Congratulations to Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga! Their collaborative album Cheek To Cheek debuted September 23 and went straight to Number 1 according to the Billboard 200, which tracks the top-selling records across all genres. The dynamic duo, who first sang together on Bennett’s Duets II in 2011, outsold Kenny Chesney’s new album, The Big Revival which debuted at Number 2.
The 60-year age difference between the singers helps brings together longtime fans of Bennett’s jazz interpretations and crooner hits of the 1950s and the “Little Monsters” who devour Gaga’s international electronic pop hits. Bennett became the oldest living artist to land a number one album with Duets II (on which Gaga joined him on “The Lady Is A Tramp”) and he’s outdone himself with this record at the age of 88. Cheek To Cheek is Gaga’s second Number 1 album within a year, following her solo album, ARTPOP.
Both native New Yorkers and Italian-Americans, the two beloved entertainers have very different niches but share a love of the Great American Songbook, selections of which make up a majority of the album.
People may be surprised by Lady Gaga’s jazz inclination, but she’s been singing jazz since she was a teenager. In a Reddit AMAA Lady Gaga interview on October 3, Gaga writes, “I was in a classic rock cover band at the same time I was in jazz band in high school and doing jazz state competitions.”
Bennett praised Lady Gaga’s jazz skills in an interview with NPR. “She’s actually a very authentic jazz singer,” he said. “She’ll turn a phrase, she’ll make it different, because of the moment that she’s singing. And so, what happens is it keeps the songs alive; the interpretations become very intimate and everlasting.”
See the two perform the songs live during Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga: Cheek to Cheek LIVE! airing on Great Performances as part of the PBS ARTS Fall Festival on Friday, October 24 at 9/8c on PBS.