DUETS  -  FRANK SINATRA

YEAR:  1993
LABEL:  Capitol Records
TRACK LISTING:  The Lady Is A Tramp,  What Now My Love,  I've Got A Crush On You,  Summer Wind,  Come Rain or Come Shine,  New York New York,  They Can't Take That Away From Me,  You Make Me Feel So Young,  Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry/In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning,  I've Got the World On A String,  Witchcraft,  I've Got You Under My Skin,  All the Way/One For My Baby (And One More For the Road
IMPRESSIONS:  The other duets album of 1993.  The genesis for this album may well have been the similar duet between Frank Sinatra and Cyndi Lauper of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" which appeared on the benefit cd "A VERY SPECIAL CHRISTMAS VOLUME 2" in 1992.  Regardless, old blue eyes got some flak for not actually being in the room with his duet partners but having them sing to pre-recorded Sinatra vocals.  This frankly never bothered me.  The man was up there in age and only had another 5 years to live so I think a good deal of slack can be cut here.  And despite this fact, Frankie's vocals are surprisingly OK which leads to a rather enjoyable group of songs; the only downside is pairing Sinatra with execrable performers like Anita Baker and Kenny G (kryptonite to my ears).  Ah, the ignominy!  How could they do that to Frankie?!?!?!!!!  Again, this kind of album is bound to be something of a mixed bag.  Some of the performers seem to stiffen up a little when confronted with dueting with Sinatra but some manage to conjure a genuine warmth (Streisand, Minnelli) or good-natured humour (Bono).
MY FAVOURITE TRACKS:  What Now My Love,  I've Got A Crush On You,  Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry/In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning,  I've Got the World On A String,  I've Got You Under My Skin
GUEST ARTISTS:  Luther Vandross (vocals on "The Lady is a Tramp"),  Aretha Franklin (vocals on "What Now My Love"),  Barbra Streisand (vocals on "I've Got A Crush On You"),  Julio Iglesias (vocals on "Summer Wind"),  Gloria Estefan (vocals on "Come Rain or Come Shine"),  Tony Bennett (vocals on "New York New York),  Natalie Cole (vocals on "They Can't Take That Away From Me"),  Charles Aznavour (vocals on "You Make Me Feel So Young"),  Carly Simon (vocals on "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry/In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning"),  Liza Minnelli (vocals on "I've Got the World On A String"),  Anita Baker (vocals on "Witchcraft"),  Bono (vocals on "I've Got You Under My Skin"),  Kenny G (cacophony on "All the Way/One For My Baby (And One More For the Road)")
FACT SHEET:  There's no way I'm gonna try and figure out what number Sinatra album this is!  The album features duets with performers from all different musical genres personally selected by Sinatra himself.  DUETS sold over 3 million copies in the U.S. and is the only Frank Sinatra album to date that has gone triple platinum.  The album was produced by Phil Ramone.  Sinatra's duet partners did not record in the same room with him but instead sang along to pre-recorded Sinatra vocals.  The album cover painting is by LeRoy Neiman specially commissioned by Frank Sinatra. 

THE TONY BENNETT / BILL EVANS ALBUM  -  TONY BENNETT & BILL EVANS

YEAR:  1975
LABEL:  Fantasy
TRACK LISTING:  Young and Foolish,  The Touch of Your Lips,  Some Other Time,  When In Rome,  We'll Be Together Again,  My Foolish Heart,  Waltz For Debby,  But Beautiful,  Days of Wine and Roses
IMPRESSIONS:  Here we have an album that was suggested to me by my friend Rama.  Being something of a modern-day beatnik, Rama was somebody I'd sometimes ask to recommend music or films or books when we worked together at the late, lamented Borders.  This was his recommendation one day as one of his favourites.  I can see why.  If there's only one Tony Bennett album to own, this is it.  The album is spare but not in a bad way; there is only Anthony Benedetto on vocals and Bill Evans on piano.  But there is a rapport between the two musicians, both at something of a low ebb in their careers in the mid-70s.  Bennett's singing is emotionally connected and immediate while Evans' accompaniment is sympathetic but still interesting in its own right.  Neither one overshadows the other and the result is something like a perfect set.  The songs, for the most part, are lesser-known selections and there's a real, personal connection that happens between the listener and this record which makes it a very "human" experience.  No adornment, no fluff or fireworks - just an enthusiastic voice singing songs he wants to sing for non-commercial reasons probably for the first time in decades and an accomplished pianist whose virtuosity elevates the singer's performance with a generosity of spirit while still providing equally worthy piano playing in between the vocals.  Really a perfect, equal team-up.
MY FAVOURITE TRACKS:  Hell, the album's only 35 minutes long.  All of 'em.
FACT SHEET:  THE TONY BENNETT / BILL EVANS ALBUM is the first album pairing Tony Bennett and Bill Evans.  The album was recorded between June 10-13, 1975 at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California.  The two would make another album together in 1977 on Bennett's Improv record label entitled "TOGETHER AGAIN".