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From the Vault...
06/15/2014
#1416 |
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info
Tony Bennett
"Steppin' Out"
© Columbia Records
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track listing
Steppin' Out
With My Baby
Who Cares
Top Hat White Tie
And Tails
They Can't Take That
Away From Me
Dancing In The Dark
Shine On Your Shoes
He Loves And She Loves
They All Laughed
I Concentrate On You
You're All The World
To Me
All Of You
Nice Work If You
Can Get It
It Only Happens When I
Dance With You
Shall We Dance
You're Easy To
Dance With/
Change Partners
Cheek To Cheek
I Guess I'll Have To
Change My Plan
That's Entertainment
By Myself
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WSVNRadio Archives
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Tony Bennett
"Steppin' Out"
Oh Yes! Tony Bennett has returned with one of his many #1 Jazz albums -- Steppin' Out. This album hit #1 on Billboard's
Jazz Album Chart, in late 1993, and continuing in 1994, for a total of 22 weeks at #1.
Tony Bennett has made an impact on this particular chart. Not only his #1 achievements, but the quality of his albums has truly been
exceptional, and his older age has never been a major issue. He achieved less than a handful of #1 songs back in the 1950s. Yet his comeback
when he was much older started at age 67 in 1993, and hasn't stopped yet. Actually, his box set, Forty Years: The Artistry Of Tony Bennett
was released in 1991, and each album released afterwards, they hit #1 (1993-1997). He would return to #1 in 2011 and 2012.
Let's just say that there isn't one bad song on this album. And how could it? With the penmenship of great composers, such as Irving Berlin,
George & Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Howard Dietz & Arthur Schwartz, Burton Lane & Alan Jay Lerner, Bennett puts his touches on these composers'
well-known tracks, and then some.
Take the opener, written by Irving Berlin, considered the title track -- "Steppin' Out With My Baby", it's feet tapping, finger snapping.
The other Berlin compositions are "Top Hat, White Tie And Tails," "It Only Happens When I Dance With You," the 3-tune medley "You're Easy To
Dance With/Change Partners/Cheek To Cheek."
Then there's the Gershwin tunes: "Who Cares," "They Can't Take That Away From Me," "He Loves And She Loves," "They All Laughed," "Nice Work
If You Can Get It," "Shall We Dance." Cole Porter: "I Concentrate On You," "All Of You."
I am not really familiar with the composers Howard Dietz & Arthur Schwartz, but they wrote "Dancing In The Dark," "A Shine In Your Shoes,"
"I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plan," and the popular "That's Entertainment." (I remember that song, just didn't know who wrote it.)
And the remaining Dietz & Schwartz composition, "By Myself."
Lastly, the only track written by another duo writers I am not familiar with, Burton Lane & Alan Jay Lerner's "You're All The World To Me."
What blends this album so well, you have the upbeat jazz tunes, mix it with a slow tunes in between, and return with the toe-tapping, finger-snapping
Jazz. His voice has also become so polished, so fine, that age just isn't a factor. When he hits those strong high notes -- Man, AMAZING!
If they say "you get better with age," this is just for Tony Bennett. He is now 88 years old, and since 1993, his popularity has grown to large
proportions. His fans are both young and old. It's amazing that even the younger ages have created a huge interest in Bennett's music. Each album
keep getting better and better. And looking at that, it was his 1994 release MTV Unplugged that really made him a superstar all over again.
Call it a comeback, true. His star was starting to shine in 1993, and in 1994, it shot right to the top of the charts, once again. And since then,
his music has suprassed his popularity he had when he first started out in the 1950s.
Tony Bennett's music is Pure Jazz. There is no doubt this album, Steppin' Out (and many others) will never be tiring. It's how traditional
Jazz should sound like. The instrumentation makes it as well as his voice -- Piano, bass -- they both stand out in this album.
Tony Bennett is a "born again superstar." Grab his albums, and take a listen. You will not be disappointed. Easy repeats galore. Tony Bennett
IS Jazz.
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