Tony Bennett « theMaxOnline

12Feb/122

It’s Grammy night

Tonight is the Grammy awards, the biggest night in music, and I'll be live-blogging as well as the occasional tweet. The awards begin to be given out in about 40 minutes for the non-televised categories. It all starts there. The ones I pick up on during that time I'll mention here before the actual awards start tonight.

Bringing the Grammys to you!

6:41 (ET): So far for Grammy night: at the pre-telecast, all of the other winners were announced except for the ten awards they'll be giving out on the live show. As I hoped (but didn't correctly predict), Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for Body And Soul. Tony won Best Traditional Pop Album as well. Adele won Best Pop Vocal Album for 21 and Best Video for Rolling In The Deep. Kanye West won three in the Rap categories as did Skrillex in the Dance categories and for Best Remix. Foo Fighters won four awards. Each are up for more awards in the main categories.

6:44: These are the categories to air live tonight.
Album of the Year
Record of the Year
Song of the Year
Best New Artist
Best Rock Performance
Best Rap Performance
Best R&B Album
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
Best Pop Solo Performance
Best Country Album

8:05: Bruce Springsteen brings the house down and the show has only just started!

8:06: Host LL Cool J opens the awards with a prayer to the passing of Whitney Houston. Whitney was a Grammy favourite so it seems suitable.

8:08: Adele has stolen Katy Perry's blonde hair, who herself seems to have gone faded blue...

8:14: Ok, people might not like Bruno Mars but he does put on an entertaining and lively performance.

8:18: I forgot Chris Brown was performing. I really hope it's not like his MTV Awards performance... I'm not here for #showoffs

8:22: The world needs more Bonnie Raitt.

8:24: Adele! I'm shocked! (Best Pop Performance for Someone Like You. Better have your running shoes on, Adele.)

8:35: Tony Bennett looks young for 85.

8:36: Kanye isn't there? How odd... no one to steal the show. Get it? heh....

8:50: While nothing spectacular for a Grammys televised show, I'd still love to go to a Foo Fighters concert. They're always dependable!

8:52: Grammy count so far. Foo Fighters - 4, Kanye West - 4, Adele - 3

9:02: While I think she's gotten much better since first emerging, I do sometimes wonder how Rihanna managed to get a recording contract in the first place. She doesn't have much stage presence and the backup dancers carried the We Found Love portion of her performance, Chris Martin carrying the second half of it but even I expect better from Coldplay. No more falsetto, please.

9:14: Five for the Foo Fighters so far! Adele who, perhaps?

9:19: Adam Levine sounded decent but the Foster the People guy doesn't look into it at all.

9:26: The Beach Boys were pleasant! They outdid their introducing bands.

9:34: Diana Krall is the foxiest woman in jazz. I love see her appear out of nowhere on these award shows.

9:38: If these were the MTV Awards, the camera would have panned to Rihanna every time Chris Brown made an appearance.

9:44: That might have been the best performance I've ever seen from Taylor Swift but I am highly disappointed she didn't do Safe And Sound with the Civil Wars. I'll stand by my opinion that she really needs new material and Safe And Sound is easily the best thing she's ever recorded so it should have been presented at the Grammys. Also love how she once again looked "surprised" by the applause after it was over. Oh Taylor!

9:51: Adele again. By the time the Album of the Year award comes up, Adele and Foo Fighters will be 5/5 and be competing for their 6th potential award of the night. Katy Perry is up next doing her brand new single Part Of Me.

9:57: I might get flack for this but I thought Katy's performance was spot on! Another big hit for her for sure.

10:11: Nice to see Adele and while she sounded a bit rough at the beginning, she DID just have vocal surgery. She seems much more lively and confident though I'd have preferred perhaps Set Fire To The Rain. All in all, an exceptional performance proving why she's the year's top artist in music. I don't think I've ever seen a situation where one singer seemed to have the support of an entire audience and industry. Adele can do anything!

10:21: This tribute to Glen Campbell seems odd to me unless he's receiving some special achievement award or something. Needless to say, I think The Band Perry are absolutely adorable and I do have a soft spot for Like A Rhinestone Cowboy so I won't say no to this performance. I would even venture the idea that it is among the best of the evening so far.

10:24: It seems Glen is receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award along with a few others. So now it makes much more sense. Carry on...!

10:33: I'm surprised they chose Carrie Underwood to perform with Tony Bennett considering the number of other great singers on Duets II that could have duetted with him. But I suppose with Carrie's recent connection as a Grammy winner for Best New Artist, which will be given out following this performance, it makes sense. But there's just something about Carrie that rubs me the wrong way... so now I'll move on.

11:35: I'm sad Nicki Minaj didn't win but Bon Iver did and seeing Kathleen Edwards on the screen multiple times was worth it!

10:40: About time someone mentioned Amy Winehouse! (and Steve Jobs)

10:45: I feel like Jennifer Hudson's voice is a bit too deep for this song but she's holding the song quite well. No Whitney but this is why everyone also loves J-Hud.

10:53: I can completely appreciate the DJ/producer of this electropop age but I really don't get what David Guetta's role is in a performance such as this. At least he looks like he's having fun. Meanwhile, Lil'Wayne has just appeared. I only just saw on Twitter that he was just arrested backstage. I guess that was found to be a false rumour. I'm now looking forward to what the Foo Fighters have to offer to this segment.

10:56: I can't help but find it curiously awesome how Dave Grohl continued to mention how the Foo Fighters' album was recorded the old fashioned way in his garage with real musicians and players but he can still perform with Deadmau5 at the Grammys.

11:03: About a half hour left and we still have Nicki Minaj unveiling a brand new song from her upcoming Roman Reloaded album, as well as Record of the Year and Album of the Year. I think they should just bring a throne to the stage and let Adele spend the rest of the show there.

11:10: I've got a feeling the new Nicki Minaj album won't be well received as the concept album it appears it's going to be, and this performance itself is questionable at bet but I can't help but think it's also awesome...in its own...odd...way! Not a traditional Grammy performance but Nicki's got my attention.

12:20: Album of the year - 21 by Adele! 6 for 6! New record for women at the Grammys, I do believe. Amy Winehouse and, I believe, Norah Jones previously won 5 in one night.

12:25: Correction: she ties Beyoncé, who won 6 a few years back.

12:31: Finished! On time! Could be a first but a good move for the awards to officially extend that extra half hour. In my predictions, I got eleven correct, two wrong. Not too bad.

12:35: This year's show was pretty entertaining overall. There were a lot of great performances.
Best performance: I might have to cop out and make it a tie between Bruno Mars, Adele, Jennifer Hudson, the Glen Campbell tribute and the Foo Fighters. They were all great in their own ways.
Worst performance: Easily Rihanna and Coldplay.
Tomorrow's most talked about performance: Nicki Minaj. Though everyone will be focusing on Adele's clean sweep.

Good night everyone! Thanks for stickin' around!

24Nov/110

Grammy’s The Big 4 predictions

The nominations for music's biggest night of the year will be announced next Wednesday and like the Oscars, there has been a lot of Grammy buzz floating around, specifically with certain names. I've taken The Big 4 awards and chosen my predictions for the nominations for them. It's really hard to narrow down the lists to five since there are a lot of contenders so while I end each category off with a solid five for my actual predictions, there's also the inclusion of some secondary guesses that I also expect to make it in place of some of my final guesses that don't.

Album of the Year
760 albums were submitted for this the biggest award of the Grammys. Many fingers have been directed at some obvious choices for most of the year. When people refer to an album having "Grammy buzz", it typically refers to whether it is considered for this category.
Adele has been pretty much a sure bet since 21 came out back in February and Tony Bennett has gotten some attention with Duets II. I'm also betting on the Foo Fighters getting a surprise nomination with Wasting Light. Kanye West is a sure shot too however he is involved on two submitted albums, his own My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy as well as Watch The Throne with Jay-Z. So one of those is likely unless they cancel each other out. Other considered titles include Paper Airplane by Alison Krauss and Union Station (don't be surprised. She's the woman with the most Grammys ever - 26), Born This Way by Lady GaGa and filling the off-the-wall out-of-the-blue quota is Here We Go Again by Willie Nelson, Wynton Marsalis and Norah Jones. Meanwhile, after last year's Teenage Dream (Katy Perry) nomination, there might also be room for more mainstream-friendly, hit-filled albums like Loud (Rihanna) or Speak Now (Taylor Swift).

My predictions: Adele, Tony Bennett, Foo Fighters, Lady GaGa and Taylor Swift.

Song of the Year
The Song of the Year category is a songwriter's award. However, for simplicity's purpose, I'll list the singer of the songs rather than just the songwriters when I make my predictions. 839 songs were submitted for consideration for the final five. If any category will have any major surprises of The Big 4, it would be this one.
Some of the songs at the forefront of my predictions include the obvious Rolling In The Deep (which is the only song of Adele's submitted. A smart move to avoid the splitting of votes. It's pretty much guaranteed), Don't You Wanna Stay (Jason Aldean & Kelly Clarkson), Firework (Katy Perry), Marry Me (Train's underdog submission) and Perfect (Pink). This category often contains a surprise that comes out of left field that could be any of the following: All Of The Lights (Kanye West), You And I (Lady GaGa), Pumped Up Kicks (Foster The People), Hold My Hand (Michael Jackson and Akon), Back Down South (Kings of Leon), The Cave (Mumford & Sons) or Call Your Girlfriend (Robyn). Hey, it could happen!

My predictions: Rolling In The Deep, Don't You Wanna Stay, Marry Me, You And I and Perfect.

Record of the Year
854 titles were submitted for this category. The Record of the Year is an award for the artist, producer, mixer, engineer and others that worked on the actual recording of the song. It typically has consisted of titles that are bigger hits than those that end up in Song of the Year.
My guesses consist of Adele (Rolling In The Deep) as a sure bet, as well as Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera (Moves Like Jagger) with the rest being mostly wild-card guesses. The Foo Fighters are Grammy darlings and have been nominated in The Big 4 a few times in the past. Walk could represent the rock voters with Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson's Don't You Wanna Stay for those on the country side. Other guesses go for Lady GaGa (You And I or Judas but likely the former if any of them), Kanye West (All Of The Lights) or perhaps Nicki Minaj (Super Bass) or Mumford & Sons (The Cave).

My predictions: Adele, Maroon 5 with Christina Aguilera, Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson, Lady GaGa and the Foo Fighters.

Best New Artist
The Best New Artist category is tough to choose from amongst the 447 submissions because quite often the names that make the final five nominations list may often be artists who are known only to people of the genre of music they do. Last year's winner Esperanza Spalding, for example, was unknown outside of the world of Jazz but was suddenly a recognizable name due to her Grammy nomination. So this category can do a lot for a nominated artist.
My thoughts are based on little more than current buzz and partial name recognition of some of the following including The Band Perry, Bon Iver, Eliza Doolittle, Jessie J and Nicki Minaj. But other names that could sneak in include a hopeful prediction for Nicole Atkins or to a lesser extent Ellie Goulding. Perhaps An Horse, J. Cole, Foster The People, Neon Trees, Christina Perri and Tyler, The Creator.

My predictions: The Band Perry, Bon Iver, Eliza Doolittle, Jessie J and Nicki Minaj.

As for the overall predictions, I'm guessing that Adele, Tony Bennett, the Foo Fighters and Jason Aldean all pick up the most nominations including ones they happen to make in the categories above. The nominations are announced on Wednesday, November 30th.

4Oct/111

Music Review: Duets II

Album cover for Duets II by Tony Bennett

While not being up on any amount of vocal jazz music from the 40s or 50s other than being familiar with some of the most popular standards, Duets II by Tony Bennett is an event in the making so if there's any time to start, do it with this one. It contains a wide array of popular mainstream artists doing the jazz thing with Tony covering the classics that originally made him a big name. The chemistry between Tony and some of the guest vocalists on here oozes through the speakers, which may be astounding considering that he's 85.

What is almost most astonishing about the record when listening to the whole thing is how fitting most of the guests are with the genre. Lady GaGa sounds right at home next to Tony on the opening track The Lady Is A Tramp. John Mayer is a comfortable singing partner. Aretha Franklin gives it her all and doesn't disappoint. Queen Latifah sounds just right. Faith Hill is perhaps the most surprising of all on The Way You Look Tonight. Her normally recognizable albeit uninteresting vocals are completely out of her usual fare but very fitting and impressive and even fellow country/pop superstar Carrie Underwood offers a pleasant surprise. Her normally piercing (re: whiney) vocals are gentle and delicate on It Had To Be You, letting both her and Tony share the stage equally.

However, some sound slightly out of place. Sheryl Crow's appearance sounds like that obligatory jazzy Christmas recording that is a must for any holiday record, no matter how fitting. She has a certain fresh, almost sexy quality but doesn't quite suit next to the album's other guests. Likewise, Willie Nelson just sounds uncomfortable on the track On The Sunny Side Of The Street. But with the recent drastic change in his sound, the continued effort is well appreciated.

Duets II also contains the final recorded performance of the legend-in-the-making Amy Winehouse. The potential of what could have been is made apparent on the song Body And Soul. Amy shows personality but also has class as she sings with one of music's finest vocalists. Perhaps that alone is reason enough for the impending success of this record. Perhaps it's the 17 pairings that make up some of the finest duets in recent years or perhaps it's the return to mainstream a music form that has been distant for decades. Either way, Duets II is one of the requirements from 2011 to have in any CD collection.

Tracklisting
1. The Lady Is A Tramp [with Lady Gaga]
2. One for My Baby [with John Mayer]
3. Body And Soul [with Amy Winehouse]
4. Don't Get Around Much Anymore [with Michael Bublé]
5. Blue Velvet [with k.d. lang]
6. How Do You Keep The Music Playing [with Aretha Franklin]
7. The Girl I Love [with Sheryl Crow]
8. On The Sunny Side Of The Street [with Willie Nelson]
9. Who Can I Turn To [with Queen Latifah]
10. Speak Low [with Norah Jones]
11. This Is All I Ask [with Josh Groban]
12. Watch What Happens [with Natalie Cole]
13. Stranger In Paradise [with Andrea Bocelli]
14. The Way You Look Tonight [with Faith Hill]
15. Yesterday I Heard The Rain [with Alejandro Sanz]
16. It Had To Be You [with Carrie Underwood]
17. When Do The Bells Ring For Me [with Mariah Carey]

Tagged as: amy winehouse, Carrie Underwood, Duets II, Faith Hill, John Mayer, Lady GaGa, Music, Norah Jones, Sheryl Crow, Tony Bennett 1 Comment

3Sep/112

Tony Bennett: saving the music industry

Album cover for Tony Bennett's upcoming Duets II

I'm a huge fan of music award shows. My favourite one is probably the Grammys because of the reputation they have of being perhaps the most respected music awards, as far as music awards can go of course. So since I was 11 or 12, I've tried to watch them every February when they aired on TV. Most of the music and performers that appeared on there I was familiar with to some degree but there were always a few that I wasn't. One of the more consistent presenters and occasional performers was Tony Bennett. I knew nothing about him other than that he was a jazz standards singer not unlike Frank Sinatra. Even when writing this blog I realize, I still know nothing about him. So I turn to wikipedia for a quick rundown.

He's been recording since the early 1950s, which gives him over six decades since his first hit. He's the voice behind I Left My Heart In San Francisco. He went on an extended hiatus in the early 1970s, nearly died of a cocaine overdose in 1979 and made a strong comeback in the early 90s by making appearances on the late-night circuit, shows such as The Simpsons and oddly enough, MTV. In 1994, he joined the likes of Mariah Carey, Nirvana, 10,000 Maniacs and Eric Clapton by releasing an MTV Unplugged record. That album would go on to win a few Grammys including Album of the Year in 1995 at age 68.
Yet, by choice, perhaps due to my lack of focus on traditional pop and jazz standards, he still remained under my radar.

I never would have thought that 15 years later, he could have one of the most anticipated records of the upcoming Fall season in pop music.

Tony Bennett in the studio with Amy Winehouse

In 2006, he released an record called Duets: An American Classic that consisted of new versions of his older songs recorded with other vocalists including the Dixie Chicks, Elton John, Michael Bublé, Bono, Celine Dion, k.d. lang and many others. Of course, it's main target was on an older music-buying audience. Sales-wise, it did pretty well. On September 20, 85-year-old Tony Bennett is releasing Duets II, another collection of older songs re-recorded with some pretty big names. What makes this collection of songs so anticipated, in addition to having a highly publicized recording with Lady GaGa as well as songs with John Mayer, Sheryl Crow, Carrie Underwood, Mariah Carey and Norah Jones, it's also the final recording of Amy Winehouse as the two recorded Body And Soul back in March. Tony was at the MTV Music Video Awards last week as part of their tribute to Amy and they showed them in the studio recording the song together.

I think such a winning combination can have a similar effect as Santana's collaboration record Supernatural did back in 1999. Of course, everyone remembers Smooth with Rob Thomas and that record sold millions while winning at least ten Grammy awards.

It's unlikely the songs themselves will be played on the radio or become hits but the album will be big. My prediction for Duets II is that it will be the second best selling album of 2011 behind Adele's 21 and will get some pretty hefty Grammy award nominations when they are announced in December. I'll try to revisit this blog post by the end of the year to see how my thoughts compare to reality.

Tracklisting
1. The Lady Is A Tramp (with Lady Gaga)
2. One For My Baby (And One More For The Road) (with John Mayer)
3. Body And Soul (with Amy Winehouse)
4. Don't Get Around Much Anymore (with Michael Bublé)
5. Blue Velvet (with k.d. lang)
6. How Do You Keep The Music Playing (with Aretha Franklin)
7. The Girl I Love (with Sheryl Crow)
8. On The Sunny Side of the Street (Willie Nelson)
9. Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me) (with Queen Latifah)
10. Speak Low (with Norah Jones)
11. This Is All I Ask (with Josh Groban)
12. Watch What Happens (with Natalie Cole)
13. Stranger In Paradise (with Andrea Bocelli)
14. The Way You Look Tonight (with Faith Hill)
15. Yesterday I Heard The Rain (with Alejandro Sanz)
16. It Had To Be You (with Carrie Underwood)
17. When Do The Bells Ring For Me (with Mariah Carey)