What did you do this weekend? On Friday night, Tony Bennett, who will turn 93 in August, took the stage at Madison Square Garden and sang “New York State of Mind” with Billy Joel. The crowd roared. Tony waved and smiled. It’s like he just stopped by. (Earlier, Alec Baldwin is said to have hosted a fundraiser at the Hammerstein Ballroom for the Exploring the Arts Foundation, which Tony runs with wife Susan Benedetto.)
So then on Saturday night, 91 year old Tony took another stage: Radio City Music Hall. Sold out, of course. Celebs like Bruce Willis, Dr. Ruth, and Keegan Michael Key in the audience. Standing ovation as he entered following a short set by his flame haired singer daughter Antonia and his Tony Bennett band.
And then, Tony. Does he have to do this? And so well? I asked him that when his hour long set was over. “I just love it,” he said. That’s it. He can open his mouth and sing as well or better than he did two decades ago. So, why not?
This Tony Bennett is the real deal. No Diana Krall or Lady Gaga. No set. Minimal lighting. Just him and the quartet. They are fired up. You think you’ve seen Tony before, but last night he broke it down. Every song is re-interpreted. Nothing is exactly the way you’ve heard it before. For that hour, Tony is like Willie Mays or Mickey Mantle. And when he slides into home at the end, with “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” it’s not the short medley version. It’s the whole thing, sounding as fresh as it was when he had his his hit with hit in 1962.
(Photo Credit: Carl Scheffel/MSG Photos)