Tony Bennett Live Review

iTunes Festival - London Roundhouse 02/07/10

Bringing some old school class to the second night of the iTunes Festival, living legend Tony Bennett managed to turn a corner of NW1 into a Vegas hotspot when he played the Roundhouse.

With over 60 years of experience under his belt, the 83 year had the crowd hanging on his every word, intonation and gesture - as he and his superb quartet knocked out a flawless (and seemingly effortless) set.

Timeless classics such as Just The Way You Look Tonight, Stranger In Paradise and Smile were interspersed with well worn but highly entertaining anecdotes drawn from his long career, as the warmth of his performance matched the humid July air inside the auditorium.

At his age Bennett could easily be forgiven for tip-toeing around the bigger notes, but somehow his voice seemed as strong and as powerful as ever as he belted his way through the Great American Songbook.

Showing his mastery of the form he matched the up-tempo toe-tappers with some truly magical intimate numbers, the highlight being a rendition of Fly Me To The Moon performed with only Gray Sargent's delicately plucked guitar as accompaniment.

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