Hot & Cool

Product Description:

Personnel includes: Tony Bennett (vocals); Jorge Calandreli, Ralph Burns (conductor); Wynton Marsalis (trumpet); Al Grey (trombone); Joel Smirnoff (violin).

The Ralph Sharon Quartet: Ralph Sharon (piano); Gray Sargent (guitar); Paul Langosch (bass); Clayton Cameron (drums).

Recorded at the Hit Factory, New York, New York. Includes liner notes by Nat Hentoff.

BENNETT SINGS ELLINGTON HOT & COOL won the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Tradtional Pop Vocal Performance. "Chelsea Bridge" was nominated for the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement. "Day Dream" was nominated for the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s).

Despite his well-publicized and well-deserved comeback, Tony Bennett's late-'90s releases didn't quite lived up to the buildup. This masterful tribute to Duke Ellington effectively righted the balance. With the excellent Ralph Sharon arranging for big band as well as providing his usual stellar piano accompaniment, Bennett turns in an all-around vocal performance that, for the (slight) vocal deterioration to be expected from a singer in his 70s, can be only be called magnificent. Duke's generous musicality, which shines in every note he ever wrote, is perfectly matched here by Bennett's equally generous yet always sophisticated song sense.

Though Sharon leads the big band, the Italian arranger Jorge Calandrelli provided the straight orchestral arrangements. Except for Johnny Mandel, no one today can coax such delicate beauty from woodwinds and strings. There is probably no more emotionally expansive version of "Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me" anywhere. And that's just the first track. For contrast, Bennett interprets the lovely "Azure" and "Sophisticated Lady" in a near whisper. Probably no one has made this musically exciting an album this late in his career except, of course, Duke Ellington himself.