€ 11.95 (USD 14.21)

Fantasy F-9489

Improv LP 7117

The Legendary Sessions (2 Lp On 1 Cd)

Tony Bennett & Bill Evans

This CD contains all of the songs from Bill Evans & Tony Bennett's collective repertoire. Consisting of two complete albums, plus two bonus tracks that were recorded at the later date but were not issued on the original LP.


Tracklisting:

01. Young And Foolish
02. The Touch Of Your Lips
03. Some Other Time
04. When In Rome
05. We’ll Be Together Again
06. My Foolish Heart
07. Waltz For Debby
08. But Beautiful
09. Days Of Wine And Roses
10. The Bad And The Beautiful
11. Lucky To Be Me
12. Make Someone Happy
13. You’re Nearer
14. A Child Is Born
15. The Two Lonely People
16. You Don’t Know What Love Is
17. Maybe September
18. Lonely Girl
19. You Must Believe In Spring
20. Who Can I Turn To (*) Bonus Track
21. Dream Dancing (*) Bonus Track

Total time: 77:05 min.


Tracks #1-9 originally issued as "The Tony Bennett-Bill Evans Album" (Fantasy F-9489). Recorded in Berkeley, June 10-13, 1975.

Tracks #10-21 originally issued as "Tony Bennett & Bill Evans Together Again" (Improv LP 7117). Recorded in San Francisco, September 27-30, 1976.


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Notes:

-The Tony Bennett-Bill Evans Album

"Having completed his relatively brief sojourn with MGM/Verve in 1973, Tony Bennett was in the midst of forming his own label, Improv Records, when he made a deal with jazz pianist Bill Evans to cut two LPs, this one for Evans' label, Fantasy Records, with another to follow on Improv. The singer and his collaborator ("accompanist" does not adequately describe Evans' contribution, and in any case he received co-billing) got together in a recording studio over four days in June 1975 with no one other than the producer, Helen Keane, and an engineer present, and quickly recorded one of the best albums of either's career. For Bennett, it was a dream project; for years (decades, actually), he had been balancing the demands of commerciality with his own inclinations toward jazz and affection for the songs of Broadway masters and of the Great American Songbook. Left to himself with a jazz partner, he naturally gravitated toward both interests. There were songs here that he had already recorded, but never in so unadorned, and yet fully realized a fashion. Evans was an excellent accompanist, using his steady left hand to keep his singer centered, but ready, whenever the vocals were finished, to go off into his characteristically lyrical playing. Bennett could seem a bit earthbound when he came back in (he still wasn't really a jazz singer), but his obvious enthusiasm for the project, coupled with his mastery of phrasing in songs he understood perfectly made him an equal in the partnership. As far as the major-label record business was concerned, the 46-year-old singer might have been over the hill and indulging himself, but in fact he was in his prime and finally able to pursue his ambitions unfettered, and that would prove itself a major boost to his career over time. For the moment, he'd made an excellent jazz-pop hybrid in which both musicians were shown off to advantage."


-Tony Bennett & Bill Evans Together Again

"Originally released on Bennett's own Improv Records label, the second Tony Bennett-Bill Evans duet album was recorded a year after the first and took an essentially similar approach, mixing Bennett's warm, relaxed vocals with the reflective, melodic, and spare piano work of Evans. If anything, Evans dominates this encounter more than he did the first, but it's still a good showcase for Bennett, too."

Both by William Ruhlmann -All Music Guide


"If you can get to a pure, simple thing, it lasts forever...The best records I ever made are the duos with Ralph Sharon and Bill Evans. You wouldn’t believe how many well-educated people come over to me and say, ‘Oh my God, the album you made with Bill Evans!’ That’s the most prestigious thing I ever did."

-Tony Bennett

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