OK, this is the dvd of the television special that was on in mid-November, right? That show was an hour long which translates to maybe 40 minutes when you cut out the Target commercials. It was an intersting enough show to watch because they had some background of Tony and shots from days gone by and then maybe 5 duets. I was surprised when it came on that it wasn't going to be a 2 hour show given all the advance publicity and with Tony's 80th birthday and all. The end result I thought mainly given the shortness of the show was a little disappointing. I mean they gave madonna 2 hours a few days before and her whole concert sounded like she was singing along with a drum machine (ok I could only take it for about 3 songs) but tony bennet gets an hour, that is 40 minutes. They really should be including this disc with the cd as a bonus, maybe charge 2 bucks more or something. I had been hoping to see Tony do the duet with Elvis Costello that he did with him on letterman of 'Are You Having Any Fun' but of course Costello doesn't exactly fit into the American prime time diet does he? It is nice to hear Tony doing his solo version of that tune on a current safeway commercial though. Anyway, I don't think this dvd is worth buying frankly.
Rob Marshall's Creative Energy Sparks a Worthy, Ultra-Stylish Celebration of Bennett's Career
To accompany his lustrous "Duets" CD, perennial crooner Tony Bennett recruited some first-rank talent behind and before the cameras to help him produce this remarkable TV special to commemorate his 80th birthday. It is at once a throwback to the network variety specials from the 1960's and 70's (before pay-cable rendered them obsolete) and a reinvention of the format incorporating biographical elements within the context of mini-video performances. The result aired on NBC earlier this week as an hour-long special. Without commercials, the program scarcely runs forty minutes, but it remains a superbly crafted showcase for a timeless singer. Thanks to Rob Marshall's innovative conception and immaculate direction, the show follows a roughly chronological timeline of Bennett's career with nine starry-eyed duets connected by brief snippets of his professional milestones.
Things start on a high note with Bennett in an empty theater singing Charlie Chaplin's "Smile" joined by a mellifluous-sounding Barbra Streisand, his most accomplished partner for the evening. In a jazz nightclub setting, he is surrounded by the acrobatic Tony Bennett Dancers and swings though "Sing, You Sinners" with a confident John Legend. In a recording booth at Columbia Studios, Bennett sings his first hit, "Because of You" accompanied by smoky vocals from k.d. lang and a languorous trumpet solo by Chris Botti. Visually, my favorite part of the program is the black-and-white recreation of the 1960's-style variety show complete with dancers in sailor tops and Capri pants. In this segment, Diana Krall joins Bennett on a finger-snapping "The Best Is Yet to Come" followed by a sonorous version of "The Shadow of Your Smile" given a samba-accented makeover by Columbian rock singer Juanes.
The inevitable Vegas sequence features a bevy of feather-fanned showgirls. In this milieu, Bennett is joined by Elton John on a jaunty "Rags to Riches", by new-jack crooner Michael Bublé on a swinging "Just in Time" (whose Dean Martin-style behavior may rankle the more feminist-minded), and finally by a surprisingly stationary Stevie Wonder leaning heavily on his melisma on his own "For Once in My Life" (which includes his trademark harmonica interlude). To show his popularity with the current crop of chart-toppers, Bennett is joined by a retro-styled Christina Aguilera and the dancers in full Fosse mode on "Steppin' Out". It all ends appropriately with a shimmering solo of Bennett's signature song, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco".
Providing the spoken interludes between the performances are Billy Crystal, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Bruce Willis, John Travolta and Robert DeNiro. At about 45 minutes in total, the extras on the DVD actually last longer than the special itself. They start with a 2 1/2-minute trailer and go right into footage of the dancers rehearsing their four production numbers. What follows is an extensive making-of featurette which features interviews with Marshall, choreographer John DeLuca and other key members of the creative staff interspersed with behind-the-scenes footage.
Where are the clowns?
I've seen Tony 5 times live and have all his records. The dvd was great, what there was of it! PLEASE, what happened to the filming with Sting, Bono, Celine, Mcgraw etc??????If time was a problem then I have no problem with the edited program-a one hour special on TV. BUT, why didn't Sony film the rest and offer it to us on a full length dvd???I would gladly have paid for a complete film. Shame on you Sony!
I love easy jazz. I love the great songs from years ago. I love tremendously talented musicians who don't see a need to play at 120 plus decibels to "make music". I love "professionals" like Tony Bennett and the late Frank Sinatra who knew how to adjust with age and sing within their diminished vocal range, allowing their voices to age like fine wine in oaken kegs...
So here you have Tony Bennett, now about 76, singing to a packed ballroom at the Fairmont Hotel (I've visited this hotel) on Nob Hill in downtown San Francisco. Backing him is the great Clayton Cameron on drums and Lee Musiker on the 9 foot Yamaha grand piano. Paul Langosch does a great job on bass, and Gray Sargent an adequate job on guitar. (I say adequate, because if you've seen Anthony Wilson play guitar with Diana... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Tony Bennett DVD Release Date: Released the 21 October 2003 Usually ships within 24 hours
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This film actually began with the idea of remaking A Star Is Born with the then-hot couple James Taylor and Carly Simon. Eventually, it evolved into this vanity production for Barbra Streisand, with Kris Kristofferson as the designated stud muffin. The story remains the same: A superstar on the decline meets a young singer on the way up. They marry as their career trajectories intersect, and his eventual demise is meant as a sacrifice to further boost her career by ridding her of the burden of him. Kristofferson's rock & roll numbers are decidedly lousy--Hollywood's idea of rock music--and Streisand looks good and always sounds fine (she won an Oscar for cowriting the song "Evergreen"). But you can feel her heavy hand guiding every shot; she seems to serve as puppet master for... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Frank Pierson DVD Release Date: Released the 28 November 2006 Usually ships in 24 hours
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