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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, January 15, 2004

CONCERT REVIEW
At concert hall, Tony Bennett flies you higher than the moon

By Chad Pata

Class personified graced the Blaisdell Concert Hall as Tony Bennett reminded everyone how far music has fallen since his heydays with Sinatra and the boys by blowing away a near-capacity crowd last night.

Tony Bennett

• 7:30 p.m. tomorrow

• Castle Theater, Maui Arts & Cultural Center

• $75 and $55 (almost sold out)

• (808) 242-7469

Starting with favorites like "The Best Is Yet to Come," Bennett brought the silver-haired crowd to its feet and welcomed it with open arms. With him attired in a simple black suit and surrounded by only his four-man band bathed in red light, it could have been a smoky jazz club in 1954 for the casualness of the atmosphere.

Bennett is still that young singing waiter in Astoria, Queens, thankful for the applause, clutching his hands together, smiling gently and letting the appreciation wash over him. Amazing to see a man who has been receiving standing ovations for 60 years still so thankful to receive them.

Though physically he seems limited (he had great difficulty leaning over to receive a lei), his voice has lost none of its timbre. The notes he hit and held in "All of Me" brought chills to the spine, and the loss you felt hearing Hank Williams' "Cold, Cold Heart" made couples slide closer together.

Not one to miss a moment of levity, he told of how Williams had called after he recorded the song (and sold 2 million copies) and asked: "What's the idea of ruining my song!"

The evening was filled with little remembrances of greats like Frank Sinatra and Charlie Chaplin — and all with a childlike glee as he watched those around him, taking nothing for granted.

When his pianist Lee Musiker was spotlighted for a solo, Bennett stood to the side, in the shadows watching his every note and tapping his foot in time. After the solo, he told the crowd how, even with all the guitars they keep making, he still loved the piano best.

To which his guitarist Gray Sargent took off on one of the most sweet, mournful solos ever played in the Blaisdell and the 11-time Grammy winner just had to smile at its brilliance.

The humor between songs continued as he jested before going into a series of his original hits that he was "the Britney Spears" of his time. Later the artist who has sold 50 million albums requested that everyone buy his new album, "A Beautiful World," because he needs the money.

Finishing up the set of the classics, Bennett did some spinning on the stage while singing "Stepping Out With My Baby" that would have looked silly with any other 77-year-old man doing it, but Bennett brought coos from the ladies in attendance.

The show stopper came from an unlikely source. The one member of the band he didn't introduce was drummer Clayton Cameron — I thought perhaps he was new and wasn't ready for the spotlight. Boy, was I wrong.

During "It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing," Bennett called Cameron for a solo. Setting aside the brushes he had used the whole set, he grabbed his sticks and brought down the house. As his hands became blurs, the audience reached its loudest with him, leading to a standing ovation.

"Yogi Berra called me after he saw Cameron on TV and said he is the best drummer he's seen since Gene Krupa," said Bennett after the hall had quieted enough for him to speak.

With everyone back, Bennett praised the old concert hall, saying "they don't build 'em like this anymore," and then proceeded to show them why he loved it. He had them turn off the microphones and sang "Fly Me to the Moon" unplugged and unaccompanied but for a acoustic guitar.

It got me to thinking, Tony — concert halls aren't the only thing they don't build like that anymore.

Reach Chad Pata at chadpata@mac.com.