Tony Bennett Duets II Plus DVD LIMITED EDITION 2 Pack CD and DVD

Happy 88th Birthday to Tony Bennett! It's almost impossible to believe that 6 decades have passed since he first graced our ears with his incredible voice but even more breathtaking is the fact that he is still performing and recording! One of his favorite instruments outside of the brass and woodwind sections is the piano...and grand pianos have 88 keys! That's one key for every year he's been on this earth...I don't think I'll ever look at another grand piano and not think of him as long as I live! There are other configurations on the grand but those are rare exceptions...one having 92 keys and another having 97 and both made by Boesendorfer, not Steinway! His most recent musical offerings feature duets recorded with a very eclectic group of wonderfully talented artists. Now, I don't own an Amy Winehouse CD nor do I own a Lady Gaga CD or DVD and I wouldn't have thought either of these ladies would do justice to anything Bennett has sung in his varied career. Boy, was I ever wrong!!! Their voices compliment his on a grand scale. Along with the ability to do justice to the songs comes the trademark Tony Bennett way of feeling and interpreting great music...I think all these wonderful artists have "IT" in spades! In fact, they're so good I'm looking forward to a Duets III and IV even...given the talent out there today as many Duets CD's as his voluminous songbook can support! Happy 88th Tony and let's all remember to Keep The Music Playing!

I purchased Duets ll for entertainment while driving my car from city to city.First I must tell you my listening pleasure is selected jazz & classical instrumental music.The roster of great artists is excellent. The selection of tunes have proven themselves for many, many years, great.Tony Bennett blends the tune and words very well, telling the story of the song better than anyone. The balance of tune and words are superb.The supporting Orchestra is good but not great, but it is amazing what studio players can do, really cool.The voices are well projected with good presence, not dominated by heavily orchestrated music.It is wonderful to hear these excellent singers without too much entertainment background. This is a great platform for the artist to really show off how good they are. Lady Gaga is a very versatile and creative singer as is the voice of Amy Winehouse/s voice Want to have a romantic dinner for two, this will help.I recommend this for a relaxing and enjoyable listen. Enjoy.

Tony Bennett has been the embodiment of the Great American Songbook for so long and has won such a dedicated following with his artistry that he really has nothing left to prove. But he keeps at it for at least three very obvious reasons: he loves what he does, he wants to pay tribute to a uniquely American art form, and he hopes to win ever more fans for the music that has been his passion and livelihood for over 60 years.This duets album, Tony's second, ably serves the latter purpose. By bringing aboard platinum-selling popular singers, he both expands the audience for jazz and gives people known in other genres an opportunity to try something outside of their usual routine. And there are very few recording artists in the world who dare turn down a chance to work with Bennett. It's an honor for younger performers to be asked, as their careers benefit from his guidance and gravitas, while it's a pleasure for long-established stars, since they know his superb taste will make them sound good. He's the perfect partner: relaxed, sensitive, and giving.Most of the singers on this 85th birthday collection are of the new generation, but Natalie Cole, Sheryl Crow, Andrea Bocelli, and k.d. lang, who recorded an entire CD with Bennett in 2002, are among the few who have been around for a long time. Only two of his guests -- Aretha Franklin and Willie Nelson -- have anything approaching his longevity. The album boasts a diverse assortment of musical royalty: country, rock, soul and R&B, classical crossover, American and Latin pop, and others.This release is strongest at the beginning, when several pop performers surprise the listener with understated, frequently amusing, and genuinely pleasurable standards, among them Lady Gaga, John Mayer, and Michael Bublé. Their smooth delivery jibes agreeably with Bennett's raspy croon and lyrical punch. The late lamented Amy Winehouse brings to mind Billie Holiday in a languid rendition of "Body and Soul," and k.d. lang is a dreamy delight on "Blue Velvet."I found the duet with Aretha Franklin less than successful, partly because of a mismatch in their voices and partly as a result of an overly slow tempo, yet it still has its moments. Sheryl Crow was similarly underwhelming, but the problem for me is an emotional detachment that presents a stark contrast to Franklin's quavering histrionics. With Willie Nelson, however, the album gets back on track; the two singers really seem to enjoy one another. Queen Latifah puts her acting skills to use on "Who Can I Turn To" and Norah Jones positively purrs on "Speak Low."The remaining seven tracks are a mixed bag. The men -- Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli, and Alejandro Sanz -- are so different from Tony in their approaches to the material that it sometimes struck me as odd. The ladies, on the other hand, complement his style wonderfully: Natalie Cole on a spirited "Watch What Happens," Faith Hill on a subtle "The Way You Look Tonight," and Carrie Underwood on a lush version of "It Had to Be You." The album closes with a Mariah Carey duet in which she shows admirable restraint.All in all, an enjoyable recording and a welcome reminder of Tony Bennett's enduring vitality.

I don't know how anyone cannot love Tony Bennett. Besides being an Icon of the music industry he never gives less than 100% to his performances. His voice is getting older but these duets are a wonderful blend of young and old and old and old. I love the duet with Willy Nelson. And I love songs where I can actually understand the lyrics. Great Album.

Nostalgic sound from Tony Bennett & guests. :) The price was good, and the music is a pleasure to listen to. I was pleasantly surprised by two artist's especially: Lady Gaga, she's got a lovely voice. This style of music, suited her voice... pure sophistication!!! Although, I rarely listen to music from k.d. Lang, she's got a rich melodic voice...smooth. Why isn't she getting airplay? There's many nice tunes here, but for me, those two musicians, w Tony Bennett...totally worth purchase.

This is produced on top quality heavywieght Vinyl. The content of the recording has some ups and downs. Overall its worth the money. Highpoints for me were Queen Latifa, Lady gaga, KD Laing, for the girls, and Michael Buble, Alejandro Sanz, and John Mayer for the boys. Surprisingly Aretha Franklin, and Amy Winehouse disapointed.The music is well produced but don't expect "big band" sound its been done with a much smaller "tighter" band and has a very intimate feel. Deserving of 5 Stars

Love this album. Took a punt because whilst I like Tony Bennett, his voice isn't what it used to be. Well I was wrong. He sounds great and so do the fabulous artists he's duetting with. Wonderful album. So glad I got it.

I did not get the earlier 'Duet' album, and only bought this after hearing a couple of tracks on audition, so I had no pre-conceived notion at all about this CD. Only the notion that I thought I had more than enough recordings by the estimable Mr Bennett. Not so. This is a wonderful album, filled with great choices of both music and artists to perform with Tony, and somehow seems to make him a 'modern' fixture in music, rather than a guy who has been around forever. Maybe it's the influence of his sons, as well as his decisions on who to perform, and therefore, be associated with. Get this one, you won't be sorry....and particularly if you think you've heard all the Tony Bennett you ever need to....

Though he still has a great voice, Bennett seems to have scraped these duet barrels to their limits.Nowhere near as good as the first selection (American Classics) this smacks of both a frenzy by young hipsters to be attached to the coat tails of an old crooner & a tired exploitation by a record company to milk a golden egg.A few tracks are, indeed very good, not least the haunting baritone of Josh Grohan on "This is all I ask"-also one of the better song selections & arrangements

I saw the documentary on Sky Arts about the making of duets II and it featured all the tracks being recorded. I was totally sold. These albums are so well crafted and all the accompanying artists have been chosen very well. You may rather cut your own toes off than listen to Lady Gaga under normal circumstances but in combination with Tony she just blows you away. That is the same for many of the other artists with Tony bringing something extra out of them.