Every one of Tony’s millions of devoted fans will treasure this definitive volume.
Tony Bennett, the world’s most beloved living legend, has a talent that’s simply timeless. He’s the smooth and subtle singer of the classic American songbook, the recipient of countless Grammy® awards and nominations, an Emmy Award®, and a Kennedy Center Honoree. The Library of Congress bestowed a Living Legend Award on him in 2000, the National Endowment for the Arts named him a Jazz Master in January of 2006, and he just received Billboard magazine’s prestigious Century Award for his outstanding contributions to music. Contemporary singers such as Bono, Sting, Diana Krall, John Legend, and the Dixie Chicks idolize him. Recently, Bennett turned 80 and he has celebrated this milestone with the same joie de vivre with which he celebrates life in general; he’s at the height of his popularity, thanks to the bestselling album Duets and a brilliantly conceived TV special directed by Rob Marshall, director of the Academy Award®-winning Chicago. When performing as Tony Bennett, he connects to people everywhere through the magic of his music. What many of his admirers may not know, however, is that Bennett, under the name of Anthony Benedetto, is also a successful painter whose works hang in major museums and galleries, including the Smithsonian.
In this beautiful new book, richly illustrated with his own artwork, Tony takes the time to reflect on his career, and the inspiration that continues to infuse both his music and his art. Along with journalist Robert Sullivan, he explores recurring themes in his life, including jazz, individualism, the creative zone, love, truth and beauty, chiaroscuro (the balance of light and shadow, both in painting and life), and the lifelong adventure that has taken him around the world and back again. His own personal memorabilia will be on display, along with album covers and notes. And for everyone who loves Bennett’s gorgeous voice and elegant song stylings: an exclusive CD featuring his favorite tunes, including some rare choices.
At 80, still a popular performer and recording artist, Bennett continues to explore new ideas in his art. Rather than write a traditional biography, interviewer Sullivan (Remembering Sinatra) decided to focus on presenting the Bennett perspective on life, framed by over 200 of Bennett's paintings and sketches. When Bennett recalls Cary Grant advising him not to go into acting, his elegant painting of Grant emphasizes their mutual admiration. A discussion of aboriginal art's similarities to music is illustrated by Bennett's painting of James Moody with an aborigine-type background. His portrait sketches alone form a kind of visual history of American jazz and the people who influenced it. A CD of Bennett pop classics is also tucked in, including But Beautiful, The Very Thought of You and four other hits. Readers needing a fuller account of Bennett's life may prefer his autobiography, The Good Life, but to get a feeling for his visual styles, music and totally upbeat attitude to life, this volume is perfect. 200 color illus. not seen by PW. (Oct.)
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