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This past August 3, Tony Bennett celebrated his milestone 90th birthday…and made it clear that he had no intentions of slowing down.  Indeed, the legendary vocalist has dates booked well into 2017, but first, he’s looking back with a new 3-CD set including rare and previously unreleased material.  Tony Bennett Celebrates 90 premieres the recording of the all-star concert tribute held at Radio City Music Hall on September 15 of this year, but the Amazon-exclusive Deluxe Edition will add two discs of rare and classic Bennett.

The first disc of this collection, due on December 16 from Columbia Records, includes an array of artists saluting Bennett, including many of his famous friends and duet partners such as Lady Gaga (“The Lady is a Tramp,” “La Vie en Rose”), k.d. lang (“A Kiss to Build a Dream On”), Diana Krall (“I’ve Got the World on a String”), Stevie Wonder (“Visions”), Elton John (his Lion King smash “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”), Kevin Spacey (“The Very Thought of You/If I Ruled the World”) and Rufus Wainwright (“I Can’t Give You Anything But Love”).  In addition, Tony himself is heard with Billy Joel on “New York State of Mind” s well as on five solo selections including “The Best is Yet to Come” and, naturally, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.”  This disc will be available as a stand-alone single-CD edition.

The second disc of the Deluxe Edition has 20 rarities, ten of which are previously unreleased.  This disc features the singer’s earliest recordings as Joe Bari, his 1953 recording of “Close Your Eyes” with The Pastels, “Day Dream” with A-list jazzmen Herbie Hancock, Stan Getz, Ron Carter, Elvin Jones and Bob Brookmeyer, and a host of tracks identified as previously unissued.  These include Mel Tormé’s “I Got the Gate on the Golden Gate” (a version of which was sung by Bennett on his 1964 album Who Can I Turn To), “It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie” (a version of a track from 1964’s When Lights Are Low), “We Mustn’t Say Goodbye” (also recorded by Bennett for a 1960 single), “I’ve Waited for a Waltz,” “Vanity,” “The Heart That Broke Was Mine,” “Love You Madly,” and more.  It’s not clear as of this writing if the versions of previously issued songs are alternate versions or wholly new recordings.

The third disc of the collection offers a cross-section of lesser-known Bennett favorites including Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars,” Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh’s “Firefly,” Charles Strouse and Lee Adams’ “Once Upon a Time,” Rodgers and Hart’s “Blue Moon,” Cole Porter’s “From This Moment On,” and many more from the Great American Songbook.

Both editions of the CD include a 28-page booklet with essays from luminaries and historians.  Tony Bennett Celebrates 90 follows the November 15 release of Bennett’s fifth book, Just Getting Started.  For Tony, that’s certainly true.  You can pre-order Tony Bennett Celebrates 90, set for December 16 release, at the links below!

Tony Bennett Celebrates 90 (Columbia, 2016)

Standard Edition (CD 1): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Amazon-Exclusive Deluxe Edition (CDs 1-3): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

CD 1

1. The Lady is a Tramp – Lady Gaga
2. The Good Life – Michael Bublé
3. Ave Maria – Andrea Bocelli
4. Autumn Leaves – Leslie Odom, Jr.
5. I’ve Got the World on a String – Diana Krall
6. New York State of Mind – Tony Bennett and Billy Joel
7. I Can’t Give You Anything But Love – Rufus Wainwright
8. A Kiss to Build a Dream On – k.d. lang
9. Visions – Stevie Wonder
10. La Vie en Rose – Lady Gaga
11. Can You Feel the Love Tonight – Elton John
12. The Very Thought of You/If I Ruled the World – Kevin Spacey
13. Who Cares? – Tony Bennett
14. The Best is Yet to Come – Tony Bennett
15. I Left My Heart in San Francisco – Tony Bennett
16. I Got Rhythm – Tony Bennett
17. How Do You Keep the Music Playing? – Tony Bennett
18. Happy Birthday – Stevie Wonder

CD 2

1. Fascinatin’ Rhythm – Tony Bennett as Joe Bari
2. James Infirmary Blues – Tony Bennett as Joe Bari with the 314th Army Special Services Band of the European Theatre
3. Vieni Qui (Come to Me) – Tony Bennett as Joe Bari with Pat Easton
4. We Mustn’t Say Goodbye (*)
5. Close Your Eyes – with The Pastels
6. A Blossom Fell
7. Something’s Gotta Give
8. Whatever Lola Wants
9. Heart
10. Imagination – with Ralph Sharon, piano (*)
11. It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie (*)
12. The Heart That Broke Was Mine (*)
13. Vanity (*)
14. You Can’t Love ‘Em All
15. Day Dream – with Herbie Hancock, Stan Getz, Ron Carter, Elvin Jones & Bob Brookmeyer
16. I’ve Waited for a Waltz (*)
17. Got the Gate on the Golden Gate (*)
18. This Is All I Ask – with John Bunch, piano (*)
19. (I’ve Got) Beginner’s Luck – with The Ralph Sharon Trio (*)
20. Love You Madly (*)

CD 3

1. The Lady’s in Love with You
2. Georgia Rose
3. Limehouse Blues
4. I’ve Got Just About Everything I Need
5. Don’t Wait Too Long
6. Pennies from Heaven
7. Blue Moon
8. From This Moment On
9. Don’t Get Around Much Anymore
10. Country Girl
11. Broadway
12. Days of Love
13. I’m Way Ahead of the Game
14. Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars
15. Firefly
16. Once Upon a Time
17. Chicago (That Toddlin’ Town)
18. Lullaby of Broadway