Music: Tony Bennett "Soon It's Gonna Rain"

Newly remastered in 2011, this gorgeous recording of "Soon It's Gonna Rain" from The Fantasticks is one of my favorites.

The arrangement is in complete harmony with the intent of the writers. Not overly-produced, not over-sung. As a matter of fact, how about the fab vocals by Mr. Bennett? Now there's a real singer.

Perfect for a slow, holiday Monday.

Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga Debut at Number One on Billboard 200

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga’s widely acclaimed jazz album, Cheek To Cheek, tops the charts it's first week out of the gate at #1 this week on the Billboard 200 Album.

Plus, the duo land at #1 on the Jazz Album and Traditional Jazz Album Charts.

Released September 23rd on Streamline/Columbia/Interscope Records, Cheek To Cheek has received extensive widespread critical praise around the world:

• USA TODAY ("an epic musical mashup")
• ROLLING STONE ("Gaga has real chemistry with Bennett")
• PEOPLE ("An unlikely pairing results in beautiful music on this album of jazz standards. [Gaga] is a revelation.")
• THE TIMES OF LONDON (“crooning nirvana”)
• CHICAGO SUN-TIMES (“A musical match made in jazz/standards heaven”)

With the release of Cheek to Cheek, Bennett breaks his own record, set in 2011 when DUETS II debuted at #1 at the age of 85. Now at 88, Bennett remains the oldest artist in music industry history to have an album on the #1 spot on the Billboard charts.

Cheek To Cheek marks Lady Gaga's third consecutive #1 album release in just over three years; this is the second time in Bennett’s career that he has had an album debut at #1 in both Billboard’s Pop and Jazz Album charts.

Cheek To Cheek features classic jazz standards sung by Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett in a combination of vocal duets and solo performances. Each song was handpicked by the artists, and the album features classic selections from the Great American Songbook including “Anything Goes,” “It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)," “Sophisticated Lady,” “Lush Life,” and the record’s title track, “Cheek To Cheek.”

Music: Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga "I Can't Give You Anything But Love"

Swinging studio video from the upcoming Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga album "Cheek To Cheek."

Excellent arrangement, and both sound fab.  More and more excited about hearing this.

Available September 23 - Pre-order now

News Round-up - August 19, 2014

• Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga share 2nd track from upcoming duets album

• Gavin McInnes, of the NYC ad agency Rooster, gets a time-out by his firm for posting hideous transphobic essay

• Six LGBT persons stoned to death in Uganda

• Speaking of Uganda, the President there just signed a bill criminalizing the transmission of HIV

• The Smithsonian is adding LGBT history to the museum's collection, including items from TV show "Will & Grace"

• God loves gays, and to prove it He's going to put up a billboard saying so in Topeka, Kansas - hometown of the hateful Westboro Baptist Church

Preview: Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett debut "Anything Goes" from upcoming Cheek To Cheek CD

The long-awaited collaborative jazz album from Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett, Cheek To Cheek, will be released on Streamline/Columbia/Interscope Records on Tuesday, September 23.

The first taste of this new music is the classic Cole Porter song, “Anything Goes”, available today on iTunes and other digital retailers.

An accompanying studio video featuring “Anything Goes” and footage from the recording sessions and moments during the making of Cheek to Cheek is currently available on YouTube and VEVO.

Cheek to Cheek represents a collaboration between two legendary musical artists spanning the generations to celebrate jazz music.

Check out the video preview below:

(via press release)