Bennett and Brubeck The White House Sessions, 1962 (2LP)
ORDER LIMITED TO ONE ITEM PER CUSTOMER
A1-B2 performed by The Dave Brubeck Quartet :
- Dave Brubeck - piano [click here to see more vinyl featuring Dave Brubeck]
- Paul Desmond - alto sax [click here to see more vinyl featuring Paul Desmond]
- Eugene Wright - bass
- Joe Morello - drums
C2-C7 performed by Tony Bennett (vocals) with Ralph Sharon (piano), Hal Gaylor (bass), Billy Exiner (drums)
D1-D4 performed by Tony Benett and The Dave Brubeck Quartet
2 LPs, gatefold jacket
Limited edition
Original analog Master tape : YES
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 33RPM
Size : 12”
Stereo
Live
Record Press : unspecified
Label : Impex Records
Original Label : Columbia
Recorded at The White House, Washington
Engineered by Mark G. Wilder
Produced by Teo Macero
Remastered by Kevin Gray and Robert Pincus
Originally released in 2013
Reissued in 2016
Tracks:
Side A :
- Introduction
- Take Five
- Bank Introduction
- Nomad
Side B :
- Thank you ( Djiekuje )
- Castilian Blues
Side C :
- Introduction
- Just In Time
- Small World
- Make Someone Happy
- Rags To Riches
- One For my Baby ( And One More For The Road )
- I Left My Heart in San Francisco
Side D :
- Lullaby Of Broadway
- Chicago
- That Old Black Magic
- There Will Never Be Another You
Awards:
Hi-Fi News Album Choice for August 2016!
Reviews :
"Bennett's vocals are particularly natural and present-sounding... Brubeck's group in its prime, with Paul Desmond on Alto, Eugene Wright on bass and Joe Morello on drums... Bennett/Brubeck is nonetheless a record I found myself playing more times than I expected to before sitting down to write this. There's something about a live performance from a time when life was so much simpler, even if more jittery and dangerous because of the cold war, that makes you want to go back in time and enjoy it all again." - Michael Fremer, www.analogplanet.com
"Since both were performing their own sets at the White House Seminar American Jazz Concert on the Sylvan Theater grounds on August 28, 1962, Tony Bennett and Dave Brubeck decided to perform an impromptu collaborative set together that day, and although one song from it was eventually released, a version of "That Old Black Magic," the rest of the hour-or-so-long tape ended up lost in the vast Sony catalog vault, filed, as it turned out, with several classical tapes, until it surfaced again shortly after Brubeck's death in 2012. Now finally available, it reveals two master performers at the very top of their respective games. Bennett's signature song, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," had been released only a couple of weeks before the concert, while Brubeck's "Take Five" had just begun to take on its iconic significance. Brubeck and his quartet, Paul Desmond on alto sax, Eugene Wright on bass, and Joe Morello on drums, played a four-song set, followed by a six-song set from Bennett and his band, with Ralph Sharon on piano, Hal Gaylor on bass, and Billy Exiner on drums. Then came an unrehearsed and impromptu four-song set from Bennett and Brubeck, with Wright on bass and Morello on drums (alto saxophonist Desmond sat out) that included versions of "That Old Black Magic" (the only track previously released before this), "Lullaby of Broadway," "Chicago (That Toddlin' Town)," and "There Will Never Be Another You," each of which purveys a loose, fun elegance that makes this archival find a true treasure. Bennett and Brubeck would not perform together again until both appeared and briefly reunited on-stage at the 2009 Newport Jazz Festival." AllMusic Review by Steve Leggett
"This is intimacy with a capital 'I', a long-forgotten set performed on the Washington Mall for President Kennedy. Brubeck naturally offered 'Take Five' and three more; Bennett obliged with 'I Left My Heart In San Francisco', 'Lullaby of Broadway', 'One For My Baby', 'Rags To Riches', 'Just In Time' and five morefour with Brubeck's backing. This is one to treasure." - Ken Kessler, Hifi News Magazine, August 2016
"I'm all for hearing ever-improved re-reissues of old favorites, often on spectacular-sounding 45rpm platters. But it's also really nice to receive something fresh, and this never-before-released gem recorded live in August of 1962 at the White House Seminar American Jazz Concert is pretty wonderful. Disc one features the Dave Brubeck Quartet, which kicks off with a fast-paced rendition of 'Take Five.' As usual Paul Desmond's sweet-sounding alto is a highlight, and the band really cooks throughout its four tracks. Bennett gets to shine on the second LP, delivering a joyful set with his trio that culminates in 'I Left My Heart In San Francisco.' The Brubeck group, sans Desmond, joins Bennett for the final side's unrehearsed set of tour tunes, and it's a treat to hear Bennett perform with a more swinging jazz group. The tape was discovered in 2012, and Kevin Gray and Impex's Robert Pincus mastered the two-LP vinyl edition. The concert was recorded outdoors at the Sylvan Theater, so don't expect spectacular sonics. Still, the sound is quite clean (if a tad lean), the balance is excellent, and there's plenty of dynamic snap (check out Morello's drum solo on 'Castillian Blues') and good energy in these grooves." - Wayne Garcia, The Absolute Sound, July/August 2016
"In late August of 1962, two musicians at the height of their popularity performed separately and together (for the first time) before an audience at the Sylvan Theater in the shadow of the Washington Monument. History was being made, and producer Teo Macero wanted all to go well. The concert featuring Tony Bennett and Dave Brubeck went as planned, but later Murphy's Law reared its ugly head and the tapes were lost due to a clerical error. They were discovered in the Sony Music vaults fifty years later, misfiled, ironically, with some classical titles. Finally, in 2013, the hour-long concert was released on CD. Now, as a treat for LP lovers, Impex Records has released this memorable concert on two heavyweight slabs of quality vinyl encased in a stout, high-gloss gatefold jacket replete with generous liner notes and historic photos. I was unprepared for the quality of the sound, given the circumstances of the recording. It is remarkably good for its age and captures the event in honest, unfettered fidelity. I'm certain that the remastering by Kevin Gray and Robert Pincus, along with the dead-quiet surfaces of the RTI-pressed vinyl, contributed to this. If the soundstage is a bit flat, blame that on the limits imposed by the outdoor acoustics. I heartily recommend this set to anyone who wants to settle in for an hour of grand music-making by two masters of the craft. Disappointment is not an option." - Guy Lemcoe, The Audio Beat, May 2016
Ratings :
AllMusic : 3,5 / 5 , Discogs : 4,38 / 5 , Michael Fremer : 8/11 Music, 8/11 Sound , The Audio Beat : 4/5 Music, 3.5/5 Sound , HiFiNews : rated 90% for sound