Tony Bennett: Duets II, a presentation of THIRTEEN’s Great Performances, features the singer’s greatest hits, performed by Bennett and today’s biggest stars, including John Mayer, Michael Bublé, k.d. lang, Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, Queen Latifah, Norah Jones, Josh Groban, Faith Hill, Alejandro Sanz, Carrie Underwood and more.

The sessions, filmed to capture the magic of these performers singing with the master of the Great American Songbook, airs on Friday, January 27, 2012, at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings).

Watch a preview:

Great Performances is a production of THIRTEEN for WNET, one of America’s most prolific and respected public media providers. For nearly 50 years, WNET has been producing and broadcasting national and local arts programming to the New York community.

The album took more than six months to record, with each track recorded face-to-face with his singer partners in studios around the world, from LA to Nashville to London.  Among the many highlights is Amy Winehouse’s last recorded track (“Body and Soul”), which was produced in London’s famous Abbey Road Studios in March.  Other tracks were recorded in New York in late July: the Richard Rodgers-Lorenz Hart classic, “The Lady Is a Tramp” with Lady Gaga, and the Alan and Marilyn Bergman classic, “How Do You Keep the Music Playing,” with Aretha Franklin, and “Stranger in Paradise” with Andrea Bocelli, recorded at the singer’s Italian home (see full track listing below).

The CD received kudos from all quarters. The Wall Street Journal noted that the singer was “…constantly reaffirming his position as pop music’s greatest living patriarch,” and Associated Press observed, “Tony Bennett is as timeless as the songs he sings on ‘Duets II.’”

The musical segments are highlighted by insights on the process from the performers, making for an up-close look at one of the year’s most celebrated recordings. The sessions were filmed by Oscar-winning cinematographer Dion Beebe (“Chicago,” “Memoirs of a Geisha,” “Collateral”), providing a personal, behind-the-scenes look at Bennett’s latest collaborations and his artistic approach with each song.

Entering his seventh decade as a recording artist with more than 100 albums and 15 Grammy Awards including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Bennett has earned his legendary status many times over.  He remains the Columbia recording artist with the greatest longevity at the label.  His 2007 primetime special, “Tony Bennett:  An American Classic,” won seven Emmy Awards and was directed by Academy Award winner Rob Marshall.

He has performed for Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, Reagan, Geroge H.W. Bush, Clinton, George W. Bush and Obama.  He also worked with and marched alongside Martin Luther King in his 1965 civil rights march and was honored with the Martin Luther King’s Salute to Greatness Award.

In addition to performing, he is a visual artist as well, with three of his original paintings featured in the permanent collection at the Smithsonian, including his portraits of Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington.  His humanitarian efforts are renowned, and the United Nations honored him with their Humanitarian Award in 2007.

He has published three books — his autobiography, The Good Life, and two collections of his paintings, Tony Bennett: What My Heart Has Seen and Tony Bennett in the Studio: A Life of Art and Music.  Bennett founded, in association with the Department of Education in New York City, the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts — a public arts high school in his hometown of Astoria, Queens. With his wife, Susan, he established Exploring the Arts, a charitable organization that supports arts education in NYC public high schools.  Exploring the Arts supports 14 public high schools throughout New York City.

In the fall of 2007, a documentary of Bennett’s life and career, produced by Clint Eastwood, “Tony Bennett: The Music Never Ends,” aired on THIRTEEN’s American Masters on PBS.

The full song program follows:

“The Lady Is a Tramp” (Lady Gaga)
“One for My Baby (And One More for the Road)” (John Mayer)
“Body and Soul” (Amy Winehouse)
“Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” (Michael Bublé)
“Blue Velvet” (k.d. lang)
“How Do You Keep the Music Playing” (Aretha Franklin)
“The Girl I Love” (Sheryl Crow)
“On the Sunny Side of the Street” (Willie Nelson)
“Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)” (Queen Latifah)
“Speak Low” (Norah Jones)
“This Is All I Ask” (Josh Groban)
“Watch What Happens” (Natalie Cole)
“Stranger in Paradise” (Andrea Bocelli)
“The Way You Look Tonight” (Faith Hill)
“Yesterday I Heard the Rain” (Alejandro Sanz)
“It Had to Be You” (Carrie Underwood)

Great Performances is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, Vivian Milstein, the LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust, the Starr Foundation, the Filomen M. D’Agostino Foundation, the Philip and Janice Levin Foundation, public television viewers, and PBS.

Tony Bennett: Duets II is produced by RPM TV Productions, Inc. For Great Performances, Bill O’Donnell is series producer; David Horn is executive producer.

Two hours of highlights from the marathon event, Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar Festival 3 will air as part of Great Performances on Monday, June 6 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings).

Watch a preview:

Clapton notes, “The Crossroads Festival is the realization of a dream for me, to gather a group of amazingly talented musicians to perform on one stage,” and adding, “The Crossroads performers are all musicians I admire and respect.” Actor-comedian Bill Murray — host of the second Crossroads Festival in 2007 — returns as MC, and supplies the festival’s nonmusical highlights with his inimitable style.

Great Performances is a production of THIRTEEN for WNET, one of America’s most prolific and respected public media partners.

It’s no surprise a festival named for a Robert Johnson song would include a heavy dose of the blues, and the 2010 edition does not disappoint, with remarkable performances by Sonny Landreth, Gary Clark, Jr., Keb’ Mo’ and Buddy Guy.

The rock contingent is also well represented by ZZ Top, Jeff Beck, the John Mayer Trio, Doyle Bramhall II, the Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band, Warren Haynes and Steve Winwood, who teamed with Clapton for several performances including an epic cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Chile.”

Various styles find a home here too, with Vince Gill’s amazing take on Clapton’s “Lay Down Sally” accompanied by the legendary James Burton and others; and Jeff Beck who performs “Hammerhead” which won the 2011 Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.

Other artists making appearances include: Sheryl Crow, Ronnie Wood, Robert Randolph, Jonny Lang, Joe Bonamassa, Pino Daniele, and Los Lobos’ David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas.

Song Listing:

“Promise Land” – Sonny Landreth w/Eric Clapton
“Going Down” – Pino Daniele, Joe Bonamassa, Robert Randolph & The Family Band
“Waiting for The Bus” – ZZ Top
“Jesus Just Left Chicago” – ZZ Top
“Bright Lights” – Gary Clark, Jr.
“Our Love Is Fading” – Sheryl Crow w/Eric Clapton, Doyle Bramhall II & Gary Clark Jr,
“Lay Down Sally” – Vince Gill w/Sheryl Crow, Keb’ Mo’, Albert Lee, James Burton & Earl Klugh
“Who Did You Think I Was” – John Mayer Trio
“Midnight in Harlem” – Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band
“Space Captain” – Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band w/Warren Haynes, David Hidalgo, Cesar Rosas & Chris Stainton
“Five Long Years” – Buddy Guy with Jonny Lang & Ronnie Wood
“Hammerhead” – Jeff Beck
“I Shot the Sheriff” – Eric Clapton
“Had to Cry Today” – Steve Winwood & Eric Clapton
“Voodoo Chile” – Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood
“Dear Mr. Fantasy” – Steve Winwood & Eric Clapton

The first Crossroads Guitar Festival, in June 2004 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, an unprecedented collection of guitar icons from blues, rock, and contemporary music, aired on Great Performances in December of that year. The two-disc DVD that has since achieved the 10x platinum mark in the United States alone. The Crossroads Guitar Festival 2007, the second such concert by Clapton and also staged at Toyota Park, aired on Great Performances in November 2007, and its DVD was certified 6x platinum. The complete 2010 concert was released by Rhino Entertainment on Blu-ray and DVD.

A Parallel 28 Equipe Inc. Production, Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar Festival 3 was directed for television by Martin Atkins. Eric Clapton, Peter Jackson, James Pluta and Scooter Weintraub are producers; John Beug and Michael Eaton are executive producers. For Great Performances, Bill O’Donnell is series producer; and David Horn is executive producer.

Major funding for the Great Performances telecast is provided by the Irene Diamond Fund, the National Endowment for the Arts, Vivian Milstein, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers.

Producer: Anu Krishnan
Art Director: Sabina Daley
Graphic Art: Ruiyan Xu
Technical Director: Brian Lee
PHP Scripting: Ben Chappel
Production Assistant: Diana Cofresí-Terrero
Copy Editor: Leslie Kriesel
HTML Implementation Assistance: Brian Santalone

GREAT PERFORMANCES Web pages copyright © 2004 Educational Broadcasting Corporation.

Thirteen Online is a production of Thirteen/WNET New York’s Kravis Multimedia Education Center in New York City. Anthony Chapman, Director of Interactive & Broadband. Bob Adleman, Business Manager. Carmen DiRienzo, Vice President and Managing Director, Corporate Affairs.

About the Writer

Ed Ward started writing about music in 1965, and has been on the staff of CRAWDADDY!, ROLLING STONE, and CREEM magazines, among others. He was music writer for the Austin (Texas) AMERICAN-STATESMAN from 1979-84, and is co-author (with the late Geoffrey Stokes and Ken Tucker) of ROCK OF AGES: THE ROLLING STONE HISTORY OF ROCK & ROLL. Since 1986, he has been rock historian for NPR’s FRESH AIR with Terry Gross. He currently lives in Berlin, and comments on it at http://www.berlinbites.com.

Television Credits

Executive Producers
John Beug
David Horn

Directed by
Ron de Moraes

Produced by
Mona Niemiec
Mitch Owgang

Supervising Audio Engineer
Elliot Scheiner

Lighting Director
Stan Crocker

Editor
Gary Bradley

Associate Producers
Cara Cosentino
Kathy Rivkin

Production Manager
Matt Uzzle

Associate Director
Laura Lyons

Stage Manager
Peter Margolis

Engineer-in-Charge
Mark Schubin

Technical Director
Keith Winikoff

Mixing for Eric Clapton
Simon Climie
Mick Guzauski

Mix Assistant
Tom Bender

Audio Engineers
Ed Cherney
Kooster McAlister
Greg Ondo

Audio Coordinators
David Hewitt
Karen Brinton

Audio
Bob Aldridge
Jackie Brooks
Stan Dacus
Robert Drews
Marshall Fawcett
Peter Gary
Phil Gitomer
Gary Hampton
Denise Houchin
Greg Lankford
Gaff Michael
Robert McLeod
Freddie Robertson
Matt Scheiner
Paul Special

Video Operators
Billy Steinberg
Matty Randazzo

Video Tape
Alan Buchner
Dave Degelia

Lighting Programmer
Rob Smith

Cameras
Miguel Armstrong
Timm Bland
Barbara Drago
Freddy Frederick
Ed Fussell
Pat Gleason
Manny Gutierrez
Ray Hoover
Lyn Noland
Chad Smith
Ron Smith

Key Utility
Anthony Defonzo

Utilities
Frank Bourassa
Aaron Bradshaw
John Heneghan
Mike Joyce
Pat Miller
Paul Patelmo
Brandy Sanders

Video Maintenance
Tom Curran
Jimmy Goldsmith
Andy Lindberg
Nava Tabkum
Greg Vincent
Ian Vysick

Dolly Grip
Billy Broker

Jib Techs
Manny Gutierrez Jr.
Eric Johnson

STEADI Assistant
Mike Gilbert

Additional Editing by
Laura Young

On-Line Editor
Stephen Hoppe

Production Coordinator
Kirsten J. Taylor

Production Secretary
Adam Fels

Production Assistants
James Anglin
Taylor Barber
Joanna McCue Carson
Scott Cox
Brock Cravy
Mark Fisher
Jennifer Ford
David Glynn
Heather Laraine Harris
Shawn Lafferty
Joanne Morris
Adrian Neely
Ryan Smith
Nathan Threadgill

Documentary Unit
Director of Photography
Martin Atkins

Produced by
James Pluta

Artist Interviews
Larry Yelen

Cameras
Juerg Walther
Greg Smith
Norm Johnston

Camera Tech
Michele de Lorimer

Sound Recordist
Michael Hanes
Chris Neely
Michael Thomason

Production Coordinator
Niki Breazeale

Production Assistants
Lauren Mayer Beug
Lindsay Mayer Beug
Michael Ryan
Will Schmidt

Audio Mixing
Engineer
Neil Dorfsman

Audio Post-Production Mixer
Sue Pelino

Audio Mastering
Darcy Proper

Concert
Producers
Eric Clapton
Peter Jackson
Scooter Weintraub

Music Director
Scooter Weintraub

Production Director
Mick Double

Concert Production
David Stallbaumer

Promoters
Clayton Faught
Rick Babb

For GREAT PERFORMANCES
Director of Program Development
Bill O’Donnell

Executive Producer
Jac Venza

A production of Thirteen/WNET New York and Warner Strategic Marketing

© 2004 Educational Broadcasting Corporation and Warner Strategic Marketing

The contents of these GREAT PERFORMANCES Web pages are copyrighted under United States and other copyright laws. You may not download, reproduce, transmit, display, distribute or make derivative works from the contents of the GREAT PERFORMANCES Web pages other than for personal use without the advance written permission of the copyright owner. Any unauthorized use of any of the contents of the GREAT PERFORMANCES Online Web pages may result in civil liability and criminal prosecution.

“Layla”
Eric Clapton

“Love in Vain Blues”
Robert Lockwood, Jr.

“Killing Floor”
Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, Hubert Sumlin, Jimmie Vaughan

“Sweet Home Chicago”
Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy, Hubert Sumlin, Jimmie Vaughan

“Six Strings Down”
Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, Robert Randolph, Jimmie Vaughan

“I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow”
Dan Tyminski with Ron Block

“Steamroller”
James Taylor with Joe Walsh

“Oklahoma Borderline”
Vince Gill with Jerry Douglas

“After Midnight”
J.J. Cale with Eric Clapton

“City Love”
John Mayer

“Rock Me Baby”
Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Jimmie Vaughan

“Funk 49″
Joe Walsh

“The March”
Robert Randolph & the Family Band

“Jingo”
Carlos Santana with Eric Clapton

“Going Down Slow”
Honeyboy Edwards

“If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day”
Eric Clapton with Doyle Bramhall II and Nathan East

“Time Makes Two”
Robert Cray

“La Grange”
ZZ Top

“Tush”
ZZ Top

“Cocaine”
Eric Clapton

Performers

Eric Clapton

Ron Block

Doyle Bramhall II

J.J. Cale

Robert Cray

Jerry Douglas

Nathan East

Honeyboy Edwards

Vince Gill

Buddy Guy

B.B. King

Robert Lockwood, Jr.

John Mayer

Robert Randolph

Carlos Santana

Hubert Sumlin

James Taylor

Dan Tyminski

Jimmie Vaughan

Joe Walsh

ZZ Top

Proceeds from the extraordinary guitarfest went to support the Crossroads Centre in Antigua, a nonprofit drug and alcohol rehabilitation center founded by Eric Clapton in 1997. The festival also offered guitar clinics, exhibits by leading manufacturers, and displays of guitars from the private collections of Clapton and his friends, which were auctioned by Christie’s in June 2004 and garnered more than $7 million to aid the Crossroads Centre.

Visit the Web companions of two other shows that featured Eric Clapton, CREAM REUNION CONCERT (2005) and CONCERT FOR GEORGE (2003).

Special funding for ERIC CLAPTON’S CROSSROADS GUITAR FESTIVAL was provided by SBC.

Related Web Sites

• Eric Clapton
• Crossroads Centre
• Radio Smithsonian: Guitar: Electrified, Amplified and Deified
• The Lemelson Center: The Electric Guitar
• NPR.org: Present at the Creation: The Electric Guitar
• PBS.org: The Blues
• PBS.org: American Roots Music