Love Is Here To Stay (Universal)
Tony Bennett & Diana Krall
Released September 14, 2018
Juno Award Nominee Vocal Jazz Album of the Year 2019
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Tony Bennett and Diana Krall celebrate their shared love of the music of George and Ira Gershwin on their new collaborative album, LOVE IS HERE TO STAY, is set for release on September 14 via Verve Records/Columbia Records/Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company. Bennett, who celebrates his 92nd birthday today, has been friends with Diana Krall for over 20 years. The two toured together in 2000 and recorded duets for two of Bennett’s albums (“Duets” and “Playin’ With My Friends”), but this marks their first full album project together. LOVE IS HERE TO STAY is out just in time for the 120th Anniversary of George Gershwin’s birthday which takes place on September 26th. Both multi-Grammy winning and platinum-selling artists, Bennett is the only artist at the ages of 85 and 88, respectively, to have an album debut at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 and Krall is the only jazz artist to have eight albums debut at #1 on Billboard’s Jazz Albums chart. Danny Bennett, President and CEO of Verve Label Group commented, “When Tony Bennett and Diana Krall sing the music of the Gershwins, it’s truly the consummate artistic pairing of singers and songwriting. It’s one of those recordings that when you listen to it, you recognize instantly that it had to happen – it was just a matter of getting these two extraordinary performers into a studio and putting the Gershwin songbook in front of them.” LOVE IS HERE TO STAY was recorded with the Grammy award winning Bill Charlap Trio and the stunning result is a subtle, sophisticated and beautifully rendered love letter to The Gershwins’ music and their status as one of the premiere songwriters of the American popular standard. It is a masterclass in vocal delivery and phrasing and the command that Bennett and Krall display of the material in both their duets and solo tracks makes it appear effortless, belying the honed skill of the vocalists. The duet tracks include “Love Is Here to Stay”, “S’Wonderful”, “They Can’t Take That Away from Me” and “Fascinating Rhythm”, among them. “Fascinating Rhythm” was Bennett’s first physical recording, made under his then stage name, Joe Bari, which he revisits as a duet with Krall for this project. Two of the duet tracks were never recorded by either artist prior in their career: “My One and Only”, and “I’ve Got A Crush on You”.
Track Listing:
1. ‘S Wonderful (George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin) 02:51
2. My One and Only (George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin) 02:50
3. But Not for Me (George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin) 03:06
4. Nice Work if You Can Get It (George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin) 02:45
5. Love Is Here to Stay (George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin) 04:28
6. I Got Rhythm (George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin) 01:59
7. Somebody Loves Me (Buddy DeSylva / George Gershwin / Ballard MacDonald) 03:41
8. Do It Again (Buddy DeSylva / George Gershwin) 02:55
9. I’ve Got a Crush on You (George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin) 04:00
10. Fascinating Rhythm (George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin) 02:42
11. They Can’t Take That Away From Me (George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin) 03:25
12. Who Cares? (George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin) 01:56
Personnel:
Tony Bennett: vocals (1, 2, 4-12)
Diana Krall: vocals (1-11)
Bill Charlap Trio
Bill Charlap: piano
Peter Washington: bass (1, 2, 4-12)
Kenny Washington: drums (1, 2, 4-12)
Recorded at Avatar Studios and Electric Lady Studios
Assistant Engineers: Billy Cumella, Nate Odden
Mixed by Dae Bennett
Mastered by Greg Calbi
Creative Director: Josh Cheuse
Photography by Mark Seliger
Design: Coco Shinomiya
Produced by Dae Bennett and Bill Charlap
Executive Producer: Danny Bennett
Review:
Part of the reason that Tony Bennett, 92, has remained artistically vital over the decades is his willingness to work with unexpected vocal partners, as evidenced by A Wonderful World (his 2002 collaboration with K.D. Lang), Cheek To Cheek (his 2014 release with Lady Gaga) and his series of Duets albums (which included contributions from Paul McCartney, Aretha Franklin, Amy Winehouse and Marc Anthony). On Bennett’s new album—devoted to the compositions of George and Ira Gershwin—his vocal partner is of the more expected variety, given her long history of interpreting the Great American Songbook: Diana Krall. Bennett and Krall have, in fact, recorded duets before, on his albums Playin’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings The Blues (2001) and Duets: An American Classic (2006). But Love Is Here To Stay marks their first album-length collaboration. One unusual twist here is that Krall doesn’t play piano on the session, instead focusing on vocal duets with the master, while the instrumentation is provided by pianist Bill Charlap’s impeccable trio. The result is a gem that showcases not only the longevity of the material, but of Bennett himself, who found fame after serving in the Army during World War II.
Bennett and Krall offer 10 delightful duets—including “I Got Rhythm,” “Do It Again” and “Nice Work If You Can Get It”—and each vocalist delivers one solo rendition; his is “Who Cares?” and hers is “But Not For Me.” Just as salt and pepper can work together in a recipe, Bennett’s authoritative vocals and Krall’s more delicate delivery complement each other, and several tunes conclude with a delicious bit of unison singing. On the album opener, “’S Wonderful,” there’s a brief segment in which Krall very quietly scats beneath Bennett’s lead vocal. That moment, along with Bennett’s chuckle at the end of “I’ve Got A Crush On You,” illustrates the singers’ chemistry and camaraderie. On “Somebody Loves Me,” there’s a slight reversal of typical roles, as Krall is more exuberant and Bennett is more subdued. These vocalists’ performances are a master class in the art of listening, reacting and then listening even more closely before responding. A swinging version of “My One And Only” features Charlap’s fluid pianism, drummer Kenny Washington’s compelling brushwork and a sturdy bass line from Peter Washington. It also features the type of clever lyrics that made Ira Gershwin such an important partner to George: “I tell you, I’m not asking any miracle/ It can be done, it can be done/ I know a clergyman who will grow lyrical/ And make us one, and make us one.”
Hardcore Gershwin fans might want to seek out the Target Exclusive version of this album, which contains two additional solo tracks: Bennett’s reading of “Oh, Lady Be Good!” and Krall’s rendition of “How Long Has This Been Going On?”
Bobby Reed (DownBeat)
