****RINGER OF THE WEEK****THIS IS A STANDARD SINGER 101..Tony Bennett: Stranger In Paradise-Early Albums

The saying goes, “A standard is a song sung by Tony Bennett”, and you can’t do much better than that.

This two disc collection has almost all of Tony Bennett’s early, and you can s ee why Bennett was, more than anything else, a true jazz singer. His 1955 debut has him teamed with Al Cohn/ts, Ed Shaunessey/dr, and most of all, Church Wayne/g on gorgeous reads of “Give ME The Simple Life” and “My Baby Just Cares For Me”, with the same year giving a rich read of “Sing You Sinners”. He’s next teamed with Ray Conniff for a rich big band read of “Always” and “Love Walked In”. He next is backed by a swinging team that includes long time  pianist Ralph Sharon along with George Van Eps/g and Herbie Mann/fl for totally hip takes of “It Could Happen to You “ and “My Foolish Heart”.

But for my money, not only is the 1957 The Beat Of My Heart Bennett’s best album ever, but it may be one of the top 5 vocal albums of all time. Bennett came up with the brilliant idea of mixing a jazz team of Mann/fl, John Pisano/g, Eddie Costa/vib, Al Cohn/ts, Nat Adderly/tp and Sharon/p with a rotating team of drummers like Art Blakey, Chico Hamilton, Jo Jones, Candido and Sabu, resulting in Bennett letting loose in rhythmic fashion. His take of “Lullaby Of Broadway” is a stunner as well is “Let’s Face The Music and Dance” and a mercurial “Just One Of Those Things”. You might wear this album out. He was hip when it was hep to be hip!