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Playin' With My Friends: Bennett Sings the Blues (2001)

Where the lyrics of Playin' With My Friends: Bennett Sings the Blues take you, and where it was really made.

Ten of the album's 15 tracks are duets with other famous singers, including Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles and Billy Joel.

Key places

Recorded at The Hit Factory (2001)

Recording site Record Plant Studios — The Hit Factory in New York City is listed as a recording studio for this album. The point sits on the city centre, not on the studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at Capitol Studios (2001)

Recording site Capitol Studios — Capitol Studios in Los Angeles is also listed as a recording studio for this album. The point marks the Capitol Records Building address. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Playin' with My Friends: Bennett Sings the Blues is a 2001 album by Tony Bennett
• The album is built around duets with notable vocalists
• It has 15 tracks; 10 of them are duets with other singers
• Five tracks have no listed duet partner, and Bennett sings them alone
• Duet partners include Diana Krall, Stevie Wonder, Sheryl Crow, B.B. King, Ray Charles, Bonnie Raitt, k.d. lang, Kay Starr, Billy Joel and Natalie Cole
• Billy Joel duets with Bennett on his own song New York State of Mind
• The title track Playin' with My Friends was written by Robert Cray and Dennis Walker

Background

• On November 8, 2011, Sony Music Distribution included the CD in the box set The Complete Collection
• Phil Ramone produced the album; Danny Bennett served as executive producer
• The set includes songs by writers such as Harold Arlen, Joe Turner, Count Basie and Billy Joel

Recording

• The Hit Factory is listed as a recording studio for the album
• Capitol Studios is also listed as a recording studio
• Mixing took place at The Hit Factory, and mastering at Sterling Sound
• Joel Moss is credited as engineer and mixer
• Rob Mathes arranged the vocals
• The band: Harry Allen on saxophone, Ralph Sharon on piano, Mike Melvoin on Hammond organ, Gray Sargent on guitar, Paul Langosch on double bass and Clayton Cameron on drums

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Early life

• Born Anthony Dominick Benedetto on August 3, 1926, in Long Island City, Queens, New York City.
• Grew up in poverty after his father, a grocer, became unable to work and died when Tony was ten.
• Sang for money from age 13 as a singing waiter in Italian restaurants in Queens.
• Attended New York's School of Industrial Art but dropped out at 16 to help support his family.

Military service

• Drafted into the U.S. Army in November 1944 and fought as an infantryman in the final stages of World War II.
• Stayed in Germany with the occupying force and sang with an Army Special Services band under the name Joe Bari.

Career

• Studied bel canto at the American Theatre Wing on the GI Bill; Pearl Bailey and Bob Hope helped launch him, and Hope shortened his name to Tony Bennett.
• Signed with Columbia Records in 1950; first number-one hit "Because of You" in 1951.
• Shifted toward jazz singing in the late 1950s; "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" (1962) became his signature song.
• Declined commercially during the rock era and struggled with addiction and debt until a comeback in the late 1980s, managed by his son Danny.
• The 1994 MTV Unplugged album won the Grammy for Album of the Year.

Later career

• Collaborated with Lady Gaga from Cheek to Cheek (2014) through Love for Sale (2021).
• Won 20 Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award, and sold more than 50 million records worldwide.
• Received a Kennedy Center Honor in 2005 and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
• Co-founded the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Queens with Susan Crow.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Released in 2001 under the title Playin' with My Friends: Bennett Sings the Blues
• Phil Ramone is credited as producer and Danny Bennett as executive producer
• Vance Anderson handled production coordination
• Tony Bennett is credited as vocalist, with Harry Allen on saxophone and Ralph Sharon on piano
• Joel Moss is credited as engineer and mixer, and Ted Jensen as mastering engineer

Reappraisal

• AllMusic published a review of the album by William Ruhlmann

Records

• On November 8, 2011, Sony Music Distribution included the CD in the box set The Complete Collection

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Sony Music Distribution put the CD into the box set The Complete Collection on November 8, 2011.
• Billy Joel sings the duet on New York State of Mind, a song he wrote himself.
• Natalie Cole duets with Bennett on Stormy Weather.
• Stevie Wonder duets with Bennett on Everyday (I Have the Blues).
• The album closes with the title track, which was written by Robert Cray and Dennis Walker.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com

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