Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Concord Music Group To Release The Complete Tony Bennett / Bill Evans Recordings


The Concord Music Group will release The Complete Tony Bennett / Bill Evans Recordings on April 14th via Fantasy Records.

The sublime 2-CD collection spotlights the iconic song stylist Tony Bennett dueting with legendary jazz pianist Bill Evans from their two albums. Disc 1 combines the originally issued recordings, The Tony Bennett / Bill Evans Album and Together Again, with two bonus tracks, including a superb version of Cole Porter’s “Dream Dancing”; disc 2 features alternate takes from both sessions.

The first meeting of the vocalist and pianist, The Tony Bennett / Bill Evans Album (1975), featured the pair performing standards, as well as a moving rendition of Evan’s classic tune, “Waltz For Debby.” Other standards include “But Beautiful,” “The Days Of Wine And Roses” and “Young And Foolish.”

The first meeting established the Bennett-Evans chemistry, with the two having plenty of room to make their own personal statements. In 1976, the pair returned to the studio for Together Again, opening with Evan’s solo rendition of “The Bad And The Beautiful,” and continuing with moving renditions of “Lucky To Be Me” and “You Don’t Know What Love Is.”

Reflecting back, Bennett remains especially proud of these sessions with Bill Evans, citing them as the most satisfying projects of his long career. Nick Phillips produced the remastered compilation with new liner notes by Will Friedwald.

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