After Tony Bennett’s recent retirement form a stellar career spanning more than half-a-century, here are two Christmas-themed performances I’d like to share with you from one of his three or four ‘primes’ … as well as an interview with Tony from my Jazz Scene Podcast page. In 1989 I had the pleasure of peeling back a couple of outer layers and speaking with him about more than just his music.
The first video is a typically smooth Bennett blend of I Love The Winter Weather and I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm from A Family Christmas. Then Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, together with the Count Basie Orchestra, from A Swingin’ Christmas, moves us just a bit closer to the big day when the jolly old elf himself makes his rounds.