Review by Ron Fassler . . .
With this being the centenary of Tony Bennett’s birth (in fact, he was born today, August 3, 1926), cabaret icon and pianist-singer Billy Stritch put together a show to celebrate it in grand style. Last night at 54 Below, Broadway’s premier supper club, we were treated not only to an hour of marvelous covers of some of Bennett’s greatest hits, but also to personal stories from the year-long tour Stritch played with him—having been personally chosen by the master for the gig. At the time, Bennett was 90 years old.
With his usual superb musicianship, Stritch was on fire from the get-go as he launched into fifteen arrangements of some of Bennett’s most treasured songs. As he explained, it was difficult to narrow down the choices since Stritch has a self-professed love of obscure titles. So, in addition in hearing such tried and true treasures as “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” “I Wanna Be Around,” and “The Shadow of Your Smile,” there were such rarities as “Yesterday I Heard the Rain” and “All for You,” the latter the only time Bennett took to writing lyrics (to the tune of Django Reinhardt’s “Nuages”).
I was fortunate in my lifetime to have seen Bennett in various venues that ranged in size from Carnegie Hall to the Hollywood Bowl. His passion for singing was pure as well as the feeling that the man didn’t want to be any place in the world than onstage in front of a crowd. And to be in the presence of someone with that kind of unbridled exuberance (and talent) is a prized experience. And Stritch, no stranger to being comfortable at home in the warm embrace of an intimate space like 54 Below, made for a perfect combination of singer and his material. An archivist, Stritch made some wise choices and every moment count; albeit in story or song.
Opening with “Watch What Happens,” composed by Michel Legrand for his score to 1964’s The Umbrellas of Cherbourg(English lyrics supplied later by Norman Gimbel), Stritch took to the stage in full swinger-mode, leaving the piano duties to Andy Ezrin (later, Stritch returned to the Steinway with Ezrin relegated to a keyboard).
Additional highlights from the evening included such Bennett classics as Irving Berlin’s “Steppin’ Out with My Baby,” Harry Warren and Al Dubin’s “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” and Sacha Distel and Jack Reardon’s “The Good Life.” But the one that drove home most dramatically was Jerome Kern’s “All the Things You Are,” due to the story Stritch told that proceeded it. While on the 11-month, two-week tour with Bennett (juuuuust shy of a year), Stritch discovered they were going to play Sugartown, Texas, his hometown. Hoping to snag some comp tickets, he asked the company manager whether Tony might be using his. The response? “Tony gets forty comps per performance.” Stritch took this to mean he might be able to nab all forty. After all, how many people could Bennett know in Sugartown, Texas? The icing on the cake was when Bennett discovered they were heading to Stritch’s birthplace and that his mother would be in attendance. “Would you mom like it if I sang a song for her?” Yeah, she’d like that. So, Stritch’s singing of the Kern masterpiece (one of Stephen Sondheim’s all-time favorite songs), was indelibly touched by this touching story.
In addition to Ezrin, Stritch was backed by Michael O’Brien on bass and Eric Halvorson on drums, both expert on their respective instruments. When each was called upon for a solo or two, they did not disappoint.
All in all, a beautiful birthday bash played in front of a sold-out crowd. There is one last performance tonight and, if seats are available, grab them. Hopefully, this will be a show that Stritch will bring to other cities throughout this year-long celebration of the art of Anthony Benedetto, the man about whom Frank Sinatra once said: “For my money, Tony Bennett is the best singer in the business. He excites me when I watch him. He moves me. He’s the singer who gets across what the composer has in mind, and probably a little more.”
About that quote, Bennett was fond of saying, “He told everyone I was his favorite singer, and I’ve been sold out ever since.”
Billy Stritch: My Year with Tony Bennett—Celebrating 100 Years of an Icon is playing one more night, August 3rd, at 54 Below, 254 W 54th Street, NYC. For ticket availability, please click here.
Headline photo of Andy Ezrin and Billy Stritch by Ron Fassler.
