Customer Reviews

Tony Bennett Sings the Rodgers and Hart Songbook

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Tony Bennett Sings the Rodgers and Hart Songbook is a single CD with a whopping twenty-six songs, all wonderfully performed by the great Tony Bennett. Tony's voice is in excellent form throughout this album; and the music that accompanies him is very fine as well. The quality of the sound is excellent and that cover art is very nicely done.

"This Can't Be Love" gets a fine treatment from Tony who plays with the tempo and keys a bit to put his own mark on this classic ballad. The musical interlude is very jazzy but it still works wonders for "This Can't Be Love." What a great start for this album! "The Lady Is A Tramp" also gets the royal, jazzy treatment from Tony and the musicians as they sing and play this to perfection--and beyond! Tony's excellent diction bolsters his performance and he never misses a beat, either! In addition, Tony makes good on "Manhattan;" this classic love song that is so optimistic truly shines just as brightly all these years later--and I love every minute of it. "Isn't It Romantic?" is another favorite tune of mine on this album; Tony gives this so much feeling that I'm convinced that Rodgers and Hart would both be so proud!

"I Could Write A Book" features Tony Bennett squarely in the spotlight--right where he belongs! "I Could Write A Book" has a very, very pretty melody and this enchants me quite a bit. "Thou Swell" is another highlight of this album; and I'm sure you'll enjoy this timeless ballad very much. "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World" has such a gentle treatment from Tony Bennett that I'm truly very impressed; and the horn works great for the musical arrangement, too. "You Took Advantage Of Me" is a number I have always liked; and when Tony sings it this number glows brilliantly!

"My Heart Stood Still" is another charming love ballad with a fine musical arrangement; and listen for "My Romance." "My Romance" features Tony's vocals squarely front and center--and that's all right by me! "This can't Be Love" has an alternative arrangement that also sounds quite strong; and other extra tracks include "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World" and "I Wish I Were In Love Again."

Tony Bennett could always sing with the best of them--and he's still going strong! We are all so much better off for his sharing his talents with us. Tony Bennett fans will love this CD; and people who like music by Rodgers and Hart will want this,

"This album is a marriage of music, taste and performance. Tony Bennett, one of America's finest entertainers, loves, admires, respects and cherishes the constantly surprising refrains in the brilliant matching of Rodgers and Hart. They are, without argument, the definitive collaborators of the truly Golden Age of the Broadway Musical. You recognize love and respect in every decibel, the timbre of Tony Bennett's tones, his perfect interpretations. Ruby Braff's flawless cornet, George Barnes' matchless guitar together with Wayne Wright and John Giufrida, form a sparkling setting for Tony's gem-like performance." ~ Jack O'Brian ~

I agree with what Jack O'Brian has written on the brief Liner Notes on this double delight twofer, "Tony Bennett Sings The Rodgers and Hart Songbook," a combination of two LP records compiled and remastered in one CD, which presents the very best of Richard Rodgers' charming and timeless music, and Lorenz Hart's meaningful lyrics. The first ten tracks were taken from the album "Tony Bennett Sings 10 Rodgers and Hart Songs," and the rest of the tracks were taken from "Tony Bennett Sings More Great Rodgers and Hart."

I simply love the sound of a cornet that's why I'm drawn to this CD. Ruby Braff is a fine cornet player. I share Mr. O'Brian's sentiment about his playing--flawless--that is! I began to appreciate the beautiful sound of a cornet when I first heard Michael Feinstein's astounding version of "Darn That Dream" featuring a solo cornet by Warren Vaché on a stunning two-CD-set, Romance on Film/Romance on Broadway. The bass and guitar works can't simply be ignored and I applaud the fine musicians who made it spectacular - George Barnes and Wayne Wright on guitars and John Giufrida on bass.

Even with sparse instrumentations and without an orchestral setting, the Emmy and Grammy winning crooner still shines in all his renditions and I believe that it's a clear testament that he can deliver outstanding interpretations in any setting, be it with a trio, a quartet, or an orchestra. He is a consummate artist -- a great singer with a unique voice, and not to mention that he is also a creative and remarkable painter. It is a known-fact that Mr. Bennett loves to sing and to paint and this is especially true with the recent released of his book, Tony Bennett in the Studio: A Life of Art & Music.

My personal favorites include "My Romance," "I Could Write A Book," which includes a seldom-recorded intro verse, "Isn't It Romantic," the opener "This Can't Be Love," which sets the tone of this lovely CD, and of course "Manhattan."

"I'd like to take a sail on Jamaica Bay with you
The fair Canarsie's Lake we'll view
The city's bustle cannot destroy
The dreams of a boy and girl
We'll turn Manhattan into an isle of joy"

When you think of some of the enduring songs by Rodgers and Hart, consider this CD and I can assure you that it will be a wonderful listening experience. This is Tony Bennett at his prime and at some of his very best renderings! It is also a good introduction to the timeless music of this great songwriting pair.

With my heartfelt recommendation for a lovely listen.

An excellent collection of R&H songs done in Tony's unique style, and with a very unusual accompaniment of a small quartet of string bass, 2 guitars and cornet. No percussion at all really highlights Tony's voice as the centerpiece of the musical ensemble. The ambience is that of a small club - very intimate, almost subdued even when he's swinging, and personal, almost as if he's singing right to you in the seats near the stage. Some mild reverb is applied to the voice track to allow for some warmth, but certainly the feeling is close and personal, and relaxed. Tony doesn't do the loud, nearly yelling of the final lines of the song as perhaps he's known to do with a large orchestra accompanying; instead he modulates the energy, even nearly whispering on some tunes where it's appropriate. Tony's diction and rhythm are perfect, and his own rhythmic and word-usage takes on various verses and lines really accentuate the R&H songwriting. The inclusion of some lesser-known and rarely performed intro verses to the songs is a very nice touch, allowing for the collection to stand out from all the R&H performances that one can find. A real gem of an album, and I think, one of Tony's best, in that he pulls off something rather difficult in perfect form. Listen to it over a quiet dinner, or on a long ride in the car, or on a long night flight - but best to listen in one shot, as some of the tunes are very short - under 3 minutes, just over 2 minutes, etc. and the continuity is embedded in the selections and order of the songs. 5 stars.

In the early 1970s, Tony Bennett was scuffling. He had lost his record contract with Columbia, and seemingly had lost his audience in the deluge of rock music that flooded the pop scene. He formed his own record company, Improv, and in 1973 went into the studio with the Ruby Braff-George Barnes Quartet to cut two LPs worth of songs by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. Because Improv was a small label with minimal distribution capabilities, these albums did not get much exposure at the time, and they have tended to get lost in Bennett's extensive discography. This is a huge mistake. These are beautifully crafted arrangements, perfectly executed by real pros. Bennett is the lead, but in so many ways, this is an ensemble exercise. The voicing, the harmonics, the swing are all exquistely done. This is very sophisticated music, but also very approachable. I particularly like the fact that Bennett sings the verse of the songs before going into the refrain...and when is the last time you heard the verse for a R & H song? Tony is relaxed and in great voice, and the Braff-Barnes Quartet is impeccable. This CD includes both LPs plus 6 alternate takes. Sound is great. Fantastic value. Do yourself a favor and make the acquaintance of this wonderful music.

This low-priced CD is a feast for the ears...and mind. Two mid-'70s albums with six alternate takes are featured on one disc, containing some of the most sensational and stirring melodies which ever graced a Broadway stage...or a living room stereo system.
If you want to hear very audible, small combo treatments of material which you might have heard in large production, you'll swing and sing along with the Ruby Braff/George Barnes Quartet, and an unusually intimate lead vocal mix - Tony's otherworldly voice-box carries the message, though he seems to sacrificing "singer" for "song".
I thought the bass was too low throughout, however; the stereo sound actually restricting the impact of all the instruments. Mono would have been fine, but that wasn't gonna happen in 1976-77.
Highlights: "This Can't Be Love", "Spring Is Here", "Isn't It Romantic?", "Mountain Greenery", "Thou Swell".

Really enjoy this Tony Bennett CD
So Smooth and very relaxing, we love It. 4 Stars.

Eve and John

This is the long-overdue CD reissue of Tony Bennett's treatments of 20 Rodgers & Hart songs in 1973 on a pair of LPs for the Improv label. The new version remasters those 20, plus six never-before-issued tunes, on one CD for some splendid listening. Bennett's voice, of course, was much better then than it is now, but he still had the same enthusiasm and skill. The bonus is the splendid accompaniment by trumpeter Ruby Braff and guitarist George Barnes, who recorded some of these tunes as instrumentals on the Concord label a few years after doing them with Bennett. I was struck by the similarity of some of Bennett's treatments to those of Ella Fitzgerald when she recorded Rodgers and Hart for Norman Granz on the Verve label. It's not imitation, though; instead, it's evidence that two great singers felt the same inspirations for dealing with these priceless tunes. This album will earn a spot in your easy-listening rotation for a long time. It's great to have it now on one CD.