Set list for “Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga: Cheek to Cheek LIVE!” on PBS

This Friday, Oct. 24, PBS’ Great Performances will air a taped performance of Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga: Cheek to Cheek LIVE! as part of the PBS Arts Fall Festival. The special airs at 9pm ET (check local listings).

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Recorded on July 28 at Lincoln Center, the hourlong special, which I’ve had a chance to screen, is impressively entertaining, featuring a variety of jazz standards from the Great American Songbook, each handpicked by the artists. The performance features solo performances and duets, with Lady Gaga, as you might expect, almost continually surprising the live and home audiences with an array of dress (and wig) changes corresponding with a particular number. Tony is Tony; sometimes sitting back and bemusedly surveying Lady Gaga’s performances with his usual cool, and still belting out amazing performances at the age of 88, on his own and with Gaga. In their interactions, the two singers — who have a six-decade age difference — engage in some playfulness and camaraderie which is generally fun, though Lady Gaga may be trying too hard at times.

The artists and the terrific orchestra are in fine form, and though the editing between numbers seemed a bit rapid on occasion, the production and directing is effective to capture the performance (a release says it was recorded in 4K Ultra HD resolution, but I was unable to test this out on my computer-screened preview), which includes the title tune from Bennett and Gaga’s recently released album, Cheek to Cheek.

FULL SET LIST FOR TONY BENNETT & LADY GAGA: CHEEK TO CHEEK LIVE!

“Anything Goes” (Tony Bennett/Lady Gaga)
“Cheek to Cheek” (Tony Bennett/Lady Gaga)
“Nature Boy” (Tony Bennett/Lady Gaga)
“How Do You Keep the Music Playing?” (Tony Bennett)
“Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” (Lady Gaga)
“Firefly” (Tony Bennett/Lady Gaga)
“I Won’t Dance” (Tony Bennett/Lady Gaga)
“I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” (Tony Bennett/Lady Gaga)
“Lush Life” (Lady Gaga)
“Sophisticated Lady” (Tony Bennett)
“Let’s Face the Music and Dance” (Tony Bennett/Lady Gaga)
“But Beautiful” (Tony Bennett/Lady Gaga)
“It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” (Tony Bennett/Lady Gaga)

Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga: Cheek to Cheek LIVE! airs Oct. 24 at 9pm ET on PBS (check local listings).

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Photo courtesy of Joseph Sinnott

2 Comments

  1. There is a lot of incredible talent out there, however, talent alone isn’t enough. Being a great singer doesn’t matter if you’re not singing great songs. Having great songs won’t be obvious to record executives if they are not professionally produced. Consistently performing those songs extremely well is essential. Having an undeniable stage presence and never quit attitude are necessary requirements. Taking constructive criticism from others is required to get to the next level.
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  2. I had a specific agreement with Fusari before searching for the artist. He asked me to search for a female artist under the age of 25 who had the characteristics to be the female equivalent to the lead singer of The Strokes. Someone who was edgy, bold, energetic, confident. Someone you can’t take your eyes off of. That was Stefani Germanotta to a tee. I attended about 50 live shows and searched for over 8 months before discovering Lady Gaga and introducing her to Rob. More importantly, Rob had to approve the artist I found, so there is no question that it met his criteria. He stopped looking for The “Strokes girl” as soon as I brought him Germanotta and signed her to his production company. We wrote songs together and strategized about the project. I could not be more proud to have played a part in the worldwide success of Lady Gaga.

    http://themostfascinatingpeople.blogspot.com/2014/12/singersongwriterproducermodelspokespers.html

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