The Tuesday Morning "Nobody-Asked-Me-To, But-Here-I-Go-Anyway" Concert Review - Tony Bennett.

(or, "Why I Will Never Be A Professional Concert Reviewer")

(or professional photographer for that matter, judging by my framing of THAT shot...)

"Just In Time"
"The Best Is Yet to Come"
"The Way You Look Tonight"
"Steppin' Out With My Baby"
"If I Ruled the World"

Those were just a handful of hits delivered in impeccable style last night, by one Mr. Tony Bennett. Just under two hours, no warm-up act - just Tony and his spectacular 4-piece jazz band, working their way through one classy song after another, like silk and taffeta at a Cher concert.

We had been looking forward to this one for a looooong time. Panicked just a little when he got sidelined by pneumonia earlier in the year (shades of James Brown).

Not to worry. He arrived onstage on time, and in fine voice for someone 81 freakin' years old!! One of the complaints about Sinatra towards the end was how his voice had failed. Not Bennett. This guy is still cool personified. Not a bad note among the hundreds he crooned.

And power!
At one point, he put his microphone down, and belted out "Fly Me To The Moon", without any assistance from electronics, and the crowd went bloody nuts! This guy has lungs!!

But the best part of the show had to have been all the anecdotes and sidebars:

*Getting a phone call from Hank Williams, asking why he (Bennett) ruined "Cold Cold Heart (one of the first huge country crossover successes)".

*Talking about recording a song pitched directly to him, and then having Stevie Wonder do a "disco version" to his own huge success ("For Once In My Life").

But the reason Mr. Bennett is still so popular is that he stayed relevant, as evidenced in his wisecracks. Like dedicating "The Good Life" to Paris Hilton.

Of course, "I Left My Heart In San Francisco" was a huge favorite among many others too numerous to list. Considering he didn't take a break, and most songs from his era clock in at around 2-3 minutes tops, we got loads of tunes.

Not only was this guy slick, he had moves. During a song or two, he'd do little dance moves, and spin a few times!

I had a few wisecracks that came to mind, but I can't remember them this morning. Fantastic show, and we had scored third row center tickets. We were close enough to tug at his pant cuffs.

But we didn't...

Chow for now!!