the cynical young. From there, Fifty Years departs from its predecessor by adding a fifth disc which, at 23 tracks, boosts the total from 87 to 110 tracks. Bennett s unlikely popular success during the '90s and 2000s is surveyed with a parade of Grammy winners, including selections from 1993's Perfectly Frank 1994's Steppin' Out and MTV Unplugged 1999's Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot and Cool and 2002's A Wonderful World (among others).
Bennett s early records are almost operatic in feeling, a honey-smooth Italian tenor building toward histrionic climaxes, but the voice eventually busts loose into an outgoing, life-celebrating baritone, and, by the 1980s, reemerges as a darker, softer, even somewhat raspy replica of itself. There isn't much for the jazz listener here other than an occasional session with Count Basie (dig their ebullient "Lullaby of Broadway" together), a few cameos by jazz names, the Evans tracks, or some upbeat charts by Ralph Sharon Ralph Burns and a few others. Ultimately, the most striking difference between Bennett s records and Sinatra s is the sheer, unbeatably high quality of arrangements that Sinatra was able to get. Yet despite the abundance of period MOR treacle, many of these records are more interesting than memory recalls; for example, it's difficult to resist such a naïvely joyous track as Frank DeVol s rendering of "Put on a Happy Face" that has the Mitch Miller era written all over it. There is no better Tony Bennett retrospective at any price, although jazz specialists might be better served by the Jazz compilation. ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide
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Credits »
Percy Faith - Arranger
Percy Faith - Conductor
Bing Crosby - Author
Judy Garland - Author
Frank Sinatra - Author
Barbra Streisand - Author
Ray Charles - Duet
Tony Bennett - Arranger
Tony Bennett - Producer
Tony Bennett - Liner Notes
Tony Bennett - Creation
John Bunch - Arranger
John Bunch - Conductor
Cy Coleman - Conductor
Eddie Costa - Soloist
Bill Evans - Author
Leonard Feather - Liner Notes
Dizzy Gillespie - Author
Bobby Hackett - Author
Dick Hyman - Arranger
Dick Hyman - Conductor
Buddy Rich - Author
Ralph Burns - Arranger
Ralph Burns - Conductor
Neal Hefti - Arranger
Neal Hefti - Conductor
Ralph Sharon - Arranger
Ralph Sharon - Conductor
Ralph Sharon - Producer
Ralph Sharon - Liner Notes
Ralph Sharon - Creation
Chuck Wayne - Arranger
Chuck Wayne - Conductor
Johnny Keating - Arranger
Johnny Keating - Conductor
Johnathan Schwartz - Liner Notes
Larry Wilcox - Arranger
Alec Wilder - Author
Patrick Williams - Conductor
Harold Arlen - Author
Mitch Miller - Producer
Mitch Miller - Author
Al Brown - Engineer
Peter Matz - Arranger
Peter Matz - Conductor
Frank DeVol - Arranger
Frank DeVol - Conductor
George Siravo - Arranger
George Siravo - Conductor
Willis Conover - Author
Jimmy Wisner - Producer
Ettore Stratta - Producer
Steven Berkowitz - Executive Producer
Steven Berkowitz - A&R
Al Cohn - Arranger
Ernie Altschuler - Producer
Louis Armstrong - Author
Dae Bennett - Engineer
Dae Bennett - Mixing
Danny Bennett - Producer
Danny Bennett - Executive Producer
T-Bone Burnett - Producer
Jorge Calandrelli - Arranger
Jorge Calandrelli - Conductor
Don Cody - Engineer
Don Costa - Arranger
Don Costa - Conductor
Didier C. Deutsch - Compilation Producer
Duke Ellington - Author
Gil Evans - Author
Marian Evans - Arranger
Marian Evans - Conductor
Robert Farnon - Arranger
Robert Farnon - Conductor
Andre Fischer - Producer
Will Friedwald - Liner Notes
Ray Gerhardt - Engineer
Wally Gold - Producer
Keith Grant - Engineer
John Harris - Engineer
Wally Heider - Engineer
Nat Hentoff - Author
David Kahne - Producer
Helen Keane - Producer
Matthew Kelly - Tape Research
Larry Keyes - Engineer
B.B. King - Duet
Frank Laico - Engineer
Frank Laico - Author
K.D. Lang - Duet
Jack Lattig - Engineer
David Leonard - Engineer
Jesse Levy - Conductor
Teo Macero - Producer
Johnny Mandel - Arranger
Johnny Mandel - Conductor
Marty Manning - Arranger
Marty Manning - Conductor
David Merrill - Engineer
Cliff Morris - Engineer
Joel Moss - Engineer
Paul Mufson - Engineer
Glenn Osser - Arranger
Glenn Osser - Conductor
Fred Plaut - Engineer
Phil Ramone - Producer
John Richards - Engineer
Ben Rizzi - Engineer
Pete Romano - Engineer
David Rose - Arranger
David Rose - Conductor
Al Schmitt - Engineer
Zoot Sims - Soloist
Joel Smirnoff - Soloist
Allen Stanton - Producer
Mark Wilder - Mastering
Mark Wilder - Mixing
Mark Wilder - Compilation Producer
Torrie Zito - Arranger
Torrie Zito - Conductor
Diana Krall - Duet
Mitch Maketansky - Engineer
Stan Weiss - Engineer
Anthony DeCurtis - Liner Notes
Robert Waller - Engineer
Ted Brosman - Engineer
Ken Robertson - Audio Restoration
Al Ham - Producer
Don Hunstein - Photography
Mark Burdett - Art Direction
Josef Astor - Photography
Josh Cheuse - Art Direction
Fred Lombardi - Photography
Harold Chapman - Engineer
Hank Parker - Photography
Harrison Funk - Photography
Sandy Speiser - Photography
Annie Leibovitz - Photography
Louis Bellock - Engineer
Omar Carrasquilla - Tape Research
Ken Fredette - Package Design
Gregory Heisler - Photography
David Hockney - Photography
Tony Janack - Engineer
Everett Raymound Kinstler - Portrait Photography
Mike Kull - Tape Research
Seymour Mednick - Photography
Seymour Mednick - Cover Photo
Tony Ramburello - Music Coordinator
Tony Ramburello - Musical Supervision
Joe Vallelonga - Engineer
Woody Woodruff - Engineer
Howard Roberts - Producer
W. Eugene Smith - Photography
Patti Matheny - A&R
Michael Jacobs - Photography
Harold Nicholson - Engineer
Thomas Monaster - Photography
Darren Salmieri - A&R
Woody Pornpitaksuk - Mastering
Elizabeth Reilly - Photo Research
Lisa Buckler - Project Director
Drew Carolan - Photography
Chris Holcombe - Audio Engineer
Josephine Manigaracina - Photo Research
Michael Romanos - Photography
Hank Seliger - Photography
Mario Thrombone - Photography
Maria Triana - Mastering
Ray Charles White - Photography
Charles Moore - Photography
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