Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga TV Special

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It's on CBS tonight. I've been looking forward to this. 

Bennett has been battling Alzheimer's disease. For lack of better words , when he sings he remembers.

Gaga wonderful voice but she frightens me.

Tony sounds both smooth and sharp, really fantastic,, at his age in his condition, just incredible. 

I'm really not familiar with her non-Tony Bennett music.

YouTube the 60 mins preview from last month.  Frames this performance well.  

Thanks to this post, I decide to turn on the TV and check it out...   Lady's musical ques are spot on so far (10 minutes in)

This story & this show are great examples of the deep mysteries of the mind and the unknowable ways it works.

He can't remember anything, but when the music starts he remembers the songs, the rhythms, the nuances & the groove.

It's amazing, it's awesome, it's humbling, it's "epic".

Tony Bennett has been and continues to be one of the true greats.

Hooray for Tony Bennett.

As for Lady Ga Ga, she is a brilliant talent, but beyond her silly faux name there is something about her that bugs me. Like she's trying too hard or something.

Relax "Lady", you're great, you don't have to try so hard. 

Lady haters lol

Music connects those seemingly dead synapses that folks with Alzheimer's related illness have. I've seen it firsthand so many times. Irene, who had almost no verbal ability left, would belt out the tunes on her ipod, when you could get her to sit with it. 

Diane was a renowned pianist in her day. Playing is the only real memory she could still (or, did last year when I worked with her) pull from her brain. It was sad with her as she was aware of what she didn't know and was so sweet and confused about it. 

Anyhoo: yay music

Raz why's that?

Not pretty enough?

Dresses too weird?

Too "italian" Lolol

Please enlighten me!

Strictly her style. 

Just look at the differences between the two last night.

One pure smooth cool without even trying, the other trying too hard,, over the top rough lifting her dress to show off her whodawaticz prancing around like she wants to stomp the shit out of someone. In my mind that's not the way jazz standards should be delivered. But she did her part bridging the gap between the generations, lots of young people in the crowd digging on Tony, she was responsible for that and deserves thanks for it.

Love her voice but Sarah Vaughan she ain't.

Pretty sure if you look up Trying too hard, there's a pic of Madonna.

th.jpeg-1.jpg

...Modanna 'trying too hard' (to get get censored by Instagram?)

I was lucky enough to see Glen Campbell on his last tour. His kids were in his band to help out. Dude at one point started playing the same song again

but his kids gently reminded him of this. My point is his guitar playing was just spot on and also didn't forget a verse. Reminds me of Tony Bennett.

thanks for this posting.

> Modanna 'trying too hard' 

Does this bed make my ass look fat?

I tuned in and was glad I did.  Tony was great, all things considered.  The band was hot, the crowd was wild.  Lady Gaga is much more a performance artist than a jazz singer- that's her thing. If she wants to prance around and sing too loud and wear wild costumes- I think it's fabulous.  She is an undeniable talent.  And, she has a substantial following of her own, so she brings a lot to the show. I don't think they would have done one hour of Tony solo (nor could he have gone on for an hour); the only way we're going to get some of the greatest show tunes in history back into a prime time special is with a little millenial artpop fairy dust.  The show was spectacular, and the tunes were great to see performed on a big stage. I would watch it again if they release it for streaming.

Haha I just checked. She's an aries. So even at her most insecure, gives no fucks. I also believe she's genuinely feeling what she does and isn't doing anything in a contrived method. That said, a decade ago she was def trying too hard. (See: meatdress)

 

Also I notice everyone disparaging her are boys

Here's where I note how females are judged differently than males. We know this but here I am reminding us all. 

((((Jacko))))

>>Also I notice everyone disparaging her are boys

There aren't too many females on Viva, which is probably why. However, it looks like only one in this thread has disparaged her.

Well, maybe "bugs me" and "trying too hard" weren't the best choice of words, but I also think lots of male performers try too hard as well, and many are criticized in this place. John Mayer has certainly taken it on the chin around here often enough, some of it from me in that same "trying too hard" vein.

I think Lady Gaga is an excellent singer and a multi-talented artist. As a performer, her own shows that I've seen over the years have been huge, over-the-top mega pop/electronica/dance extravaganza's, and not surprisingly some of that overt showmanship comes through when she performs with Bennett. I thought that when I saw them on their first tour seven or eight years ago. She's great, she's just not my style.

As for jazz singers, these days I'm a big fan of Jazzmeia Horn, who's great and on the rise.

I'm seeing her next week and am really looking forward to that.

I hope I won't have any criticisms of the show.

^^   Lol Lol Lolololololollll

Worst part of the zone = daring to write your opinion. 

Because yer just bound to get shit for it by someone. Then you're made to feel you have to explain your opinion. 

Try to respect one's opinion, that's my opinion.

<<Despite his Alzheimer's, Tony Bennett prepares to perform with Lady Gaga

<<The 95-year-old singer is gearing up for two more shows at Radio City Music Hall, though he’s grappling with Alzheimer’s. Anderson Cooper was there as he prepared.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNrvXw9juNs

My dad, who had Alzheimer's, died at 95, couldn't remember anything except that he loved my mom and lit up when she came into the room, and the lyrics to songs. He had always been an out of tune singer but got better and gained some rhythm as he got older. Some is better than none.

Lady Gaga hasn't ever appealed to me but there are a lot of show people who don't. Is it reasonable to put her in the same category as Barbra Streisand? Also never really appealed to me. 

> she was def trying too hard. (See: meatdress)

I'm not a fan, but I thought Gaga's meatdress was much cooler than her flying dress.

Forget about all the astrological hocus pocus.  Gaga, like all divas and prima donnas, is an attention whore.  It's as simple as that.  

Didn't catch this showing, but my wife and I saw Bennett/Gaga at Radio City Music Hall and it was very entertaining.  They each had their own band and would trade off songs, as well as sing together.  I never thought during that show that Gaga was too over the top and that she gave the moment with Tony the respect it deserved.  It was definitely not like her solo shows.

As for attention whoring: Dave, aren't you a big Stones' fan?  Mick and Keef sure loves them some attention!  Obviously you're OK with dudes prancing around neck twerking and doing the funky chicken, or wearing outlandish/silly costumes around town (maybe 'cause they're considered 'hard rockers' or some other justification?), but when a female does something wild, she's whoring/trying too hard?  C'mon man.

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Hey Lance, are you seeing Jazzmeia Horn at the Kuumbwa?