Tony Bennett at Radio City Music Hall

Born and raised in the Astoria section of New York City, a 10-year-old Anthony Benedetto sang at the opening of the Triborough Bridge in 1936 standing next to Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, who patted him on the head. He began singing for money at age 13, performing as a singing waiter in several Italian restaurants around his native Queens. As a U.S. Army infantryman, he saw combat during World War II and sang with the 314th Army Special Services Band. In 1949, Pearl Bailey asked him to open for her in Greenwich Village; Bob Hope was in the audience, took Benedetto on tour with him, and simplified his name to Tony Bennett. As a crooner of pop, jazz, big band and show tunes, Bennett enjoyed multiple hits songs in the 1950s and early 1960s, then enjoyed a comeback starting in the late 1980s when his music was marketed to the MTV generation rather than the Las Vegas circuit. Bennett has won 20 Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001, and has sold over 50 million records worldwide. His 57th and most recent studio album, Love Is Here to Stay with Diana Krall, was released on September 14, 2018.

Radio City Music Hall seems to be Tony Bennett's home stage thanks to his annual engagements there. This time, he performed with a simple jazz quartet (pianist Billy Stritch, guitarist Gary Sargent, bassist Marshall Wood, and drummer Harold Jones), foregoing lush arrangements for a bare-naked set that emphasized the beauty and power of his unique 92-year-old vocals. None of his famous duet partners (no Diana Krall, no Lady Gaga) showed, and the staging featured no flashy lighting or props. It was Bennett au naturel, much like you might find in a cozy jazz bar, except that this was New York City's largest auditorium. The lights dimmed, Frank Sinatra's pre-recorded voice praised Bennett, the lights came on and Bennett strolled on stage. Bennett's early bel canto vocal training has preserved his voice through seven decades, and it was a marvel to behold. His rich, earthy vocals were bombastic and powerful through Michel Legrand's "Watch What Happens" and George and Ira Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm" and Fred Astaire's "I'm Old Fashioned." He sang some of his best-known songs, including "Boulevard of Broken Dreams", "The Way You Look Tonight", a medley of "Rags to Riches" and "Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)", "For Once in My Life" and "I Left My Heart in San Francisco." Every song was re-interpreted, such that no song sounded exactly like its recorded version. The jazz combo enriched the songs with refined instrumental breaks. Personable and charming in his between-song anecdotes, Bennett framed the songs in their history. Most importantly, however, he punctuated many of his songs by gliding and hitting the high, dramatic crescendo notes. He may not have held them as long as he did in his younger years, but nevertheless this feat in itself was startling and monumental. This Tony Bennett performance was a master class in vocal talent, style, sophistication and artistry.