Bennett, who died in 2023, was identified for a string of hits, together with “I Left My Coronary heart in San Francisco.” Kevin Whitehead provides an appreciation and remembers a few of Bennett’s lesser-known songs.
Transcript
DAVID BIANCULLI, HOST:
That is FRESH AIR. Monday marks the centennial of the delivery of singer Anthony Benedetto . Early patron Bob Hope advised he anglicize his stage title to Tony Bennett. A lifelong New Yorker, Bennett had an extended sequence of hits beginning within the Fifties. In 1965, Bennett marched on Selma with Martin Luther King Jr. Later, he grew to become a profitable painter of portraits, landscapes and cityscapes. He then had a spectacular late-career comeback, recording scores of vocal duets. Tony Bennett’s hits embrace “Rags To Riches,” “I Wanna Be Round” and “I Left My Coronary heart In San Francisco.” Jazz historian Kevin Whitehead provides an appreciation, which incorporates a few of Bennett’s lesser-known songs.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “OUT OF THIS WORLD”)
TONY BENNETT: (Singing) You are filter of this world. After I’m you, I hear out of this world. The music that no mortal ever knew.
KEVIN WHITEHEAD, BYLINE: Tony Bennett, 1964, with saxophonist Stan Getz, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Elvin Jones – quick firm. The tune is “Out Of This World” by one in every of Bennett’s favourite composers, Harold Arlen. Tony Bennett did not name himself a jazz singer, however the affect was exhausting to overlook in his swinging paraphrases of a tune. He had one of many nice pop singer voices – hovering, assured, huge as a billboard. He appreciated an enormous end. Even his vulnerability sounded confident, however good style and timing would save him. Nonetheless, on early singles, he would possibly battle top-heavy orchestrations and gimmicky results, just like the tango beat plus castanets that paint a Latin setting on “Boulevard Of Damaged Desires.”
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “THE BOULEVARD OF BROKEN DREAMS”)
BENNETT: (Singing) Right here is the place you may at all times discover me, at all times strolling up and down. However I left my soul behind me in an outdated cathedral city. The enjoyment that you simply discover right here, you borrow. You can not maintain it lengthy it appears. However Gigolo and Gigolette nonetheless sing a tune and dance alongside the boulevard of damaged desires.
WHITEHEAD: When Tony Bennett was getting began within the late Nineteen Forties, early booster Pearl Bailey warned him studying correct stagecraft takes 10 years. He acquired there about on schedule. Bennett’s favourite jazz composer was Duke Ellington, however his favourite band chief was Rely Basie, whose orchestra he recorded with in 1958. Basie’s fireworks in that interval match a singer who appreciated to go huge.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “TAKING A CHANCE ON LOVE”)
BENNETT: (Singing) Issues are mending now. I see a rainbow mixing now. We’ll have a contented ending now. We’re taking an opportunity. I hear the trumpets blow once more. And we’re taking an opportunity. About to take that journey once more. Taking an opportunity.
WHITEHEAD: Within the early ’60s, Tony Bennett had his signature hit “I Left My Coronary heart In San Francisco” and made some good jazzy data. However as rock music took over, he got here to face for a fading breed, man in a tux with a loosened tie singing Cole Porter in a Vegas lounge. Bennett ignored recommendation to modernize and saved on going. Within the ’70s, he downsized, had his personal small label and recorded a few of his most intimate classes in duo with pianist Invoice Evans, and with a quartet run by Ruby Braff on cornet and George Barnes on guitar. On ballads, the singer saved his energy in reserve.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “ISN’T IT ROMANTIC”)
BENNETT: (Singing) Is not it romantic, merely to be younger on such an evening as this? Is not it romantic? Each be aware that is sung is sort of a lover’s kiss. Candy symbols within the moonlight. Do you imply that I’ll fall in love perchance? Is not it romance?
WHITEHEAD: In 1980, Tony Bennett’s profession was in a stoop. Issues started turning round when his son Danny grew to become his supervisor, introducing him to youthful listeners through MTV and late-night tv reveals. The CD reissue increase helped. People heard Tony’s outdated sides with contemporary ears or for the primary time. And he made a number of data together with his working trio, the place we might hear how expertly his longtime pianist Ralph Sharon shepherds him alongside.
BENNETT: (Singing) I took a visit on a practice, and I considered you. I handed a shadowy lane, and I considered you. Two or three automobiles parked below the celebrities, a windin’ stream. Moon shining down on some little city, and with every beam, the identical outdated dream.
WHITEHEAD: In his final section, Tony Bennett famously recorded many, many duets with numerous singers – B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt, Barbra Streisand, Bono, Billy Joel, Michael Buble. That is simply among the B’s. The sequence acquired rolling within the ’90s when he paired up with okay.d. lang, an excellent match. Right here they’re in 2001.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “KEEP THE FAITH, BABY”)
BENNETT: (Singing) I will go on.
Okay D LANG: (Singing) I will go on.
BENNETT: (Singing) I will go on.
LANG: (Singing) Go on.
BENNETT: (Singing) I will go on and…
TONY BENNETT AND Okay D LANG: (Singing) Do my greatest.
LANG: (Singing) I will go on. I will go on. I will go on and by no means relaxation.
BENNETT: (Singing) Hold the religion. Hold the religion.
LANG: I’ll.
BENNETT: (Singing) Hold the religion, (laughter) child. Oh, sure.
WHITEHEAD: That pretend little chortle – he used that quite a bit. Tony Bennett’s late duets forged a large internet. Some are fairly good. Others, not a lot. The rock ’em, sock ’em swingers with Woman Gaga lean exhausting on the outdated Vegas glitz, as if to vindicate the Sixties Tony the hippies ignored. No less than all the eye the duets introduced him let Bennett see that in the long term, everyone beloved him simply as he was. Tony Bennett sang so long as he was in a position, final performing in 2021, on turning 95. He died lower than two years later. He had a voice you may acknowledge wherever. A singer cannot do significantly better than that.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “DANCING IN THE DARK”)
BENNETT: (Singing) Dancing in the dead of night until the tune ends. We’re dancing in the dead of night, and it quickly ends. We’re waltzing within the marvel of why we’re right here.
BIANCULLI: Jazz historian Kevin Whitehead is the creator of the books “Why Jazz?,” “Play the Method You Really feel: The Important Information To Jazz Tales On Movie” and “New Dutch Swing.” Singer Tony Bennett died in 2023 on the age of 96. Monday is the hundredth anniversary of Bennett’s delivery. Developing, Justin Chang opinions “I Need Your Intercourse, ” the brand new comedy movie from Olivia Wilde. That is FRESH AIR.
Copyright © 2026 NPR. All rights reserved. Go to our web site phrases of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for additional info.
Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts might fluctuate. Transcript textual content could also be revised to appropriate errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org could also be edited after its unique broadcast or publication. The authoritative document of NPR’s programming is the audio document.
