To give equal credit, kd lang has one of the best voices in American music...the combination of their voices is magical.

There is almost no hint of the vocal decline in Bennett's voice that I had been noticing in his most recent albums, such as the Billie Holiday tribute. He sounds to me almost 15 years younger.

Louis Armstrong was a good friend of Tony Bennett's, and I'm confident that Armstrong would be most flattered by the tribute on this album.

This album proves that Tony Bennett, more than anybody else, is keeping the Great American songbook alive and relevant.

I only wish it were longer...it's just 43 minutes. If Sony and the other companies keep raising prices, the consumer deserves a longer product. But at least with a compact disc player you can hit repeat...which I guarantee you will do with this album.

I've listened to hundreds of discs this year, and I'd have to say that this is perhaps the best...a true recording highlight for 2002. This is what sound recording should be all about.


Bennett still a legend at 75   November 7, 2002
42 out of 43 found this review helpful

Tony Bennett sounds on this album as good as he sounded twenty years ago. The slightly cracked quality in his voice remains, but he struggles less with long notes than on his most recent albums. In particular, this album is a massive leap forward from the eclectic showboating of Playin' With My Friends.

It has long been a mystery to Bennett fans why Mr B did not do a full album with k.d. lang much sooner - their voices blend together so perfectly.

Here, Tony Bennett is paying tribute to a man he cares about - Louis Armstrong. He is singing material that he empathises with - no modern concessions. The arrangements on the album are superb - and hint back to his best work of the 1960s.

In short this is an album by an artist, who, whilst no longer at the peak of his powers, is still able to deliver a fine performance when focused on the material. He finds that focus on this splendid album.


A heavenly pairing   December 25, 2002
Charlotte Vale-Allen (CT USA)
35 out of 38 found this review helpful

k. d. lang has always had a gorgeous voice, but it was kind of hard to pay attention to her sounds when she was cavorting around in silly outfits and generally playing the clown. Now that she's past that era and is allowing her voice to illustrate just who she is and what she brings to the table, she's better than ever. With a voice that on one track sounds the way velvet feels ("What a Wonderful World") and on another is as refreshing as shaved ice with raspberry flavoring on a summer afternoon ("Exactly Like You") she is a perfect compliment to the great Tony, who isn't anywhere close to losing his chops. He still sings like a dream. The two bring humor and heart and peerless talent to the well-chosen selections on this CD--including some of my all-time favorites: "A Kiss to Build a Dream on," "You Can Depend on Me," and "That Lucky Old Sun." When two great singers team up, and you've got a phenomenal tenor sax man like Scott Hamilton dropping by to help out as a sideman, with orchestrations and conducting by Peter Matz, you just can't ask for more. But more would be wonderful--maybe another half dozen collections.
Most highly recommended.


"You Can Depend On..." This One   December 21, 2002
Jeremiah O. Teague (Tucson, AZ USA)
29 out of 29 found this review helpful

Louis Armstrong is my favorite instrumentalist AND vocalist of all time. So, we have Tony Bennett (the best old style jazz singer still kicking) and K.D. Lang...well, what do you say about K.D. Lang? Just the best voice in so-called country and easily one of the top four vocalists in jazz (with Cassandra Wilson, Diane Reeves and Diana Krall). Now we have these premier singers doing Louie songs. How about that cover of "Exactly Like You". Oh man. I listened to that one four times before I went on the rest of the album. Every song is exquisite. "What a Wonderful World" is my numero uno song on the hit parade of all songs ever written. What a great cover. And dig that cover of "Lucky Old Sun". Whoa. I had to go through that one three times before moving on to "If We Never Meet Again".

So on my fifth listening to this CD, I'd say T-Bone hit another one out of the park...


A masterpiece from two superb vocal stylists   November 9, 2002
B. J. Lane (Levittown, PA United States)
24 out of 24 found this review helpful

Since returning to the Columbia roster in the mid-80's, Tony Bennett has made a number of superb albums...and this new one is no exception. Thankfully, he has brought the gifted k.d.lang along for the ride in a collection of songs associated in one way or another with the great Satchmo.

The superb orchestrations were penned by the legendary arranger Peter Matz (presumably his final project before his death this past August).

Both singers are in excellent voice here, and blend well together - Tony continues to enthrall listeners, even at 75 years young, and k.d. demonstrates that she has the voice to handle the great pop standards. She should make a standards album on her own in the near future.