Tony Bennett's latter-day albums tend to have themes, and this one has two, as indicated by its double-barreled title: It is both a duets album and a blues album. The duet partners include ten singers who range from his recent touring partners Diana Krall and k.d. lang to fellow veterans Ray Charles, B.B. King, and Kay Starr, and younger, but still mature pop stars Stevie Wonder, Bonnie Raitt, and Billy Joel. All sound happy to be sharing a mic with Bennett. Not surprisingly, the singer's conception of the blues does not ...
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Tony Bennett's latter-day albums tend to have themes, and this one has two, as indicated by its double-barreled title: It is both a duets album and a blues album. The duet partners include ten singers who range from his recent touring partners Diana Krall and k.d. lang to fellow veterans Ray Charles, B.B. King, and Kay Starr, and younger, but still mature pop stars Stevie Wonder, Bonnie Raitt, and Billy Joel. All sound happy to be sharing a mic with Bennett. Not surprisingly, the singer's conception of the blues does not extend to the Mississippi Delta or the South Side of Chicago; rather, he is interested in the blues as filtered through the sound of the Swing Era, particularly from around Kansas City, and as interpreted by Tin Pan Alley and show tunes. For the former, his true mentor is Count Basie, whose overt influence is heard on six of the 15 tracks. Bennett makes no attempt to hide this, leading off the album with two songs, "Alright, Okay, You Win" (a duet with Krall) and "Everyday (I Have the Blues)" (a duet with Wonder), closely associated with Basie singer Joe Williams. The Broadway and Hollywood blues style is introduced in three selections written by Harold Arlen. On about half the tracks, the Ralph Sharon Quartet is augmented by Harry Allen's saxophone and Mike Melvoin's Hammond organ, but this remains a small, intimate affair that emphasizes the singers. There are missteps -- Sheryl Crow's Billie Holiday impersonation on "Good Morning, Heartache" is unfortunate, and Natalie Cole, as usual, sounds out of her depth on "Stormy Weather." But the trade-offs Bennett enjoys with King and Charles are priceless, and the Joel duet is surprisingly effective. On the whole, this is yet another entry in Bennett's lengthening series of autumnal recorded triumphs. ~ William Ruhlmann, Rovi
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Add this copy of Playin' With My Friends: Bennett Sings the Blues to cart. $2.00, good condition, Sold by Books For Life rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Laurel, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Sony Music Entertainment.
Add this copy of Playin' With My Friends: Bennett Sings the Blues to cart. $2.49, good condition, Sold by Dream Books Co. rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Denver, CO, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Columbia.
Add this copy of Playin' With My Friends: Bennett Sings the Blues to cart. $3.00, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Diamond rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by Legacy Recordings.
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Very good. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Cases may show some wear. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Playin' With My Friends (Borders Exclusive Edition With to cart. $3.00, good condition, Sold by Bookmans rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Tucson, AZ, UNITED STATES, published by RPM Records/Columbia.
Add this copy of Playin' with My Friends: Bennett Sings the Blues to cart. $3.19, very good condition, Sold by auntminniesbooks rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from KINGMAN, AZ, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Columbia.
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Arlen/Koehler; Arlen/Mercer; Basie/David/Livings; Bernie/Johnson/Unge; Chatman; Cray/Walker; DeJesus/Lerner/Watt;... Very Good. Used-Very Good Condition. Case and disc(s) is in great condition with no significant scratches or marks. Includes original artwork and liner notes when applicable.
Add this copy of Playin With My Friends: Bennett Sings the Blues to cart. $3.75, very good condition, Sold by Foggypaws rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Sonoma, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Sony.
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Very good. CD, case, and artwork are in great shape. Just a few light scratches to the CD that does not affect the play of the disc. Plays perfectly. Minor shelf wear to the case.
Add this copy of Playin' With My Friends: Bennett Sings the Blues to cart. $3.89, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Emerald rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by Legacy Recordings.
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Very good. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Cases may show some wear. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Playin' With My Friends: Bennett Sings the Blues to cart. $3.89, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Ruby rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by Legacy Recordings.
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Very good. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Cases may show some wear. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Playin' With My Friends: Bennett Sings the Blues to cart. $4.75, like new condition, Sold by Streetlight_Records rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Santa Cruz, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2002 by Sony Legacy.