The Complete Tony Bennett / Bill Evans Recordings [Original recording remastered]

Bill Evans, Tony Bennett | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 14, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Fantasy Records
• ASIN: B001UE27X8
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,782 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #71 in Music > Broadway & Vocalists > Vocal Jazz
  • #73 in Music > Jazz > Vocal Jazz > General AAS
  • #84 in Music > Pop > Easy Listening > General

Editorial Reviews

Bennett and Evans emerged with two of the best albums of both their careers when they made The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album and Together Again in the mid-'70s. This set greatly expands these beautiful creations with bonus songs and alternate takes from the sessions 41 tracks!

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb Duets April 23, 2009

By Kevin J. Roberts VINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

This issue combines all of the alternate takes that were previously available on three separate issues, and adds just one new alternate take that was not on those issues (the last track on Disc 2 - Who Can I Turn To). The first 5 alternates on Disc 2 were available on the 2006 reissue of the Tony Bennett-Bill Evans Album (which did not get much distribution), all the rest (except the last track) were spread across the 1999 Rhino reissue of Together Again and the 2003 Concord Reissue of Together Again. This may seem frustrating to have yet another reissue, but it pulls everything together in a more logical arrangement, at a bargain price and remastered as well. Given the presence of one of the greatest pianists ever to touch the ivories, and Tony Bennett in his "later period" peak, this is a must, even if you have the earlier issues. If you are a Bill Evans completist, there is that last track too. Nearly every singer is jealous of Tony Bennett having the legendary Bill Evans as an accompanist.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "Beauty is truth; truth is beauty." February 13, 2011

By Samuel Chell HALL OF FAMETOP 100 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

The quotation is coincidentally Keats ("Ode on a Grecian Urn"); literally, or factually, they're the last words Bill Evans ever spoke to Tony Bennett (as reported by Evans' biographer and repeated in the program notes by writer Will Friedwald). Having recently worked like a mono-obsessive madman to accompany a vocalist (with Pavarotti chops) accustomed to big band vocal tracks, I decided to order the latest complete version of the two sessions laid down by Bennett and Evans--what did these two giants do to pull off a deceptively hazardous--seemingly impossible--endeavor, with such undeniably stunning success? When one of the alternate tracks is listed as "Take 18," that in itself speaks volumes. These two extraordinarily gifted musicians worked hard and long (obsessively so, it would appear) to achieve a result that practically belies the fact that the expressive source is two musicians, not one: their musical relationship is as tight, unified, of an organic whole as humanly possible. Bill eschews walking bass lines while strictly limiting even his use of explicit two-beat sections to make up for the absence of bass and drums. The latter are present, but in a "virtual" sense that can exist only in the empathetic imaginations, or psychic relationship, of two distinctive voices who, for these extraordinary moments, are of one mind.

The time is there, but it bends to fit words, mood and the moment, taking on a life of its own, serving as an invisible muse whose presence animates the proceedings. Perhaps it's safe to say that this is the most "mystic" of albums by a jazz vocalist.... Sinatra's mastery of the big-scale album is counterbalanced by Tony Bennett's claim that nothing was more satisfying to him than his duet recordings with Bill Evans and small group recordings with Ralph Sharon. After listening to the evidence, and after reading the especially inspired, detailed and instructive "program" notes by Will Friedwald, I feel all the wiser, despite my possession (in LP and CD formats) of the previous editions. If you don't have this session, by all means this is the one to own. If you have the session in an earlier format, give this one serious consideration nonetheless. It has not only doubled my appreciation of the two performers but offered fresh insights into the mysterious process of communication that can occur only when two brilliant musicians agree on a single priority above all others: the music.

Tony's two sessions with Bill Evans arguably represent the apex of his career and justifiably bring higher prices as used copies than any number of his big production albums (like the "Duets"), the relaxed sessions with his trio (led by pianist Ralph Sharon), or the many "Best of," "Ultimate," or "Essential" anthologies. There are close observers of the Great American Songbook and its primary caretakers who feel that the most inspired, exemplary and significant expressions of this indigenous art form are to be found in the "concept albums" of Frank Sinatra and Nelson Riddle. Each is thematically and musically organized, resulting in stunning, unified, organic "tone poems," or "suites." To name just three striking examples, there are the swing-themed occasions, like "Songs for Swinging Lovers" (Capitol); the introspective, often gut-wrenching, unflinching and elegiac torch albums (Sinatra called them "wrist-slashers" or "suicide songs") like "Only the Lonely" (Capitol); and finally the Broadway, Rodgers and Hammerstein-inspired, semi-operatic (and dramatic) blockbusters, like "The Concert Sinatra" (Reprise).

I would argue that Tony Bennett's meetings with Bill Evans comprise his equivalent of Sinatra's transformation of a poorly understood popular form into art of the highest order. Now that the smoke has cleared concerning the last 50 years of jazz history, it becomes ever clearer that the music's direction and language have been shaped, above all, by two seminal geniuses: pianist Bill Evans and tenor saxophonist John Coltrane (for the first 50 years, three musicians must be viewed as having a similar, possibly greater influence: Louis Armstrong (perhaps Tony's primary influence), Charlie Parker, and Duke Ellington (in whom Tony finds a "spirituality" that many younger listeners identify with Coltrane). And none of the foregoing is meant to take anything away from the undeniable influence of Miles Davis--less as a soloist (though he was much better than many listeners realize) than as a facilitator, standing at the vanguard of every important movement from bebop to fusion and hip-hop.

The point is that just as it's become a no-brainer to identify the greatest recording ever made by vocalist Johnny Hartman because of the presence of John Coltrane ("John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman" continues to win new admirers with each passing year), the presence of Bill Evans lessens the greater difficulty of selecting a comparable outstanding moment in Bennett's far more numerous discography.

It used to annoy me that many listeners familiar with the first of the two giants' meetings were clueless about the second, which may be even slightly stronger in its programmatic and musical elements than the first. Now that oversight has been corrected, and it's about time that after all of these years, conflicts between two different labels do not deprive the discerning listening public from discovering the glowing, singular, inexhaustible life and beauty of both sessions.

If you have the two individual sessions, it may be a tough decision--the "Complete" version has numerous alternate takes that will not necessarily fit the needs or priorities of many listeners (I know quite a few musicians who have come to resent alternate takes and bonus tracks). But just as I found it necessary to order "The Complete Bill Evans Vanguard Sessions" (from 1961, with Scott LaFaro), despite possessing the two LPs and two CDs of the same Sunday afternoon date, I'd recommend the same consideration for this latest complete package of a rare moment, or landmark (make it two), in America music. On the other hand, if you have both Evans/Bennett sessions in their original format and have yet to experience Bill Evans' "The Last Waltz" and "Consecration," the priority has to be given the latter two performances. Be prepared to become absorbed--deeply and lengthily. There's nothing-- on record or in American music--comparable to either box set. (Think Mozart's death-bed "Requiem"--heavy, deep, urgent, equally sublime and tragic, yet affirmative of the creative, unstoppable human spirit--all centered on a dying, depleted human specimen with nothing more than ineffable melodies to sustain him. But the music had to be played--and miraculously it was--if by the narrowest of margins. Putting Tony Bennett (or any vocalist) in the presence of such a musician may be the equivalent of singing with a scintillating Riddle or Mandel orchestration and ensemble--or better. (Sadly, we can only imagine what a Sinatra-Evans meeting might have produced.) Read more ›

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic in every sense of the word! June 8, 2009

By Joseph Zeccola

Format:Audio CD

If you ever wished you could hear Tony Bennett in a small bar with just a piano accompanying him, this set is your wish granted, on steroids. It's Tony at the absolute height of his vocal power, accompanied by Bill Evans, maybe the most lyrical jazz piano player in history. Neither Bennett nor Evans owns the spotlight on these tracks, each shares it willingly. Alternately touching, heartbreaking, wistful, and just simply lovely, this is the one Tony Bennett CD you should own if you own no other. He and Evans genuinely admired and respected one another and it shows throughout their two full albums, collected here with many alternate takes. Bennett considers these simple, intimate sessions among his two or three great works, and I cannot agree more.

Run, don't walk to buy/download The Complete Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Recordings. It is a Magnum Opus from two artists, who had already achieved greatness on their own, collaborating in the truest sense of the word to create, as Evans would say, "truth and beauty, that's all."

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great! May 23, 2012

By Peter Bradley

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Tony Bennett at his best with one of the best jazz pianists of the day - The performances are truly excellent, the songs timeless, and the recording quality very good. This recording proves that it doesn't take a glitzy "star", 40 musicians, and 100+ hangers-on, which seems to be the mode for current pop, to make music. Here we have two artists who know exactly what they are doing and the result is wonderful music.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "Just A Passing Breeze. . .Filled With Memories" February 29, 2012

By Rebecca*rhapsodyinblue* VINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

"The lonely night discloses
Just a passing breeze
Filled with memories
Of the golden smile that introduced me to
The days of wine and roses and you" ~ Johnny Mercer/Henry Mancini ~

Will Friedwald, author of the essay on this two-CD-set compilation of the complete recordings of Tony Bennett and Bill Evans, ended his Liner Notes with a verse from a poem written by Ernest Dawson whom he noted as the British poet who inspired Johnny Mercer to write one of the most charming tracks from this set, "The Days of Wine And Roses." And I quote:

"They are not long
The days of wine and roses
Out of a misty dream
Our path emerges for a while
Then closes with a dream" ~ Edward Dawson ~

He likened it to Tony Bennett's musical relationship with Bill Evans. As much as the legendary singer would love to record more albums with one of the greatest jazz pianists that he had collaborated with, it was not meant to be due to Bill Evans' premature death. Theirs was a short-lived musical partnership but it yielded some of the best recordings in the history of jazz.

Will Friedwald further added that "the Bennett-Evans collaborations are an entirely different kettle of fish. Instead of the singer being accompanied by the pianist, with one in the spotlight and the other compromising a cast of one, both participants are equal partners." That is so true. The complete recordings reveal the two artists in their own respective crafts complementing each other and not overshadowing one another. On these sessions, they were of equal billing and both gave their very best to create some of the jazz masterpieces of all-time....

The great thing about this 2009 compilation from Concord Records is that it includes not only the two albums they recorded together, Tony Bennett & Bill Evans Album (1975) and Together Again (1976) but also a set of 20 (yes, twenty) alternate takes that were never published before and are absolute novelties to your ears. It was a surprise to learn that they did go as far as "alternate take 18" on one of the sessions. They were obviously aiming for utter perfection. But it was wonderful listening to all the alternate takes which are unheard of until this set of compilation CDs. As far as sonic is concerned, it is of high quality. All transfers were engineered by George Horn and Seth Presant from analog master tapes to digital at 24-bit resolution.

According to Mr. Bennett, recording with Bill Evans was the most prestigious thing he ever did. To him, Bill Evans was a great guy, and they got along good. Bill Evans returned the compliment by declaring his own praises to the musicality and artistry of the living legend: "Tony Bennett is a jazz singer. And that's because a jazz singer has the ability to give a rather spontaneous performance that's flexible, with phrasing, and a sensitivity to beat, time, and nuance. Tony has all that in abundance. The greatest jazz players I know love Tony because he represents the best in musicality."

Tony Bennett's style of singing is as classy, well-expressed and elegant as Bill Evans' flair in piano playing. These recordings are works of art most especially my very own favorites starting with "Waltz For Debby," which the pianist composed for his niece when she was three years of age, and the lyrics were penned by Gene Lees. Another highlight is "My Foolish Heart" rendered with its introductory verse. Equally memorable are the duo's interpretations of "We'll Be Together Again," "You Don't Know What Love Is," "But Beautiful" and "You Must Believe In Spring." Will Friedwald believes that the two most definitive renditions of the last-mentioned song were recorded by Tony Bennett/Bill Evans and Freddy Cole in 1996, Always.

This two-CD-set compilation comes with a 24-page-booklet with black-and-white photos of Tony Bennett and Bill Evans during the recording sessions and comprehensive Liner Notes written by Will Friedwald, author of various books on music and popular culture who also co-authored "The Good Life," Tony Bennett's autobiography. This set surely deserves to be in any jazz enthusiast's music collection. With my heartfelt recommendation. Read more ›