What's Hot   All Categories     Email this Page     Upload Your Video     Your Account  
Home > Music > Jazz Music > Traditional Jazz & Ragtime Music > Duets: An American Classic
Smarter Video Review now playing for this product:
Duets: An American Classic
Click to watch Video Reviews
related to this product.

Duets: An American Classic

From: $13.97

At this point, who else but Tony Bennett would have the clout to round up stars on the scale of Elton John, Paul McCartney, Bono, Celine Dion and Barbra Streisand for some duets? (Note also that unlike some similar projects, all the parties involved on this CD were alive when it was recorded!) The material consists of relatively obvious classics in standard big-band arrangements, and Bennett himself is in top form at age 80, so much so that he doesn't need anybody else to handle "I Left My Heart in San Francisco." But the fun comes from checking out how his collaborators fare. The Dixie Chicks provide wonderful Andrews Sisters-type harmonies on the percolating version of "Lullaby of Broadway" that opens the festivities. The best songs tend to be the ones where Bennett's slightly craggy voice is juxtaposed to smooth female ones, like Diana Krall on "The Best Is Yet to Come," familiar accomplice k.d. lang on the sultry "Because of You" and Streisand—-perhaps Bennett's only equal in stature at this point—on "Smile." Among the less expected guests, soulman John Legend is a revelation on the hard-swinging "Sing, You Sinners," while George Michael confirms he's quite the crooner on "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?" Elvis Costello, Celine Dion or Juanes don't sound as comfortable, and sometimes it feels as if they overdo it to compensate, but overall this collection is among the best of its kind, with most guests rising to the occasion. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Not Yet Qualified

At Smarter.com, we aim to ensure we give you the most sound buying advice possible. With our 'Cumulative Product Rating' system, in order for a product to receive a rating score, it must have a minimum number of ratings to qualify.

This system is not intended to diminish the value of products with a low number of ratings and reviews, they're great, and hopefully very helpful, but if you want our advice, we want to make sure that the product you're thinking of buying has been rated and reviewed by enough shoppers like you to be a valuable indicator of product quality.

Additional Product Information

More Video Reviews

249 Reviews

Love it (79%)  |  Hate it (11%)  |  On the Fence (10%)  |  Didn't Rate it (0%)
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Next >
From: Amazon Posted: May 29, 2008 Type: User Review A great effort by a unique collection of musicians

The most important thing to remember is that this is a collaboration of musical artists that have rarely sung swing or standards and yet, all of them show us why they made it in music. Elton John, K.D. Lang, James Taylor, Billy Joel, Paul...
read full review | report as inappropriate





4.00 Star Rating
4.00/5
From: Amazon Posted: Apr 29, 2008 Type: User Review Duets: Tony Bennett CD

I was VERY disappointed ! These are all really old songs, and it was just boring, and the songs chosen were awful. I expected the guest musical artists to be doing "classic", and there are so many wonderful choices in that category. Why those...
read full review | report as inappropriate





2.00 Star Rating
2.00/5
From: Amazon Posted: Apr 01, 2008 Type: User Review Very nice

I liked it, not as much as the sinatra duets but Tony Bennett is one of kind like Frank and so good to see him well and still singing into his 80's!
read full review | report as inappropriate





4.00 Star Rating
4.00/5
From: Amazon Posted: Mar 30, 2008 Type: User Review Duets An American Classic Tony Bennett

This is where old meets new, This man voice never seem to change.
With a cast of artist that blend with his voice, this is a cd for the ages. And everone who truly love music will enjoy this cd............

read full review | report as inappropriate





5.00 Star Rating
5.00/5
From: Amazon Posted: Mar 09, 2008 Type: User Review Great choices... the songs and the partners...

I liked the pairings - the choice of the artists accompanying him, and the big band sound. I didn't care for the Dixie Chicks performance as much as the others, and it was the first track, but Bennett was great in it, and it got better after that....
read full review | report as inappropriate





4.00 Star Rating
4.00/5
From: Amazon Posted: Feb 22, 2008 Type: User Review Excellence Prevails

His voice is just as good at 80 as it was in his youth. Tony Bennett is top-notch on this disc. And he chose marvelous people with whom to sing duets.
If you haven't heard it, just go ahead and buy it. You won't regret it!
read full review | report as inappropriate





5.00 Star Rating
5.00/5
From: Amazon Posted: Feb 13, 2008 Type: User Review Tony Bennet duets

I watched a program on PBS showing the production and taping of this CD. Found it so interesting I ordered two of the CDs, one for myself and one for a birthday gift. I am not at all disappointed in it -- it is great.
read full review | report as inappropriate





5.00 Star Rating
5.00/5
From: Amazon Posted: Feb 08, 2008 Type: User Review Duets: An American Classic

Tony is just like fine wine, to be corny, he gets better and better and better with age.
The man just picks the right people to sing with,and they create an amazing sound between them. Everyone different,everyone terrific.
This lastest...
read full review | report as inappropriate





5.00 Star Rating
5.00/5
From: Amazon Posted: Jan 18, 2008 Type: User Review Tony Bennet Duets

I was glad to find this CD. I had seen the PBS special and was wondering if it was available. It was very well done and a differnet look at Mr. Bennet with the other guests who performed on the CD.
read full review | report as inappropriate





5.00 Star Rating
5.00/5
From: Amazon Posted: Jan 14, 2008 Type: User Review Tony the Great

This is amazing. Only the GREAT Tony Bennett could sing with such a diversified group and pull it off. The other artists are really the lucky ones.
read full review | report as inappropriate





5.00 Star Rating
5.00/5
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Next >

Similar Products:

*Shipping costs are based on an estimate of the lowest shipping rate available within the contiguous US, excluding Alaska and Hawaii. Only merchants with this product in stock are listed (Merchants with this product back ordered have been removed from this list).

Do you see a pricing error? Please let us know by filling out a simple form: Click here

Note: Smarter.com is a comparison shopping website that compares prices and products at online stores to help consumers save money. Stores are responsible for providing us with accurate price and product information, including the proper codes for coupons, discounts and rebates. Tax and shipping costs are estimates. Please confirm all costs before making your final purchase at the online store. All merchant ratings, product reviews and video reviews are submitted by shoppers or third-party websites. We are not responsible for their content. If you have any concerns about content on our website, please contact us.