Duets II (Tony Bennett album)
| Duets II | ||||
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| Studio album by Tony Bennett | ||||
| Released | September 20, 2011 | |||
| Recorded | Spring 2011 London Los Angeles Tuscany New York and Nashville | |||
| Genre | Vocal jazz | |||
| Length | 63:15 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
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| Tony Bennett chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Duets II | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 72/100 |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    |
| Los Angeles Times | |
Duets II is an album by Tony Bennett, released on September 20, 2011. It was released in conjunction with Bennett's 85th birthday and is a sequel to his previous duet album, Duets: An American Classic. One of the songs, "Don't Get Around Much Anymore", however, was released on iTunes as a free song on August 2, 2011.
The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, marking his first No. 1 album, selling 179,000 copies. He also became the oldest living artist to debut at No. 1 on Billboard 200. It was a milestone for Bennett in that it was not only his first No. 1 album but also his first album to debut at No. 1, both at the same time. Duets II recently achieved Platinum sales status in Canada as certified by Music Canada. The album won the Grammy Award for the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album amongst 2011 releases at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards held in February 2012.
Bennett also won another 2011 Grammy at the same ceremony for his duet with Amy Winehouse on the standard "Body and Soul." The duo won the Grammy for Best Pop Duo or Group Performance. "Body and Soul" was one of Amy's favorite songs, and the track, recorded in March 2011, would become Winehouse's final recording before her death just a few months later, in July of that year. These two 2011 Grammy Awards were his 16th and 17th to date in his career, including a Lifetime Achievement Award, which was presented to him in 2001. "Body and Soul" was Bennett's first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in nearly 45 years.
In addition, Duets II earned arranger Jorge Calandrelli the Grammy for the Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) for Bennett's duet with Queen Latifah on the track "Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)" The Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse standard was featured in the 1964 London West End and Broadway musical The Roar of the Greasepaint, the Smell of the Crowd. Bennett recorded the song late that year and hit the Billboard Top 40 with the single.
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