Together Again [Original recording remastered]

Bill Evans, Tony Bennett | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 9, 2003)
• Original Release Date: September 9, 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Concord Records
• ASIN: B0000BWVCK
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #150,174 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Breathtaking!, November 8, 2003

By 

Toshio Fukuhara (Yokohama, Japan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Together Again (Audio CD)

The original issue by DRG Records that I own was disappointing due to the inferior sound quality filled with fuss. I could hardly finish the whole disc.
This remastered Concord version gives you crystal clear sound quality and the eight out-takes that are equally good and a few seconds longer than in-take versions that were in the original album. I tried to compare six in-takes and out-takes that overlapped but gave up. The out-takes are so good in their own right that I got really into each tune and was thoroughly overwhelmed with joy. No need for comparative analysis. Bill's piano playing is so deep and sensitive that Tony must have been positively affected to sing each tune with tender loving care. Tony sure was lucky to be accompanied by Bill Evans.
But most importantly, here's to the latest remastering technology!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spare and Elegant, February 9, 2004

By 

B. Caldwell (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Together Again (Audio CD)

Tony doesn't aim for the heart of a melody. That's his genious. He plays at the edges, sometimes almost atonally, like a jazz riff. But he leads the listener on a journey through the song, aware of all the places he could take it. "You Must Believe in Spring" is one such journey sung with such conviction and soul that it is breathtaking. Bill evans is equally spare and elegant, never overwhelming the song with style. The songs stand on their own like lonely monuments.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Can Lightning Strike Twice?, March 9, 2007

By 

Fly By Light (Atlanta, Georgia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Together Again (Audio CD)

Not in my opinion. On the first CD, both men absolutely "brought it" and the result was magic. There was top-form musicianship and interplay, and the engineering and song selections let both performers shine. This CD, although certainly a fine work, falls short in a couple of ways.

First, Evans seems more relegated to the background. Bennett fans may be perfectly OK with that, but I was not. Several factors could be at work there - the mixing engineer, the take selected by the producer, the comping of Evans, or some mixture of the three. My sometimes fertiles imagination tells me that the producer was thinking, "Let's really reach out the Bennett fans with this one."

Second, the energy of this CD is not up to the first. The most upbeat number that comes to mind, Dream Dancing, is a lot calmer than When In Rome, so the "average energy level" of the entire CD is brought way down. Again, some people may be OK with that.

Third, the performances on this CD seem a little more "phoned in". Evans' playing is always great, but he doesn't play with the authority and fire he has on the first CD. Bennett seems a little tired or distracted. The moods he conjures up seem a bit flat compared to the interestingly dark and sometimes ironic tones he gives to numbers on the first CD. Reasonably minds may differ about that.

If you're wondering whether to get the first CD or the second, start with the first. The excitement of something new comes across and the performers are near their best. If you love it and can't get enough, you'll like this too. If you love Tony Bennett and can't get enough of his intimate "just me and the piano" sound, you will probably love this one too. If you want more of Bill Evans minus trio, you may be happier with Alone or Alone Again.