Customer Reviews

Playin' with My Friends: Bennett Sings the Blues

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I have listened to EVERY Tony Bennett album/cd he has ever done over the years, so needless to say I am a fan. But, I cannot express how amazingly good this CD (album, for people from my era) is. I truly think it is Bennett's best. He is at his prime.

Every song on the CD is excellent, all jazz, all done tastefully, and his selection of "friends" only adds to the pleasure of the CD. I especially liked Sheryl Crow and B.B. King, but everyone -- Diana Krall, Ray Charles, Bonnie Raitt, k.d. lang, Kay Starr, Billy Joel, and Natalie Cole worked smoothly and well with TB.

I cannot imagine anyone who likes Tony Bennett's sound who will not find this listening experience truly wonderful. And, i would expect that some who are not his fans will finally see why so many of us think of him as one of the greatest singers of the past five decades.

I love Tony Bennett- he's talented without being a megalomaniac (unlike Frank Sinatra). "Playin With My Friends" brings Tony together with the likes of Billy Joel, B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Wonder, Sheryl Crow and Ray Charles. Tony and Diana Krall have a wonderful sound together on the first track "Alright, Okay, You Win". The most enjoyable factor of these types of CD's is hearing younger artists truly showcase their talents through older songs. It seems more and more kids are warming up to music from several generations ago simply because they recognize newer vocalists on the album. Overall, an entirely scrumptious and delectable CD for evenings in or dinner parties.

I never truly considered Tony Bennett one of the great singers of the late 40's and the 50's, and have become amazed at his longevity as a performer and at his continuing popularity.

All this is well earned, as this CD shows. He maintains an upbeat style and while it's wonderful to hear him with a veteran such as Kay Starr on "Blue and Sentimental", he is still a good match for such gals as Diana Krall, Sheryl Crow, and Bonnie Raitt.

Most outstanding, though, in my mind is "New York State of Mind", a great duet with Billy Joel. And for real low down blues, "Evenin'" with Ray Charles can't be beat. Another master blues musician, B. B. King, really backs Tony up, and easily shares the spotlight on "Let The Good Times Roll".

This is good blues, although with the Tony Bennett upbeat interpretation, it isn't always at its most soulful...often a blending of Bennett's smooth and upbeat voice with generally soulful vocal or instrumental accpaniment from the great guest stars.

This is a superb album showcasing not only the continued fine voice of Tony, but absolutely wonderful work by Diana Krall, Stevie Wonder, Sheryl Crow, B.B. King, Bonnie Riatt, et al.

The only disappointment is the lack of liner notes. It would be nice to read about these sessions. For instance, where has Kay Starr been all these years. She doesn't sound all that great, but it was nice to hear that she's still among the living.

And, when are recording companies going to stop printing essential sideman information, etc. in the tiniest of type and layed over color graphics? The "artsy" album designers are all after some award, and forget there are those of us who actually like to read what was written and not have to strain through black print on dark colors.

Five stars for Music, but deduct a 1/2 star for the lack of liner notes and graphics as described.

I love the music of Tony Bennett. Being only 16, I wish I could have been around during the 50s and 60s when men like Bennett and Sinatra were the hippest men around. I have learned to appreciate music of this sort, jazz, blues, ballads and so on...and I have quite a collection of Bennett CDs. But, this by far is my favorite. Bennett's vocals blend splendidly with nearly all of his duets partners, and I think they are wonderful choices for the songs. The sad song "Evenin'" with Ray Charles is an emotional blues ballad and Ray and Tony do it splendidly. The duets with Stevie Wonder, Diana Krall, Billy Joel and K.D. Lang stand out most in my mid. But, the crowning achievement on this album is the duet with the great B.B. King. "Let The Good Times Roll" (in my opinion one of the greatest songs ever recorded), is spectacular on this album. Bennett and King, I never thought I'd hear them together, but being a fan of both I was ecstatic when I heard this recording. I want to stand up and applaud and sing along each time I hear it. The last song, "Playin' With My Friends", which features all of the duet partners, is a stunning finale. This is a must for any Tony Bennett fan. And since Bennett sounds so strong and great on this album, I wouldn't be surprised seeing more albums this good to come along. Go Tony!

It's no secret that Tony Bennett continues to sing well, as aptly demonstrated on this excellent CD. With Rosemary Clooney now gone from us, he's among the few great interpreters of classic American pop singing still around, as is Kay Starr, who duets on "Blue and Sentimental."

With help from producer Phil Ramone and a superb group led by his longtime pianist, Ralph Sharon, Tony and his duet partners really cook on a collection of blues-tinged material (many of them timeless classics, with a few rare gems thrown in). Check out "Good Morning Heartache" (with Sheryl Crow), "I've Gotta Right to Sing the Blues" (with Bonnie Raitt), "Alright, Okay, You Win" (with Diana Krall), "Let the Good Times Roll" (with B.B. King), and others, including "Evenin'" (my favorite track of the entire set, thanks to Ray Charles).

This CD ranks among Tony's best of the past several years. Enjoy!

Playin' with My Friends: Bennett Sings the Blues is a great CD. This album has wonderful duets between Tony Bennett and many of his best contemporaries. This is a fine album for Tony Bennett fans; and the quality of the sound couldn't be better. The artwork is very nicely done and the duets feature a broad diversity of artists with whom Tony performs.

"Alright, Okay, You Win" has Tony Bennett singing with the great Diana Krall; together they make this number shine more brightly than ever before! Diana is in excellent form and her vocals complement Tony's performance very well; and the jazzy arrangement works wonders for this classic tune. Great! "Everyday (I Have The Blues)" features Tony Bennett singing with Stevie Wonder; they both sound great and together they make some mighty fine music for us to enjoy! This tune also gets an excellent jazzy musical arrangement that is also very pretty and I really like "Everyday (I Have The Blues)." Listen also for "Good Morning, Heartache" with Sheryl Crow. Sheryl's vocals are excellent although I must admit I still think this number belongs to the immortal Billie Holiday. Nevertheless, Tony and Sheryl do a superlative job as they perform "Good Morning, Heartache" with lots of feeling, heart and soul.

"Evenin'" has the great Ray Charles performing with Tony Bennett; they massage the lyrics to this classic ballad and this bluesy number never sounded better! Tony and Ray Charles do this to perfection--and beyond! I particularly like the piano arrangement--it's not too overbearing and it's elegant as well. "Keep The Faith, Baby" has Tony performing with k.d. lang; together they easily ace this tune and the percussion enhances the natural beauty of this ballad. I can certainly understand why Tony Bennett said that k.d. lang is the best female singer we've seen since Judy Garland--her voice is beautiful to hear.

"Blue And Sentimental" has Kay Starr recording this with Tony; and together they make this special. Kay's voice may sound a little rough around the edges; she has aged but still you can hear the natural talent in her voice. She could still sing way better than I ever could!

Billy Joel collaborates with Tony Bennett on Billy's big hit entitled "New York State Of Mind;" "New York State Of Mind" always moves me when I hear it and that's wonderful. The piano bolsters their performance, too. Tony Bennett also sings "Stormy Weather" with Natalie Cole; and when they work together their rendition of "Stormy Weather" would make Lena Horne very proud! The album ends with Tony and his peers performing a lovely tune called "Playin' With My Friends." What a strong ending for this CD!

Tony Bennett fans will love this; and people who like classic pop vocals will love this one as well. You simply can't get better than Tony Bennett and his peers; and I know you'll like this album if you appreciate this genre of music.

If you love both Jazz and Blues, then this CD is a near-perfect combination. The songs are blues, the scales are blues, but the singing & overall feel leans more towards Jazz. This makes it more upbeat than a typical Blues CD. Although Tony shows he's still a star crooner with a voice that defies his age, his guests are really what makes this CD worth buying. When my wife first heard his duet with Diana Krall, ''Alright, Okay, You Win,'' she was instantly hooked (the title alone peaked her interest). My entire family sings along in the car with B.B. King & Tony on ''Let the Good Times Roll.'' Stevie Wonder and his harmonica really shine in ''Everyday I have the Blues.'' My favorite track is when Tony and Billy Joel team up for ''New York State of Mind.'' Like his version in the America: Tribute to Heroes CD, the song enters a whole new level when it's played with a jazz/blues interpretation; plus Billy's voice is once again outstanding. The ladies that accompany Tony, Diana Krall, K.D. Lang, and Natalie Cole, really showcase their smooth-as-silk voices. Having Ray Charles join Tony on Evenin' clinched the deal for me. The CD is high on the request list when my family joins me in the car. Overall, it has great energy, vocals, and musicians which makes it a must-have for those who appreciate music in these two genres.

Some years back, Frank Sinatra made one of the worst albums in the history of recorded music. DUETS. The arrangements were mostly old Nelson Riddle charts meant to showcase Sinatra at his best. They also showcased most of the singers on that album at their worst, totally out of their element in those classic old Sinatra songs. I played the CD once and threw it out. Tony Bennett was on that album, and he was one of the few who didn't suck.

So when the Tony and Friends album came out, I was expecting more crap. But no.

This is a keeper. Tony Bennett is now 75 years old and sounds like a guy 30 years younger. He's once again picked some great (and unusual) songs. And the arrangements give the singers with him a chance to look- er, sound-good, too.

Instead of a big studio band, we have the Ralph Sharon Quartet, providing lots of open space for the singers to stretch out. A wonderful, intimate feel, and a good production, nicely recorded, but with no liner notes. What's the problem at Columbia?

I've been playing this album nice and loud while typing this review. A couple of people in the office came over and stared at the speakers with their mouths open during "New York State of Mind."

"Who is THAT?" they asked.

Billy Joel and the certifiably best singer on earth.

Both sounding real good.

While I have never bought a Tony Bennet album, I have been a fan from afar. However, there is one thing about this album that will make me buy it, and that is the inclusion of Kay Starr. For whatever reason, Kay did not pursue fame as aggressively as many of her peers and as a result has become somewhat of a hidden gem, at least to my generation (I'm 33). So cheers to Tony for re-introducing this intensely talented singer back to the masses and let's hope we see a new recording from Kay herself sometime soon. Clearly, Tony has kept up with her, and we should too!
For those who don't know her work, but are curious, try the "Spotlight on Kay Starr" from the Capitol Collector's Series "Spotlight on...". It features work from her early '60s recordings. Pay particular attention to the track "Please don't talk about me when I'm gone"; such delicacy and nuance of voice is a rare treat and should be heard by anyone that cares about good singing, regardless about what style you tend towards.