Tony Bennett & k.d. lang – A Wonderful World (RPM/Columbia)

Last year’s dual tour between old smoothie Bennett and former torch-and-twang gal turned chanteuse lang turned out to be a surprisingly smart pairing. It has now spawned this album; a tribute to Tony’s old pal Louis Armstrong. 

While the songs of the scratchy-voiced Satchmo may seem like a strange choice for these two silver-tongued song stylists, it turns out to be an inspired choice. 

The two take classic smoochers like “La Vie En Rose,” “Exactly Like You” and “A Kiss To Build A Dream On” and if they don’t exactly reinvent the wheel with them, they do beautiful, sultry versions together. Bennett and lang’s scrumptious interplay on “Dream A Little Dream Of Me” is the epitome of romance in a way that current singers like Celine Dion or Mariah Carey could never concieve of. And even the slightly over-exposed classic “What A Wonderful World” feels fresh in the subtly scaled back orchestral take. 

Beautiful songs, well sung. You could do a hell of a lot worse. (11/02)

Jay S. Jacobs

Copyright ©2002 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: November 5, 2002.