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List Price: $14.98 | | Label: Sony
Salesrank: 13612
Released: November 21, 2006 |
| Our Price: $5.47 |
| Used Price: $3.97 |
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Tracks:
1."Smile" Barbra Streisand
2."Sing You Sinners" John Legend
3."Because Of You" k.d. lang and Chris Botti
4."The Best Is Yet To Come" Diana Krall
5."The Shadow Of Your Smile" Juanes
6."Rags To Riches" Elton John
7."Just In Time" Michael Bublé
8."For Once In My Life" Stevie Wonder
9."Steppin' Out With My Baby" Christina Aguilera
10."I Left My Heart In San Francisco" Tony Bennett
Product Description:
TONY BENNETT: AN AMERICAN CLASSIC is a ground-breaking television event that takes us on a musical journey of this legendary entertainer's life. Re-creating the venues of Tony's career, from the downtown Greenwich Village club where Tony was discovered, to the Columbia recording studios of the early 60's, from rat pack Las Vegas to Carnegie Hall, Tony will be joined for each show-stopping number by the myriad of superstars that appear with him on his Duets album. In a bold re-invention of the form, each set piece was filmed as a small movie by an Academy Award-winning team, lead by director Rob Marshall (Memoirs Of A Geisha, Chicago.) Seamlessly woven throughout the program will be introductions and narrative insights. This event invites us to celebrate the life of who Frank Sinatra called "the greatest singer ever." As the special ends, Tony Bennett will take the empty stage, this time alone, and deliver his signature classic, "I Left My Heart In San Francisco."
Description of Tony Bennett - American Classic:
High concept and high class, An American Classic is a worthy visual complement to Tony Bennett's 2006 duets CD of the same name. The notion of pairing veteran artists with a variety of singing partners is nothing new, of course (cf. B.B. King and Frank Sinatra, among many others), but this one goes a step further; under the direction of Rob Marshall (Chicago, Memoirs of a Geisha) and his team, Bennett appears in what's described as a "docu-musical," faithfully re-creating a variety of performance settings much like the ones in which the 80-year-old singer has appeared in the course of his long, fruitful career. Thus we find him on a concert stage with Barbra Streisand ("Smile"), in a nightclub with John Legend (a swinging, uptempo "Sing, You Sinners"), in the studio with k.d. lang and trumpeter Chris Botti ("Because of You"), on a '60s-style TV variety show with Diana Krall (a classy "The Best is Yet to Come"), in Vegas with Elton John ("Rags To Riches") and then Michael Buble (an amusing "Just in Time"), and so forth, on up to Bennett's triumphant shot on MTV Unplugged with Christina Aguilera (no jazz singer, but she keeps most of her excesses in check on "Steppin' Out") and the inevitable "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" (Bennett with piano accompaniment only). It's all very respectful, well staged, and entertainingly choreographed, but if this 45-minute cavalcade has a significant shortcoming, it's that it mostly lacks fire and spontaneity; the only time Bennett cuts loose is during an audio-only "I Got Rhythm" heard under the various DVD menus. Viewers may also be disappointed that Sting, Bono, Paul McCartney, James Taylor, the Dixie Chicks, and several others on the CD do not appear here, and it's a notable drag that not a single one of the composers or arrangers of the material is identified. Bonus features include a "making of" documentary and other featurettes. --Sam Graham
Tony Bennett - American Classic Reviews:
Great DVD! 
2008-03-06 - Great performances both from Tony Bennet and the guests stars. Beautifully combined the songs with the introductions from the actors.
His voice is magic as usual.
Sinatra said, "he is the best singer because he moves me"
2008-02-08 - Everybody loves Tony Bennett. And see who he sings with:
- Barbra Streisand
- K.D. Lang plus Chris Botti in one number (Because of You)
- John Legend
- Diana Krall
- Elton John
- Michael Buble
- Christina Aguilera
And the Tony Bennett great dancers.
This concert is worth every invested dollar. Plus you get outstanding PQ and audio in 5.1 uncompressed PCM.
Oustanding quality, but too short! 
2007-12-23 - When I listened and viewed this Blu-ray disc I was taken aback by the quality of the audio, video and the performances. I spent the whole evening with it and was absolutely enchanted with selection of songs, the sincere interpretations of the guest artists and the stunning choreography of the dancers. This disc is a real keeper and I know I will be watching it and yes, listening to it over and over for many years to come.
However, I could not rate it a 4.5 or 5 because it was simply too short. I was disappointed by the length of this disc and expected more. I could care less about the add-ons or whatever you call them. I wanted more of Tony Bennett. I didn't get that.
Otherwise, this disc was most enjoyable from a pure audio, video and entertainment perspective.
The Best Is Yet To Come
2007-12-06 - Created for television Tony Bennett: An American Classic is a brief look at the career of the legendary crooner on his 80th birthday. Conceived by Rob Marshall and John DeLuca this is a well done if a little over the top docu-musical set in some of the venues that the singer has appeared in over his long career.
Starting in a 52nd Street blues club Bennett performs Sing You Sinners with John Legend. He moves on to the early Columbia Studios for a duet with k.d. land and Chris Botti. The show continues on the set of a 1960's Variety show, then the Vegas stage of the Sahara before entering the 1990's on an MTV soundstage. The show ends with Bennett alone with a piano for I Left My Heart in San Francisco.
Along the way we get snippets of narration from some of Hollywood's biggest names. This is a worthwhile if short experience that should not be missed by fans. In addition to the show we get some rehearsal footage with the dancers and four short making of type featurettes.
Pure Class
2007-12-03 - Sit down, relax and watch Mr Tony Bennett in action, this is talent in its purest, rarest form. He reigns supreme, an excellent DVD.
