He devoted many moments of his career to duets. Tony Bennettwho died today, July 21, at the age of 96. Comparison with colleagues and friends has always been one of his features, long before the display trend that many today abuse. Among the many, I chose five with little effort, all women. Emotional and, in my opinion, the identification five of a great, huge, unique artist.
Lady is a tramp with Lady Gaga
When you talk about the feeling of being challenged. This song, born in 1937 for the musical Children in hands it has been performed by, among others, Tommy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Shirley Bassey, Alice Cooper, the Diana Ross Supremes, Madonna and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Tony Bennett AND Lady Gaga they recorded it in 2011 for ambum Duets II. They also created a video for “Grandmother Tramp” where a couple of artists are filmed in an engraving workshop in a hilarious atmosphere that can be felt from the pictures.
BODY AND SOUL with AMY WINEHOUSE
There is a special melancholy here. The song was released less than two months after Winehouse’s death and on her birthday, September 14, 2011. The song is signed by the composer. Johnny Green and by Bennett himself, who immediately confessed to a special passion for the song, as it reminded him of his youth in New York, when he wandered through the many jazz clubs on 52nd Street to listen to artists of the caliber of Erroll Garner , Stan Getz and Billy. Holiday. It was engraved in Abbey Road Studios.
HOW YOU KEEP PLAYING MUSIC with ARETHA FRANKLIN
The song was written by Michel Legrand with lyrics written by Alan and Marilyn Bergman. He was born in 1982 for the film Best friends and has a special history, since the original idea was a duet Patti Austin AND James Ingram, which nevertheless became a hit in 1983. In the same year, it was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Song category. It has become a popular standard over the years, and many recordings have been recorded on it, including one by Frank Sinatra. Moreover, it seems that it was “The Voice” that instigated Bennett to create his own version. Which he wanted to share with Aretha Franklin.
SPEAK LITTLE with NORA JONES
To get to the origins of this masterpiece, you will have to go back to the years of the Second World War: we are in 1943, and the signatures belong to Kurt Weill AND Ogden Nash and in this case, the starting point is the musical, One Touch of Venus. The song has also been covered by Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Lena Horne. The interweaving of old and new finds its harmony in a song full of nuances that is not easy to sing both technically and interpretatively. There is also a video showing what happened in the studio during the recording. It is through images that we notice the complexity of the arrangement, where very slow music accompanies the melancholy development of the text.
WHEN THE BELLS RING FOR ME With MARIAH CAREY
A perfect marriage, the placement of sonic planets flows into this light and romantic ballad, which is perfectly combined with the vocal abilities of the Bennett-Carey couple. The latter takes on an almost musical tone (here comes the concept), and in fact, if you close your eyes, you can imagine yourself in a Broadway theater. Finally, a link to Ernest Hemingway and why along with Old AND sea AND fiesta considered one of his most beautiful novels. For whom the Bell Tolls. Moreover, the phrase reminiscent of the name of this duet is a quote from John Donne. That no man is an island lord Tony Bennett he taught us through music and his extraordinary duets.
