Michael Feinstein pays tribute to Tony Bennett in Beaver Creek

Backed by the Carnegie Hall Ensemble, Michael Feinstein pays tribute to Tony Bennett on March 6 at Vilar Performing Arts Center. Thanks to Feinstein’s long-lasting friendship with the legendary singer, the evening promises to be a heartfelt homage to Bennett’s timeless classics.

Feinstein first met Bennett in 1983 at a benefit with Rosemary Clooney.

“Being a young kid who knew his world, I knew his music and the songwriters, so it was easy for us to start talking and become friends,” he said.

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The following year, Bennett went out of his way to introduce Feinstein to various performers and different kinds of music.

“It was incredibly generous to somebody who had very little success in show business at that point, and the next day he sent me a package of throat lozenges that you could only buy in England because they had some kind of ingredient that one couldn’t use here, and they were wonderful and had a little note connected to them. So those gestures and demonstrations of kindness stayed with me throughout the years, and I never forgot that he took the time,” he said.

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Feinstein highlights Bennett’s superb taste in music, along with his love of “the great American songbook,” which Bennett, originating from a family of immigrants, felt expressed his thoughts, feelings and aspirations.

“He felt that American popular music reflected the American success story — the American dream. He was a man of great optimism and hope, and this music was something that expressed an extension of his soul,” Feinstein said.

Bennett’s work caused timeless classics to shine even brighter. He expanded the genre by recording and performing songs that otherwise wouldn’t have been heard, adding dimension and freshness to tunes ranging from “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” to “The Best is Yet to Come.”

“Whether he’s delivering the smooth elegance of ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ and ‘The Way You Look Tonight’ or the heartfelt simplicity of ‘Smile,’ Bennett’s performances are a showcase of his emotional depth and commitment to the music,” he said. “His impact on American music is undeniable, ensuring that these songs will be cherished by future generations.”

Of course, narrowing down songs for his tribute show was no small task. He began by listing songs and winnowing them down to the ones he feels the most comfortable performing. Then he crafted the arrangements and worked on dialogue between the songs, bringing his own interpretation to the music.

“They’ll have surprises in them, so they won’t sound exactly like the way Tony sang them, because nobody wants an imitator,” he said.

He’ll include many of Cy Coleman’s pieces, such as “The Best is Yet to Come,” which Bennett introduced, and “I Want to Be Around,” which he also made famous. Of course, audiences will hear “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” along with Gershwin songs, since Bennett’s first commercial record featured Gershwin’s work.

“I hope that by the end of the show, the audience will have an expanded perspective about Tony’s work that’s not only about his music but the reason that he likes some of these songs and the backstories about some of these songs and moments of his life that made him who he was,” he said.

The Carnegie Hall Ensemble adds vibrancy to the performance, harkening back to the days when big bands propagated popular songs in America with their swinging sounds.

“When played and experienced live, these bands brought a different kind of weight to the classics,” he said. “It’s something that is quite amazing to watch, because the sheer power and force from the music combined with the lyrics of a song is truly life changing.”