JAZZ REVIEW : Suave Tony Bennett Sings His Heart Out at O.C. Arts Center

Near the end of his performance Saturday night, Tony Bennett said some nice things about the sound at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, then asked that the microphones be turned off.

The rendition of “Fly Me to the Moon” that followed was the evening’s most revealing moment. A hushed, capacity crowd hung on Bennett’s every word as the singer projected his husky baritone to different parts of the hall and up to the balcony. His strengths (a strong sense of phrasing and an honest ability to convey a lyric’s feeling), as well as his weakness (an occasional tendency to wander off-key), were there for all to hear at a very delicate volume. It was a gutsy thing to do.

Though it’s not unusual for Bennett to do an unamplified number during a performance, this time it was especially welcome because for much of the evening, his voice was overamplified and, at times, irritatingly loud. Crescendos and big, strong endings--Bennett’s favorite way to close a tune--were a little hard on the ears, though not through any fault of the vocalist.

Overlook the amplification problem and Bennett’s appearance was all his fans could have wished for. His repertoire represents an impeccable selection of classics (which he credited to his longtime associate and pianist Ralph Sharon) from such composers as Irving Berlin, Johnny Mercer and the Gershwin brothers, as well as a couple of new numbers pulled from his latest album, “Astoria: Portrait of the Artist.” They were all delivered with the usual Bennett flair for milking a lyric of all its meaning. Bennett looked fit as he hopped on and off the bandstand, and his voice carried the strength that has been his trademark for 40 some years.

The singer’s suave rhythmic sense came through best during jazz tempos. His ballad-paced “Autumn Leaves” had him suggestively following just a step behind the beat. “The Girl I Love,” Ira Gershwin’s verse for his brother’s “The Man I Love,” broke from its relaxed tempo into upbeat swing with Bennett’s hardy scat. He treated Ogden Nash’s lyric to Kurt Weill’s “Speak Low,” supported only by bassist Paul Langosch’s sturdy walking bass, in considered, thoughtful tones that came as a breathy whisper.

Sharon, Langosch and drummer Joe LaBarbera provided firm accompaniment that never overshadowed what the singer was doing. Pianist Sharon’s brief solo during “A Little Street Where Old Friends Meet” from the new album was sweet, yet to the point. The keyboardist has an agile right hand and a smart way with fills and embellishments.

But the night belonged to Bennett, who showed that his emotive powers are well intact. For a guy who claims night after night to have left that vital organ somewhere up in San Francisco, Bennett showed a lot of heart.

Preceding the singer was the 14-piece vocal group, the Californians, doing a medley of Academy Award-winning music from years past. The singers’ strong ensemble work was marred by needless announcements of song titles that covered voices and broke the flow of the program.

The evening opened with the Master Chorale of Orange County (and orchestra) performing medleys of movie classics under the spirited direction of William Hall. The program, “Sing a Song of Hollywood,” relied on projected visual images and even some recorded dialogue from “Casablanca” to supplement the chorale’s mostly competent presentation.