Tony Bennett Essentials

Engaged in the traditions of both pop crooning and jazz swing, this vocalist has carved a unique path through American song. He's as adept at bringing across romantic ballads as he is primed to cut loose with the likes of Count Basie. And as his vocal instrument has aged, he's retained a penchant for challenges (as when he paired up with Lady Gaga for a duet album in 2014). His phrasing is adaptable to a wide variety of tempos and song styles, but what unifies his catalog is a core sense of amiability: Almost any emotional angst can be soothed by this “tenor who sings like a baritone.”