As the daughter of a jazz musician and a long-time piano student (16 year of lessons!), I was raised on a mix bag of classical and jazz music – big band, Dixieland, be-bop and American standards. When it came to singers, my dad was one of the most discriminating critics on the planet, and he was very happy to share his opinions with anyone in earshot. There were only a handful of classic crooners, nearly all of them legends today, who passed muster with Pop. And at the top of this list? None other than the fabulous Tony Bennett. Naturally, as daddy’s little girl, I became a huge fan myself. My husband often teases me about being stuck in the wrong generation, but I say – “Hey! Tony’s part of every generation – he’s timeless!” His timing, turn of phrase, impeccable intonation, delivery, his unbridled enthusiasm for performing… he’s clearly the master of his craft. I could go on and on… and I will!
But enough about me. When I heard that Yahoo! was launching this awesome new program called Live Sets, AND that THE ONE AND ONLY Tony Bennett would be one of their featured artists, AND they invited ME to attend Tony’s performance… Well, let’s just say there was very little arm-twisting required. Are you kidding?!? An intimate, invitation-only performance with one of the greatest vocalists of all time? I am SO there. I cleared the calendar and started counting the days until show time.
When the big day finally arrived, a very lucky group of Yahoo! family and friends made our way to the Fox Studios lot in LA to bear witness to Mr. Bennett’s command performance. The soundstage had been transformed into an intimate lounge reminiscent of a jazz club – a long bar with cocktail tables and candles, soft blue lighting and a stage surrounded with warm, curved wood – the perfect, lounge-y atmosphere for this special gig (hats off to the set designer!). As I and the other guests trickled in, the sound check/rehearsal was underway. The quartet – Bruce Barth on piano, Gray Sargent on guitar, Paul Langosch on bass and Harold Jones on drums – was tight and smooth, like they’d been playing together for years. I have to say, Tony Bennett always plays with superb musicians, and these guys were no exception. Meanwhile, a team of professionals were working to get the cameras in focus, the sound balanced and the staging just right, in advance of Mr. Bennett’s arrival. It was really exciting to be a part of it! The operation was totally impressive, and I could hardly wait for the man to take the stage.
Before the taping began, the production manager coached the audience about our participation in this momentous performance. If you’ve ever been part of a studio audience, then you know the drill – clapping, cheering, standing ovations and more applause – all to be filled in later by master editors. After we were schooled on the ins and outs of the taping, we all settled in, anxiously awaiting the main attraction. Looking around the room, I couldn’t help but notice that we were one cool, good-looking audience – a mix of old and young, all there for Tony!
After MUCH anticipation, there he was – the living legend – not five feet away! He took the stage with cool sophistication, singing the Cy Coleman classic The Best is Yet to Come. Of course, he sounded fabulous! His voice is in remarkable shape for a person of any age, let alone a man of 80. I got goose bumps being part of such an intimate engagement. After the first number, Mr. Bennett welcomed all of us with enthusiasm. He was warm and engaging, and he shared some excellent stories with all of us. He told us how, when he met Bob Hope very early in his career (btw, Bob Hope and Pearl Bailey get the credit for discovering this super-talent), that Bob asked his name. When Tony replied “Anthony Dominick Benedetto”, Bob told him that name would never fit on the marquis and suggested Tony Bennett, and a star was born!
He followed with Cold, Cold Heart, his cover of the Hank Williams song and one of his very first hits. He was happy to share the story of the phone call he received from Hank after the record came out, telling him “thanks for ruining my song.”
One of the highlights of the day was the Q&A. A handful of guests were invited to ask questions, and Tony didn’t disappoint with his openness and generosity. He spoke about his recent project “Duets – an American Classic”, the definition of Cool, his love of painting, and hit pet project, the Sinatra School of the Arts, which he opened in honor of his dear friend, Frank.
The rest of the set list included a great mix of Tony’s classics:
Just in Time
The Good Life
Steppin’ Out (with my baby!)
And of course, his signature song, I Left My Heart in San Francisco
We couldn’t get enough!! After a huge ovation from the crowd, he closed his set with I Got Rhythm. With a zip in his step, a smile on his face and a heart bigger than the soundstage, Tony thanked one and all for their support and enthusiasm for his performance. I think the thing I most admire about this legendary performer is the true joy that he gets from sharing his music with the world. You always feel like he’s genuinely thrilled to be on stage, and we were certainly thrilled to hear him – this man loves to sing!
Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, I got the chance to chat with the man himself after the show!! He was as gracious and warm as I had suspected he would be, sharing with me some stories about filming the musical special for NBC in celebration of his 80th birthday – “Tony Bennett, an American Classic”, which was directed by Rob Marshall (fun fact: it’s the only televised musical variety program to be shot on film rather than video – that’s what Mr. Bennett told me 
. I hope you got the chance to check it out last month – amazing!
Well, it was all over much too soon, but it was an amazing experience that I’ll treasure forever. My mom is so jealous! Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby both called Tony Bennett “the best singer in the business”. Can’t argue with that!
