Tony Bennett: Duets II

Inside track Tony Bennett made music history with his second Duets album. It debuted at the top of the Billboard Album charts when it was released, making Bennett the oldest vocal artist (he’s 85!) ever to achieve the number one spot. The album won two Grammy Awards earlier this year: Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for ‘Body and Soul’ with Amy Winehouse and Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.

Quotable lyrics
Some day, when I'm awfully low/When the world is cold/I will feel a glow just thinking of you/And the way you look tonight.

Key tracks
We’ve already mentioned our love for his rendition of ‘The Lady Is A Tramp’ with Lady Gaga but we can’t help but gush over ‘The Way You Look Tonight’ with Faith Hill (it’s Sinatra after all!)

Sound off
Covers can be tricky but Tony Bennett is a master and each collaborating artist has been carefully matched with each song to offer it justice without destroying its legacy. This is evident with each track - few people can offer just the right balance of soul and gentleness to a song like ‘Blue Velvet’ as kd lang. There are also some pleasant surprises – particularly Carrie Underwood’s version of ‘It had to be you’. Overall, it’s a great album to put on in the evening as you unwind or entertain and it’s always a pleasure to hear such diverse voices on one album.

If you like this, try Duets: An American Classic CD by Tony Bennett.