Bennett the Beneficent : In Concert, Statesman of Song Radiates a Love of Audience and What He’s Doing

How to understand the enduring popularity of Tony Bennett? What could explain the admiration witnessed Saturday at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in at least half a dozen standing ovations and, at evening’s end, hearty chants of “Tony! Tony!” that continued long after the house lights came up and the first cars were already leaving the lot?

During a single marathon set in a sold-out Segerstrom Hall, Bennett made charmingly apparent the reasons he’s cherished. No other singer is as sincere, as gracious and, with 50 years of show business under his belt, as familiar.

Bennett seems omnipresent, visible on television specials, at White House ceremonies, in the bookstores, on our stereos and even in a left-his-wallet-in-San Francisco bank card commercial. With Sinatra’s passing, Bennett stands alone as America’s senior statesman of popular song.

Onstage in Costa Mesa, he used this familiarity to effect, getting cozy with the audience, singing just what you’d expect him to sing.

He sounded the names of Fred Astaire, Judy Garland, Billie Holiday and others as a link to his musical past, then dedicated a number to the “MTV generation.” He noted that Saturday was the late Sinatra’s birthday and dedicated “How Do You Keep the Music Playing?” to him.

But even before he spoke--and he sang several numbers before he did--Bennett embraced the audience with his gestures and smiling countenance.

His voice hasn’t changed all that much since “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” became a hit in 1962. His unique tone and resonance, a bit more gritty now, still comes with amazing strength and projection. As he’s done for years, Bennett sang “Fly Me to the Moon” without microphones. His confident phrasing, often emphatically behind the beat, carries the hipness of jazz syncopation.

Showing qualities of both crooner and saloon singer, Bennett was boisterous and dynamic on “It Don’t Mean a Thing,” quiet and whispering on “Speak Low.” Fond of big, arms-open endings, Bennett closed any number of tunes with drama and sustained volume.

He also was gracious to his musicians, sharing the spotlight with pianist Ralph Sharon and drummer Cameron Clayton a number of times.

Sharon’s stride playing on “I Love a Piano” and his swing treatment of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” brought a certain class to the performance. Clayton was featured making the most of a single snare, an impressive performance he’s given frequently over the years. Guitarist Gary Sargent’s to-the-beat pulse allowed the singer to move about freely, sometimes waiting for the last possible moment to hit his line.

Ultimately, Bennett is comfortable with everything he does onstage, a trait that makes the audience comfortable with him. Whether acting surprised at the extent of an ovation or blurting out “Oh, yeah!” with rough abandon at the end of a number, Bennett’s greatest asset is his charm. And he showed plenty of it here.