Tony Bennett - Duets: An American Classic (2006)

Released shortly after Tony Bennett's 80th birthday, 2006's "Duets: An American Classic" finds the beloved jazz/pop vocalist collaborating with an impressive array of friends and admirers. Amidst a backdrop of lush string and horn arrangements, Bennett, still in remarkably bold voice despite his age, shines on these winning tracks. Highlights include the buoyant "Lullaby of Broadway" (with the Dixie Chicks), the lightly swinging "I Wanna Be Around" (with U2's Bono), and a rendition of one of Bennett's smooth signature tunes, "The Best Is Yet to Come" (with Diana Krall).

Unlike some other celebrity duets efforts where performances were made separately and then combined by producers, Bennett was physically present with each of his partners during recording, and the singing was done live as the band was playing.

Tracklist (Amazon samples)

1. Lullaby Of Broadway (with Dixie Chicks) [03:03]
2. Smile (with Barbra Streisand) [04:41]
3. Put On A Happy Face (with James Taylor) [03:15]
4. The Very Thought Of You (with Paul McCartney) [04:01]
5. The Shadow Of Your Smile (with Juanes) [04:34]
6. Rags To Riches (with Elton John) [02:40]
7. The Good Life (with Billy Joel) [03:20]
8. Cold, Cold Heart (with Tim McGraw) [03:17]
9. If I Ruled The World (with Celine Dion) [02:56]
10. The Best Is Yet To Come (with Diana Krall) [03:39]
11. For Once In My Life (with Stevie Wonder) [03:24]
12. Are You Havin' Any Fun (with Elvis Costello) [02:45]
13. Because Of You (with K.D. Lang) [04:04]
14. Just In Time (with Michael Buble') [02:17]
15. The Boulevard Of Broken Dreams (with Sting) [03:23]
16. I Wanna Be Around (with Bono) [03:01]
17. Sing, You Sinners (with John Legend) [02:18]
18. I Left My My Heart In San Francisco [03:55]
19. How Do You Keep The Music Playing (with George Michael) [05:22]

Total time 01:05:55


Recorded at: Abbey Road Studios, London, England; Bennett Studios, Englewood, NJ; The Studio at the Palms, Las Vegas, NV and Capitol Studios, Hollywood, CA.