Bennett & Lady Gaga go cheek to cheek

Here is a case of how appearances, as well as public image, can indeed be deceiving. Tony Bennett, the distinguished balladeer on whom even the great Frank Sinatra lavished praise, and Lady Gaga, the young Fame Monster who has a meat dress in her wardrobe, make for an unlikely pair. “Who would ever think that?” is the usual initial reaction to the idea of them singing together. But it is no mere idea anymore. The pairing has happened and it has resulted in a superb album of classics that is a real big hit. Titled Cheek To Cheek, it made No. 1 in the hit charts upon release last month.

Cheek To Cheek is made up of classic jazz standards. These are songs from the great American songbook composed by illustrious names like Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Dorothy Fields and others. Bennett has been singing them pretty much in his shows these past 60-plus years. Until this time we did not know if Gaga or her fans had even heard of them. Well, it wonderfully turned out that Gaga knows the songs by heart and if her fans take the trouble to find out, they will also discover these treasures.

All these started while Bennett was working on his Duets 2 album and he met the controversial pop star. Bennett asked Gaga if she would like to be part of his Duets album. The lady said “yes” and volunteered the information that she has been singing jazz since she was a kid. Those who later on got to listen to their The Lady Is A Tramp in Duets 2 said that she did sound like she knew jazz. Not merely sounded like she knew, like the great artists of yore, Gaga sounded like she has jazz in her bones. Reaction to their duet was rhapsodic. And that was how the idea for a Bennett-Gaga whole album collaboration was born. And Gaga entered a new, very interesting chapter in her singing career.

Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande and even their titas Madonna and Mariah Carey should be envious of Gaga’s good fortune. She gets to sing with her real voice. No overdubs or auto-tunes here. She gets to sing such timeless beautiful songs. She gets to sing with an 88-year-old music icon who puts younger singers to shame as he sings and swings. And best of all, she gets to show everybody that she sounds fantastic. Gaga’s take on Billy Strayhorn’s Lush Life is one of the best ever heard and her version of Porter’s Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye feels like sweet, warm, smooth butter. And when she gets together with Bennett in But Beautiful, they create heaven.

Recorded live with an excellent orchestra led by Jorge Calandreili, Cheek To Cheek is another testimony to the greatness of Bennett. He has been a hitmaker since 1952 with Because of You, and later on with Boulevard of Broken Dreams, From The Candy Store On The Corner To The Chapel On The Hill, Cold Cold Heart, Stranger In Paradise, My Funny Valentine, The Good Life, I Left My Heart In San Francisco, Tender Is The Night and many others. He paints. He writes. He sung for MTV Unplugged and changed television forever. The man is a living legend. I hope that somebody can come up with an invention that will keep him with us forever.

Make sure that you get to enjoy the pleasures that Bennett and Gaga offer up in Cheek To Cheek. They had fun making the album and it shows. The listener gets caught up in their joy as they sing together and the energy they generate is exciting. Interesting chemistry is at work. And goody-goody, they did not skimp on the songs. Cheek To Cheek has 18 great cuts.

Also included are: Anything Goes, Cheek To Cheek, Don’t Wait Too Long, I Can’t Give You Anything But Love, Nature Boy, Goody Goody, Firefly, I Won’t Dance, They All Laughed, Sophisticated Lady, Let’s Face The Music And Dance, It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing), On A Clear Day (You Can See Forever), Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered and The Lady Is A Tramp.

And now the hit lists from Billboard Magazine: The albums: Bringing Back Sunshine by Blake Shelton; 747 by Lady Antebellum; Partners by Barbra Streisand; Cheek to Cheek by Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga; Art Official Age by Prince; The Big Revival by Kenny Chesney; V by Maroon 5; Plectrumelectrum by Prince and 3RDEYEGIRL; X by Chris Brown; No Sound Without Silence by The Script.

Frozen, the motion picture soundtrack; In The Lonely Hour by Sam Smith; Down Where The Spirit Meets The Bone by Lucinda Williams; Queen Of The Clouds by Tove Lo; Guardians Of The Galaxy: Awesome Mix, the movie soundtrack; Hesitant Alien by Gerard Way; Gypsy Heart by Colbie Caillat; Kauai by Childish Gambino; Title by Meghan Trainor; and My Everything by Ariana Grande.

The singles:  All About That Bass by Meghan Trainor; Shake It Off by Taylor Swift; Black Widow by Iggy Azalea feat. Rita Ora; Bang Bang by Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj; Anaconda by Nicki Minaj; Habits (Stay High) by Tove Lo; Don’t Tell ’em by Jeremih feat. YG; Animals by Maroon 5; Stay With Me by Sam Smith; Break Free by Ariana Grande feat. Zedd.

Rather Be by Clean Bandit feat. Jess Glynne; Hot Boy by Bobby Shmurda; Steal My Girl by One Direction; Rude by MAGIC! Chandelier by Sia; Boom Clap by Charli XCX; Don’t by Ed Sheeran; Maps by Maroon 5; Cool Kids by Echosmith; and Burnin’ It Down by Jason Aldean.