Tony Bennett & Bill Evans-the Legendary Recordings at Vb3

‘TONY BENNETT & BILL EVANS – THE LEGENDARY RECORDINGS” will be performed by NJCU Alumnus/ Pianist Joel Zelnik and Grammy nominee vocalist Annette Sanders on Wednesday, May 7, at 8:00pm. They will perform at: VB3 Restaurant 475 Washington Blvd., Jersey City, NJ. 07310. Telephone 201-420-4823. www.vb3restaurant.com

This timely program is based on the dialogues between Joel Zelnik and Bill Evans, a 7 time Grammy Award Winner and NJ resident, at the “Village Gate” in NYC, during the mid-1960’s. Signature Evans works are performed and Joel plays pieces he enjoys that show the Evans influence. Highlighted is ...

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‘TONY BENNETT & BILL EVANS – THE LEGENDARY RECORDINGS” will be performed by NJCU Alumnus/ Pianist Joel Zelnik and Grammy nominee vocalist Annette Sanders on Wednesday, May 7, at 8:00pm. They will perform at: VB3 Restaurant 475 Washington Blvd., Jersey City, NJ. 07310. Telephone 201-420-4823. www.vb3restaurant.com

This timely program is based on the dialogues between Joel Zelnik and Bill Evans, a 7 time Grammy Award Winner and NJ resident, at the “Village Gate” in NYC, during the mid-1960’s. Signature Evans works are performed and Joel plays pieces he enjoys that show the Evans influence. Highlighted is
the collaboration of Bill Evans & Tony Bennett during 1975 and ‘77, which yielded some of the best recordings in the history of jazz.

Few listeners realized that Tony Bennett was as much of a jazz singer as almost anybody; he had already made a handful of albums in a small jazz combo format, but these were far lesser known than his big chart hits. Then, in 1975, he made what would be his supreme statement in the jazz field, the first of two albums with the remarkable pianist Bill Evans.

Joel had the great fortune of playing at the Top of the Gate in NYC during the mid 60’s, on Monday nights. It was on these Mondays that he split sets with the Bill Evans Trio, and his greatness has stayed with Joel right up to the present.

They reprise this remarkable collaboration of American Art Song at its finest, by recapturing the virility and expressiveness in these performances. It is a beautiful surprising repertoire – no Gershwin, no Ellington, no blues. They’re mostly songs associated with great female singers: Mabel Mercer and Billie Holiday, as well as Bill Evans’ own “Waltz For Debby” with Gene Lees’ lyrics.

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