Tony Bennett Returns with The Art of Romance

 

By Doug Levine

All is well with veteran jazz crooner Tony Bennett. At 78, he looks great, and says, with no uncertainty¹, that he's feeling just fine. Well, why not? His career remains² in full swing. Tony recently performed at a benefit concert with Paul McCartney and the Red Hot Chili³ Peppers. Tony also jetted off to the island of Anguilla in the Caribbean to sing at a wedding on national television, and has released a five-disc anniversary collection. Tony Bennett captures our hearts, yet again, with a new CD titled "The Art Of Romance."

(Music)

Tony Bennett is a master of the Great American Songbook. He's held that title for as long as most fans can remember. Tony puts a magical touch on every song he sings, whether it's Johnny Mercer's "I Remember You" or Johnny Mandel's "Little Did I Dream." His obvious love for entertaining always seems to win over another generation of adoring fans.

(Music)

To fully⁴ appreciate Tony Bennett, you have to return to his humble⁵ beginnings as a struggling New York nightclub performer working under the name Joe Bari. Following Bob Hope's suggestion that he change his name to Tony Bennett, the aspiring⁶ young singer won his first recording⁷ contract and a hit song with "Can You Find It In Your Heart." For most jazz singers, including Tony Bennett, the 1960s and '70s proved to be tough times, as rock 'n' roll, folk and disco commanded a majority of sales and radio airplay. But Bennett, despite falling out of favor, pushed on. He stuck with the classics, and in the 1980s he was back on top with his multi-million selling album Unplugged.

What's been the key to Tony Bennett's success? He admits that some of it comes from luck, but adds, "It's about having faith in the audience to discover great art."

(Music)

Tributes to great composers and vocalists are nothing new for Tony Bennett. His most recent recordings⁸ included tribute albums honoring Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, and a Grammy-winning effort with k.d. lang to Louis Armstrong.

Tony Bennett wanted to try something a little different on his latest release, Art Of Romance. In addition to re-introducing little-known songs to listeners, he made his songwriting debut⁹, composing the lyrics¹⁰ to Django Reinhardt's "All For You."

I am Doug Levine.

(Music)
注释：
crooner 低声吟唱的歌手
songbook 歌谣集
humble 卑微的
tributes 获奖，颂词

1 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

2 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

3 chili   

n.辣椒

参考例句：

• He helped himself to another two small spoonfuls of chili oil.他自己下手又加了两小勺辣椒油。
• It has chocolate,chili,and other spices.有巧克力粉，辣椒，和其他的调味品。

4 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

5 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

6 aspiring   

adj.有志气的；有抱负的；高耸的v.渴望；追求

参考例句：

• Aspiring musicians need hours of practice every day. 想当音乐家就要每天练许多小时。
• He came from an aspiring working-class background. 他出身于有抱负的工人阶级家庭。 来自辞典例句

7 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

8 recordings   

n.记录( recording的名词复数 )；录音；录像；唱片

参考例句：

• a boxed set of original recordings 一套盒装原声录音带
• old jazz recordings reissued on CD 以激光唱片重新发行的老爵士乐

9 debut   

n.首次演出，初次露面

参考例句：

• That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里，他初次在百老汇登台，扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
• The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。

10 lyrics   

n.歌词

参考例句：

• music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart 由罗杰斯和哈特作词作曲
• The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs. 这本书有100多首歌的歌词和吉他奏法谱。