The Ultimate Tony Bennett

iTunes Review

A certain elegance has defined Tony Bennett’s music from the beginning. Over the course of nearly 60 years, this evergreen artist has pursued his art with taste, refinement, and modesty. The Ultimate Tony Bennett does an excellent job of surveying his recording output from 1951’s “Because of You” onwards. Early hits like “The Boulevard of Broken Dreams” and “Rags to Riches” have an operatic boldness to them. Later, Bennett’s bravura style gained a mellow patina, allowing for a more reflective, bittersweet quality to his performances. The heady delight of “Stranger in Paradise” gives way to the softer moods of “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” and “I Wanna Be Around” — yet, if anything, Bennett seems more confident as he grows more wistful. The yearning he brings to “Blue Velvet” and “When Joanna Loved Me” is nothing less than exquisite. And when he cuts loose with a jazzily upbeat number like “Steppin’ Out With My Baby,” the result is sweet indeed. Finally, Bennett’s 1999 recording of “Mood Indigo” demonstrates his ability to sustain his artistry into his senior years. First track to last, this is a sterling collection by a truly class (and classic) act.