Now in his 90s with no end in sight, 39th time’s a charm for Tony Bennett at Ravinia

Photos by Andy Argyrakis

Being in the presence of Tony Bennett is a privilege and the fact that he’s still running with the torch passed from Frank Sinatra at 92-years-old is almost superhuman. In fact, the master interpreter of the Great American Songbook and beyond since the 1950s is currently putting the finishing touches on “Love Is Here To Stay,” a duets project with contemporary jazz chanteuse Diana Krall following a blockbuster pairing with Lady Gaga, though he made sure to carve out enough time on the calendar for his 39th Ravinia appearance (where his oil painting of the venue even greets guests entering the dining pavilion).

“Shall we keep going?” joked Bennett towards the conclusion, which was met with nothing but affirmative howls, and he lived up to his end of the bargain with the eternal “I Left My Heart In San Francisco,” “Who Cares (So Long As You Care For Me)” and “Fly Me To The Moon,” bowing and shaking hands through at least a couple curtain calls with no end to his unbreakable streak in sight.

“The best audience ever I’ve had throughout the whole world has been in Chicago,” he proclaimed at one point in the 90-minute night that also included an opening set of standards by his daughter Antonia Bennett. “There’s nothing like being at this particular theatre. Thanks for being so good to us every time we come here.”

It’s safe to say the feeling was mutual as far as hosting an artist who continues to be a beacon of the classics is concerned and the standing ovations only increased as the night progressed. Along with a quartet and no teleprompter, Bennett snapped and swayed his way through more than two dozen-tunes, garnering giggles in all the appropriate places during “They All Laughed,” empathy from anyone experiencing “Solitude” and yearning for the good ole’ days come “I’m Old Fashioned.”

In other words, Bennett embodied the emotions of every song he sang, and to quote another one of his beloved numbers borrowed from Liza Minnelli, “It Amazes Me” and surely those who nestled into the pavilion and spread out on the lawn. The only blip of a blunder came during “Steppin’ Out With My Baby” when he took a pause and skipped a few words, but the headliner played it cool and picked right back up on the next beat as if it never happened.

Vocally, he remains in step with any latter day albums or performances, occasionally shortening some notes, but frequently taking risks and having the extra effort pay off. “The Way You Look Tonight” was exquisite, “Boulevard Of Broken Dreams” and “How Do You Keep The Music Playing?” tugged further at the heartstrings, while he displayed perhaps the mightiest hold throughout “One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)” as he raised a toast with a glass of water he barely drank.

Following nearly every selection, Bennett flashed a maximum watt smile, outstretched each arm and gave a thumbs up as the applause just kept on coming to the degree that only an artist of this caliber can command. “Shall we keep going?” joked Bennett towards the conclusion, which was met with nothing but affirmative howls, and he lived up to his end of the bargain with the eternal “I Left My Heart In San Francisco,” “Who Cares (So Long As You Care For Me)” and “Fly Me To The Moon,” bowing and shaking hands through at least a couple curtain calls with no end to his unbreakable streak in sight.

Click here for more photos of Tony Bennett at Ravinia.

For additional information on Tony Bennett, visit TonyBennett.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at Ravinia include Gipsy Kings (Sept. 14); Johnny Rivers and Jimmy Webb (Sept. 15) and Los Tigres del Norte (Sept. 16). For additional details, visit Ravinia.org.

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Now in his 90s with no end in sight, 39th time’s a charm for Tony Bennett at Ravinia

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