Happy Birthday, Tony Bennett

T.B. and k.d.: Natural together

Tony Bennett, the singer's singer and brilliant interpreter of the American songbook, turns 80 on August 3.

Happy birthday, Tony!

I grew up listening to Tony Bennett (and Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, Peggy Lee and Mel Torme), but he was background music to my Motown and Beatles. I knew that I would come to appreciate Bennett because I am such a music freak, and did realize when I lived in the Bay City in the mid-1970s that his interpretation of "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" was something special.

But it wasn't until 1994 when Bennett first collaborated with k.d. lang, of whom I was enormously fond, that I finally fell under his spell.

(Here's a somewhat dated but really nice interview with k.d. about Tony.)

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Your favorite local jazz station will be playing a lot of Tony Bennett this week, or ought to be.

If you don't have a favorite local jazz station, I recommend that you link to WBGO-FM in Newark, New Jersey, the best anywhere.